Event

John Weed & Stuart Mason

John Weed and Stuart Mason perform rousing Celtic compositions that explore the connections between Ireland and America--both ancient and modern. On fiddle, guitar, mandola and banjo, Weed and Mason bridge the Atlantic, summoning compositions that resonates with every audience. With the well-known Celtic powerhouse Mollys Revenge, Stuart Mason and John Weed have appeared on festival stages from Glasgow, Scotland to Shanghai, China. The two are also members of the old-time bluegrass group Little Black Train with Kenny Blackwell, and Celtic group Story Road with Colleen Raney and Hanz Araki.

An accomplished traditional-style fiddler, John Weed has lived in Ireland and immersed himself in the regional styles of Clare and Donegal. The result is an old-time Irish fiddling style that compliments his forays into bluegrass, Appalachian, swing, and Scandinavian music. A classically trained violinist, John leverages his understanding of the instrument to coax emotion from every tune. He has returned to Ireland many times to hone his skills and collect tunes at their source.

Stuart Mason was born in the hills of West Virginia, grew up in Cincinnati, and has been playing traditional music on stage for over 40 years. He is known for his authentic vocals, driving backing on guitar and mandola in alternate tunings, and inability to hold his whiskey. On banjo he plays in the older clawhammer and two-finger styles. Stuart has won awards for traditional singing (Goleta Old-Time Fiddlers Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriters Association). Deeply rooted in Americana, Stuarts original songs are the direct outgrowth of the many years he has performed traditional music.