GRAMMY-nominated jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Sean Mason has released his highly anticipated new album, A Breath of Fresh Air. Following 2023’s The Southern Suite, this record marks a bold new chapter in Mason’s artistic evolution — a sweeping, soulful panorama that spans more than a century of musical innovation.
An elegantly virtuosic quintet session, A Breath of Fresh Air traces the deeply satisfying arc of a soul inspired, renewed, and unbound. Alongside the album’s release, Mason has shared the striking new video for “Unfinished Business,” a tune that wrestles with the ongoing journey toward self-discovery and healing.
“Unfinished Business shifts our focus to the work that still remains,” Mason explains. “It’s a reminder that self-discovery and healing aren't passive processes — they demand active engagement with our baggage, with our unresolved issues. Musically, it’s grounded in the work song tradition, driven by a four-on-the-floor backbeat and a sense of urgency that mirrors our own unfinished business.”
The album also features earlier singles “Rediscovery,” which Mason calls “the genesis of the album’s narrative,” and “Open Your Heart,” a warm, soul-stirring ballad.
A Breath of Fresh Air reunites the stellar cast from The Southern Suite: trumpeter Tony Glausi, tenor saxophonist Chris Lewis, bassist Felix Moseholm, and drummer Domo Branch. Recorded over two days at Brooklyn’s Bunker Studios, the project captures the energy of a live performance — no sheet music, no isolation booths, just pure creative connection.
Mason’s journey through a personal and creative rebirth inspired this work — a daring assertion of independence and authenticity. Refusing to be confined by expectation, he channels a vast spectrum of influences into a singular voice that’s as forward-looking as it is steeped in jazz tradition. As mentor Branford Marsalis aptly puts it, “the album sounds like Ahmad Jamal and Horace Silver had a baby.”
More than just an album, A Breath of Fresh Air unfolds as a full multimedia experience: a short film, behind-the-scenes video series, and photo essay that together illuminate the band’s creative process and Mason’s spiritual journey.
“This is a testimony,” Mason says. “Our inspiration comes from everywhere, but the magic happens when we transform those influences into something that’s wholly our own. That’s the path I’m walking now.”
Tour Dates:
November 15 – New York, NY @ Miller Theatre
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