Mason Jennings
Biography
Singer/songwriter Mason Jennings blends the personal insights of a poet, the political broadsides of a protest singer, and the broad musical eclecticism of a jazz musician with a rock & roller's passion. The result made him one of the most talked-about new artists on the acoustic music scene and earned him a loyal cult following, as he moved over 30,000 copies of his first two albums and sold out shows around the country without the benefit of a major-label publicity department.
Jennings was born in 1975 in Honolulu, HI, but moved to Pittsburgh with his family shortly after. While still a young boy, his father moved to Minneapolis, MN, and sent his son a series of tapes that featured bands who were storming the then-fertile Twin City music scene. Inspired, Jennings picked up a guitar and starting writing songs by the age of 13. Three years later, Jennings decided to pursue a career in music and promptly dropped out of school, opting instead to move to Minneapolis and work on his songs full-time. At 19, he'd already attracted the attention of a major booking agency and began receiving offers from record companies, but Jennings was more interested in a situation that would offer him creative freedom, not a fast influx of cash. Jennings soon retreated to his apartment and began working on his first album, which he recorded and scrapped four times before finally settling on a final track list.
Featuring just Jennings and his guitar, Mason Jennings was also produced and released solely by the artist himself. The album proved to be a potent calling card for Jennings; it received significant airplay on local radio stations, and the songwriter began playing a Thursday night residency at Minneapolis' 400 Bar, which soon won him a potent local fan base. Before long, Jennings began gigging with bassist Robert Skoro and drummer Chris Stock, and the Mason Jennings Band began work on their namesake's second album when Jennings contracted mononucleosis and was forced to take six months off from performing and recording. Following his recovery, Jennings opted to scrap the set of live favorites he'd begun to record and instead cut a set of new (and often strongly political) numbers for his second album, Birds Flying Away. More gigging followed, but drummer Chris Stock was unable to reconcile the rigors of touring with his personal life and amicably left the group, with Brazilian jazz musician Edgar Oliveira taking over the percussionist's spot.
Jennings' continued roadwork added to the enthusiasm of his fans and the positive press he received for his first two albums. For his third release, 2002's Century Spring, he finally found a proper record company to release his product (Architect Records) and signed a distribution deal with established East Coast indie label Bar/None Records, which also issued Use Your Voice in 2004. The next year, Jennings joined as the first artist on Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock's Epic imprint, Glacial Pace, who then released Boneclouds in 2006. His relationship with Glacial Pace soured, however, and Jennings made yet another jump -- this time to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records -- for the release of 2008's In the Ever. He remained with the label for Blood of Man, which was recorded in a woodside studio and released in 2009. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
Yeah, I love his music his lyrics and composition, etc... It's great. But his voice has an inexplicably annoying quality to. It's not bad in the technical sense... Just not my taste, the voice I mean
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This popped up on my Damien Jurado station. Jennings has great lyrics, but his voice isn't nearly as nice to listen to as Damien Jurado's. I guess what I'm trying to say is he's a good writer, not a singer.
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I've been following Mason for years now and it's been great to watch his style evolve and come round again. I've seen three of his shows in Seattle and got to hang out with him a bit before the show. He's such a great guy and it comes through in his music. Totally genuine.
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One of my new favorite artist... just recently discovered him thanks to Pandora! Thank You Pandora for opening up my world to incredible artists and music I never knew existed!!!
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i saw him live in omaha,neb. Great Show! Highly recommended!
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First heard Mason at the Fillmore in SF. He set the place on fire. Lots of great songs across all albums. See him live if you get the chance.
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i agree haagx034 minneapolis has a pretty strong music scene which oftly gets overlooked.. . m u c h like jennings
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"then-fertil e Twin City music scene"? Really? Its only been productive then and not at all since?
Reviewer is an ignorant a**. |
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A bit like Alexi Murdoch too. In fact I think they are friends of a sort.
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Mason Jennings is the greatest of all time. I used to listen only to rap music before I heard MJ. He opened my eyes to all sorts of other sweet music. Thanks MJ!
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never heard of him before, unreal truality and music,(Is truality a word?
I dont care. Sweet tune |
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Darkness between fireflies in an awesome song. I love it...
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true at cdemaar. it doesn't matter when you were good, or when the next guy thinks you were good. all that matters is that you were good.
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"he's better in his early days...." yada, yada, two bit critics. enjoy a man and his talent for what you are all not.
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slash sead it doesnt mater how good of a player u are just depnds how coll u r and this dude takes bolth thangs
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