All Of It – WNYC

Episode: Pianist Sean Mason Performs Live
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Sean Mason
Date: November 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This engaging episode of All Of It showcases a live in-studio performance by Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer Sean Mason, whose new album A Breath of Fresh Air reflects his personal and creative journey. Host Alison Stewart talks with Mason about his decision to temporarily leave New York City for his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and how solitude and recovery led to a renewed artistic perspective. The conversation covers Mason’s creative process, influences, experiences as a self-taught musician, and his relationship with jazz. Mason also discusses the inspiration behind specific tracks and shares insights for aspiring musicians.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Catalyst for a New Creative Journey

• Returning Home for Renewal

  • Mason recounts the intense period in New York that preceded his departure:
    • “I broke my foot, so a piano dropped on my foot... I got off this three month tour... the night I got back... I moved the piano... and it crushed my foot. And I was like, all right, this is a sign that I need to. Something needs to change.” ([05:51])
  • He describes his time in Charlotte as a period of recalibration and “finally coming up to breathe again.” ([05:01])

• Title & Album Cover Symbolism

  • The album cover, featuring Mason jumping in Charlotte, embodies his sense of liberation:
    • “It represented exactly how I felt... I just felt free.” ([08:36])

2. Artistic Purpose and Self-Inquiry

• Mason reflects on existential questions influencing the album:
  • “I wanted to investigate what it meant to be an artist. What was my true purpose in this world as an artist? What was my voice?... This album was an answer to those questions.” ([06:55])
• He emphasizes using music as an outlet to process and express deep emotion:
  • “The more I sat at home in solitude, the more things just came up... it was beautiful for me to... feel everything that I was feeling and put that into the music.” ([07:23])

3. Personal Backstory: Early Influences and Self-Taught Roots

• Piano became his central instrument at 13, inspired by watching the movie Ray:
  • “I started playing the trombone first... drums second... then I switched to the piano and loved that. And then I watched the movie Ray and that kind of sealed it for me.” ([13:39])
• First song truly learned: “Frosty the Snowman,” self-taught ([14:48])
• Navigating formal instruction:
  • “I'm such a free spirit. And so institutions in general are very, very, very hard for me.” ([15:16])
  • “I'm not the best student. I don't know if any of my former Juilliard teachers are listening, but they probably agree.” ([15:33])

4. Professional Journey: Becoming a Jazz Artist

• Decision to pursue music professionally was pragmatic and somewhat solitary:
  • “There wasn't that much internal support... I was like an outsider.” ([16:04])
  • First paid gig was playing for his mom’s company holiday party, including “Frosty the Snowman.” ([16:25])

5. The Nature of Jazz and Testimony in Music

• On jazz as testimony:
  • “To really make the decision to play jazz, you have to be out of your mind. You have to be completely crazy, because the work... the output and the reward... does not match it. You have to actually really, really love the music, which I do.” ([16:59])
  • “It's a testimony every day to be able to play this music and to play it with the spirit of blues and happiness and joy...” ([17:42])
  • “The music makes me happy and joyful. So in that sense, it's a testimony.” ([17:49])

6. Creative Process: Composition and Collaboration

• Whether performing his own work or interpreting others, composition is foundational:
  • “I take composition really seriously... it's never really done. I'm always changing things.” ([18:41])
  • Even when learning music for others (such as with Katherine Russell), he deeply internalizes lyrics and structure:
    • “I memorized all the lyrics and memorized the... even though I didn't sing.” ([18:56])

7. Musical Habits and Learning

• Alison notes that Mason hums/sings as he plays, a habit Mason shares with many pianists:
  • “I actually don't know why [pianists sing as they play]... I think if I were to think about it, that may be right.” ([19:49], [20:04])
• Valuable lesson from Juilliard:
  • “I learned, like, the value of human relations... that's something I still use today.” ([20:51])

8. Mentorship and Life Lessons

• Mason credits Branford Marsalis as a mentor, sharing key advice:
  • “The first thing is to not take things personally... For piano, keep the art first and center. Not my ego.” ([26:21], [26:36])

9. Preview of Live Concert

• Mason describes his upcoming Columbia University live performance:
  • “They're gonna hear a quartet... a trumpet, a piano, a drum set and a bass... original music... a couple of standards in there.” ([25:31])
  • Favorite standard: “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” notable as the first tune he played for Marsalis ([25:48])
  • On choosing pieces: “Because it's really, really fun and it brings back great memories.” ([25:53])

Memorable Quotes

• On creative renewal:

  "It was a temporary decision to just take a break and give myself some time... The concept behind [the album] was, this was a breath of fresh air for me, it felt like I was finally coming up to breathe again after, you know, a series of unfortunate events."
  — Sean Mason ([05:01])

• On jazz musicians:

  "You have to be out of your mind. You have to be completely crazy, because the work that you put in... the output and the reward on the other side does not match it... But I love the music."
  — Sean Mason ([16:59])

• On staying true as an artist:

  "For piano, keep the art first and center. Not my ego."
  — Sean Mason ([26:36])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Introduction & Performance (“Kiss Me”) | 01:50 | | Origin of “A Breath of Fresh Air” | 04:57–07:56 | | Album cover story | 08:04 | | Performance: “Bone Back” | 08:58 | | Early musical influences & self-taught roots | 13:25–15:08 | | On pursuing professional music | 15:42–16:25 | | Jazz as testimony | 16:59–18:21 | | Creative process & composition | 18:41–19:49 | | Piano singing habit discussion | 19:36–20:10 | | Lessons from Juilliard | 20:31–20:55 | | Performance: “Unfinished Business” | 21:15 | | Preview of Columbia performance | 25:31 | | Mentorship from Branford Marsalis | 26:09–26:36 |

Live Performances

• “Kiss Me” (01:50): Romantic, expressive original from the new album.
• “Bone Back” (08:58): A lively celebration of physical recovery—“my bone grew back in my foot” ([08:58]).
• “Unfinished Business” (21:15): Reflective piece dedicated to “the work that still remains that needs to be done.”

Tone and Atmosphere

The conversation is warm, candid, and sometimes playful. Mason's humility and good humor come through, especially when recounting mishaps and talking about overcoming adversity. Stewart brings out depth and personal reflection in her questions, resulting in honest, relatable answers.

For Listeners

This episode offers a vivid portrait of an emerging jazz artist who values vulnerability, authenticity, and connection—both in music and in life. Through Mason’s stories, live performances, and thoughtful insights, listeners get “a breath of fresh air” into the reality of contemporary jazz and the resilience behind creative renewal.