Garrett Mason and the Blues Berry Jam at la Maison des arts de Laval

If Garrett Mason's name rings a musical bell, it's most likely because he is the son of the Canadian legend of the Blues genre, Dutch Mason, a musician from Nova Scotia who's widely known as the "The Prime Minister of Canadian Blues".

"For sure, at the beginning, it helped me. I played my first notes on his guitars. I discovered the giants of Blues (Albert Collins, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan) through my father's records," Garret Mason recounts.

With time, Mason the son found more of a home in the styles of Jimi Hendrix, Al Green, and James Brown. He certainly learned his art and craft, judging by the Juno award he won for his I'm Just a Man album in 2005, for Best Blues Album of the Year. He was then only 23.

Listening to Garret Mason is to revel in a voice that has evolved into a personal blend of swing, rock 'n roll, country, and rockabilly, "and forget the ballads! We play tempos that are full of energy! For me the supreme reward is to see people get up to dance, with huge smiles on their faces."

Mason's unique sound has been shaped with the help of two collaborators, the trio working together for the past 2 ½ years. And like Mason, bass player Mike Harrington and drummer Damien Moynihan reinforce the solid reputation of musicians from the Martitimes.