with Stuart Mason

Saturday, March 18, 2023
7:30 PM

Join father/son duo John and Tyler Weed with Stuart Mason for an evening of Celtic music, and American song. As is tradition, Mason and The Weeds will embark on a journey across the Atlantic, tracing the music of the Emerald Isles to one of many landing spots in the United States. Watch the folk process unfold as John Weed and “Uncle” Stuart Mason, two members of West Coast Celtic powerhouse band Molly’s Revenge and Nordic band New World String Project, pass this musical lineage to next-gen banjo, mandolin, and guitar virtuoso Tyler Weed. This event will feature a never heard, debut composition on tenor banjo from Tyler, a fresh voice upcoming on the West Coast scene.

Tyler Weed was raised in a musical family, hearing his mother and father playing fiddle since birth. Tyler has been taught guitar and banjo licks from “Uncle” Stuart Mason since his first days strumming a guitar. He was recently one of 14 students out of 1650 entrants to receive the Maestro Award for improvisational soloing at the 2022 Heritage Jazz Festival in Anaheim, California. Tyler is a six-time recipient of Santa Cruz Redwood Camp Teen Band scholarship and has been awarded the Big Sur Fiddle Camp scholarship twice. His composition, “Tyler’s Ancient Jig” was featured in Molly’s Revenge’s latest release, “The Lucky Set.”

John Weed, fiddler for Molly’s Revenge and New World String Project, is a classically trained violinist who has spent the last 25 years immersed in various fiddle styles. With an affinity for folk traditions, John’s exploration has emphasized Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and Old-Time fiddle. While he holds a bachelor’s degree of music from CSU Chico, the musical education that charted his path began through a long series of Irish sessions. There, he learned the nuance of aural passing of melodies and the tradition of conversing in a deeply musical manner. John’s passion for the vital expressiveness of the session lead to performing across the United States and internationally. In addition to being a full time performer and instructor, John is currently on faculty at Palenke Arts, a multicultural arts organization in Seaside, California.

Stuart Mason is known for his authentic vocals and nimble skills on guitar, mandola, and banjo. He is a member of the Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and has performed at festivals in China, Scotland, Ireland, and many of the United States. He also tours with old time quartet SLO County Stumblers, Nordic quartet New World String Project, and in a duo with fiddler John Weed. 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). When not gigging, Stuart teaches, writes, and builds websites. His music blog Fiddlefreak has been going strong since 2008.