Time and Date: 7 pm Saturday July 12
Location: La Grande OR, call for address
Cover Charge: $10 (8 for Trad Live members)
Contact: 541-910-1165
John Weed (fiddle) and Stuart Mason (guitar, mandola, banjo) will present a performance of traditional fiddle tunes mixed with blues, bluegrass, and mountain songs that explore the musical connections between Ireland and America, with tastes of Scotland, Canada, and more. On fiddle, guitar, mandola, and banjo they bridge the Atlantic to recreate a lost magic that resonates with the listener of today. Both are members of the well-known Celtic powerhouse Molly’s Revenge, the old-time bluegrass group Little Black Train, and the Irish trio Story Road. With Molly’s Revenge, Stuart Mason and John Weed have appeared on festival stages from Glasgow, Scotland to Shanghai, China.
An accomplished fiddler across genres, John Weed has lived in Ireland and immersed himself in the traditional styles of Clare and Donegal. The result is an old-time Irish fiddling style that compliments his forays into bluegrass, swing, and other American 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 and has been playing traditional music on stage for over 35 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 Fiddler’s Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriter’s Association). Deeply rooted in Americana, Stuart’s original songs are the inevitable result of the years he spent immersed in traditional music.
Stuart Mason Music 