BIOGRAPHY

Since the release of his first album 'Head For The High Ground' in 1992, Brent Mason has established himself as one of the most prolific and literate songwriters in the Atlantic region. In October 2008 Brent released his 7th album - 'Both Kinds Of Music' - to base of fans who have enthusiastically embraced this new song collection as possibly his best yet.

Brent comes by his reputation as a tenacious writer and performer honestly. He has played over 100 shows a year for the past decade, touring the region as a solo act as well as with his band. His music has taken him to the UK for three tours, south of the border to Oklahoma and Missouri, as well as to Ontario and Alberta. During the course of his career Brent has been fortunate to share stages with a veritable who's who of Canadian acoustic music - Murray Mclaughlin, Valdy, Barenaked Ladies, Matt Minglewood, Laura Smith, Bob Snider and Lennie Gallant to name but a few.

In 2001 he was nominated for an ECMA as solo Roots artist of the year. In 2007 he was honoured with the Stompin' Tom Award for his contributions to the Atlantic Music scene. Over the past few years Brent has devoted much of his energy to his solo show and now has developed it to a point where he can perform in almost any context - small venue, club, soft seater or festival stage and come away knowing he's reached new fans with his music. He has become especially experienced in the songwriter circle format, where his wit and charm help create an excellent chemistry on stage. Poetic, polemic and sometimes political, Brent is an excellent addition to any musical event. In 2010 he was awarded the Canada's Cultural Capital Award for Popular Music Achievement in Saint John, New Brunswick.

In November 2011, Brent released 'Old New Borrowed Blue', a self produced effort that is getting positive feedback across the country - CBC's Bob Mersereau calls it "Quite an achievement - a very strong new album."

Brent is looking forward to sharing his music in 2012.

DISCOGRAPHY
2011 - Old New Borrowed Blue

2008 - Both Kinds Of Music
2005 - Gloryland
2002 - Hitcher On The Road
2000 - River Songs
1997 - Stony Plain
1995 - Down To Heaven
1992 - Head For The High Ground

- Saint John 225 'The Originals' Popular Music Award

2009
- ECMA nominated CD 'River Songs' featured on national CBC-TV’s Land and Sea

2008
- 'Both Kinds of Music' CD Release
- Ontario Contact Folk Festival showcase

2007
- ECMA Stompin’ Tom Award for Exceptional Contributions To The Musical Traditions of Atlantic Canada
- Winterfolk Roots Music Festival - Toronto, ON

2006
- Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival - Fredericton, NB (wt Joel Plaskett, Thom Swift, and Suzie Vinnick)
- Salty Jam Festival - Saint John, NB
- City of Saint John Environmental Leadership Award
- Picnic for Peace - Toronto, ON
- Moonshine Café - Oakville, ON
- Paddlefest - St. Andrews, NB
- C’est Wha - Toronto, ON
- Tin Pan South, Millenium Lounge - Nashville, TN
- Loyalist City Folk Festival Gala Host (featuring Stephen Fearing, Valdy, Matt Andersen)

2005
- Atlantic Airwaves (CBC) Songwriter’s Series
- Canadian Country Music Week; - Calgary, AB
- Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival - Saint John, NB (Hosted songwriter’s circle wt Bob Snider, Shanklin Road, Ryan Leblanc)
- 'Gloryland' CD Release

2004
- Folk Alliance showcase (wt Hot Toddy, Isaac and Blewett and Samantha Robichaud)
- Song 'Here Comes the Tide' featured in NBCC film on the Bay of Fundy
- Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival (Hosted song circle wt Laura Smith, Matt Andersen, Mae Moore, Lester Quitzau)

2003
- Tours throughout Oklahoma, USA and Ontario, Canada

2002
- Unison showcase (wt Lennie Gallant, Damnhait Doyle, Les Muses)
- ECMA Roots Room showcase
- 'Hitcher on the Road' CD Release
- Oklahoma, USA tour

2001
- 3 week tour throughout the United Kingdom

2000
- ECMA Roots Tradional Solo Album nomination 'River Songs'
- 3 week tour throughout the United Kingdom

1992-2000
- Tours throughout Oklahoma, USA and Ontario, Canada
- Released 4 albums (Head For The High Ground, Down To Heaven, Stony Plain, River Songs)
- Song 'Head For The High Ground' featured on a compilation CD in Manchester, England (?)
- Song 'Down To Heaven' featured on a BBC documentary "The Food Chain”
- Poley Mountain Music Festival visionary and director

PRESS QUOTES

"Song 'Wide Awake and Dreaming' - Mason's ode to Jack Kerouac - is superb" - Dennis McNally, Grateful Dead publicist/historian and author of Desolate Angel

“Mason’s imagery and storytelling are world class” - Wilfred Langamid, Daily Gleaner

“Both Kinds of Music is Mason at his best!” - Bob Mersereau, Telegraph Journal

“Brent Mason is the godfather of the Saint John music scene” - Grant Kerr, Telegraph Journal

“Gloryland is a tight, connected and beautiful album - one of the top 5 out of New Brunswick this year”
- Wilfred Langmaid, Daily Gleaner

“Gloryland ... is an entirely pleasant experience” - Exclaim (national publication)

“One of Canada’s best kept secrets “ - Anne Ingram, Daily Gleaner

“An album of rare lyrical insight” - Folk Roots magazine, London, England for ‘Stony Plain’

"River Songs ... finally New Brunswick has a musical voice. This album makes the river come alive for us”
- Doug Hughes, NB Reader

“Mason has a rare gift for weaving lyric and story together - one to watch” - Fax Magazine