Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham, B4 7XR.

19:00: Saturday Jazz Night featuring the Rory Ingham Trombone Assembly and Special Guest, Elliott Mason

Rory Ingham's Trombone Assembly:
Rory Ingham brings his all-star band Trombone Assembly to Birmingham to celebrate their long-awaited debut album. Showcasing five of the UK’s finest trombonists alongside Birmingham Conservatoire’s finest rhythm section, the ensemble reimagines classics like Stardust and Cherokee alongside original works inspired by jazz greats. Expect velvet tones, swinging grooves, and “effortlessly virtuosic” (Jazzwise) trombone playing throughout.

Trombone Assembly is the band that pushes the instrument away from the sidelines and into the limelight. Defying the reputation of the trombone, this ensemble is a voyage into many soundscapes: a velvety choir, a swinging big band, and the engaging interplay of small-combo jazz. In a dazzling display of the trombone’s diversity, you’ll experience bespoke arrangements of beloved standards from early jazz to bebop and beyond, original works that showcase the trombone’s range and texture, and a musical intensity that leaves you beaming from head to toe.

Elliot Mason:
“Elliot’s unbelievable as a trombonist, there’s unworldly facility, virtuosity and clarity in his playing, he can sing a melody out from the trombone; it’s like a human voice the way he plays it” – Wynton Marsalis

Elliot Mason is an internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, educator, and bass trumpet specialist. For more than two decades, he has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis and performs regularly with the Wynton Marsalis Septet.

Alongside his work with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Mason leads his own Quintet, co-leads the Mason Brothers Quintet with his brother, Brad Mason, and performs with the Sofijazz Quintet.

An accomplished educator, Mason has served on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School since 2016, as their Jazz Trombone Instructor, Studio Class Resident Artist, and Brass Mentor.

Born in England, Mason began studying trumpet with his father at the age of four before discovering the trombone at seven, a moment that would define his musical path. By the age of eleven, he was performing professionally in dance halls, theatres, clubs, and pubs, developing remarkable versatility across musical styles while focusing on jazz and improvisation. At fifteen, he received the Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Soloist Award.

Mason later earned a full-tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where he studied with renowned educators Hal Crook and Phil Wilson. During his time at Berklee, he received several of jazz's most prestigious honors, including the Frank Rosolino Award for Outstanding Trombone Performance, the International Trombone Workshop Under-29 Jazz Trombone Competition, and the Slide Hampton Award for Outstanding Performance.

Following graduation, Mason relocated to New York City, where he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after trombonists and bass trumpet artists in contemporary music.

Throughout his career, he has performed with many of jazz's most celebrated ensembles, including the Count Basie Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau, and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra.
As a featured performer and collaborator, Mason has shared the stage with an extraordinary range of artists, including Paul Simon, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Hutcherson, Ahmad Jamal, Chucho Valdés, Chano Domínguez, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Carl Fontana, and Bill Watrous.

His distinctive musical voice, technical mastery, and fearless innovative improvisation have made him one of the most influential jazz trombonists of his generation.

Mason is an endorsed artist with B.A.C. Musical Instruments and performs on the Elliot Mason Signature Series trombone, developed in collaboration with the company.

Dates

• Saturday, 24 Oct 2026 7:00pm - 12:00am