I am Stuart Mason. I play and sing traditional and original songs and tunes on guitar, bouzouki, and mandola. I design and build web sites, and go fishing way too much for my own good. My wife and myself live in Los Osos, a small unincorporated beach town in California, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I’ve lived in West Virginia, Ohio, Maui, and California.

My reviews are purely subjective. I think of folk music as the music of the people (not pop music played on banjos and mandolins). If it’s got deep roots, it’s good. If it’s got some twang or fiddle, even better. I steer away from loud electrified bands most of the time, but not always. Let me know if you have some music you might want me to review.

Stuart Mason is known for his authentic vocals and nimble skill on guitar, mandola, and banjo. The long-time guitarist for Molly’s Revenge and other West Coast folk bands was born in West Virginia, grew up in Ohio and brought the music of the mountains with him when he migrated westward. He has won awards for traditional singing (Goleta Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriters Association). READ MORE HERE.