What are some of Brent Masons best solos?

I'm trying to learn more about his playing and would like some suggestions of songs to check out.

Now there's a question...

First stop, get the albums Hot Wired (1997) and Smokin Section (2006). Then try to get The Players album (1999).

That should give you an idea of where he's coming from :o)

For me, I have to split it into categories to be able to begin to sum him up.

1 - Tone. Mellow Midnight (Hot Wired), Mercury Blues - first solo (Alan Jackson), Real Bad Blues (Smokin Section)

2 - Riffs. Blowing Smoke and Gator Bite (Both on Hot Wired)

3 - Technique. Sugarfoot Rag and Hot Wired (Hot Wired album), Smokin Section and Hip Pocket (Smokin Section) and I don't even know your name (Alan Jackson)

Then, listen to 'Don't try this at home' on You Tube, not the Vince Gill one but the one from this summer at the Rattlesnake Saloon in Germany... Look for First Rule of Thumb on You Tube also, playing an old Gibson outside, wonderful... Also th stuff on AlexMasonProduction on You Tube from CAAS Jerry Reed Tribute this year... I could do on for ever... :smile:

Great question, awesome answer, loved blowing smoke!
Thanks.

My favorite would be on the Mark O'Connor tune "Pick It Apart," also on Youtube.

Southbound Train.

My favorite would be on the Mark O'Connor tune "Pick It Apart," also on Youtube.

this

Hip Pocket and Strat Strut make it obvious that he could easily have been a member of Steely Dan.

To hear why it is that he's probably the most sought after session guy in Nashville (and for that matter maybe anywhere), check out some George Strait. I'd recommend this one ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Come,_Easy_Go_%28George_Strait_album%29

There are literally 1000's of recorded examples as to why he's such a bad***. This is a record I listen to a lot ... and smile every time he touches the strings.

Hip Pocket and Strat Strut make it obvious that he could easily have been a member of Steely Dan.

Indeed, I think Steely Dan are Julie's favourite band so maybe he's absorbed some over the years :wink:

Hip Pocket is ace, easily my favourite on Smokin' Section... Great hook in it.

Alan Jackson's "I don't even know your name."

There's a couple on George Strait's "Blue Clear Sky" album that I think are amazing. One is "Do the Right Thing", which is an amazing lesson on how to improvise all over the fretboard on a I-IV-V progression.

The other is "I Ain't Never Seen No One Like You", which is the best modern Western Swing guitar solo I've heard.

I did not know Julie liked Steely Dan...interesting. I just think they are they were/are the most musically interesting group that came out of the Beatle and post-Beatle era. Basically, I think the Beatles existed to pave the way for modern music so that Steely Dan could get a record contract. I mean, really, is there any artist that ever used more interesting chords and chord changes than Donald Fagen? Peg, Josie, New Frontier...these are works of pure genius.

So, to satay on topic, I hope Brent gets to play in concert with D. Fagen someday. I would be there in a minute even if I had to travel cross/country.

Check out a song called Heartbreak Highway on Keith Whitley's very last cd,the title of the cd is I wonder do you think of me.I'm pretty sure it's still in print,the solo's on this song will make you're head spin lol!!!Some hot Tele chops goin' on in this tune,and Brent also wrote this tune too.It's also got some killer pedal steel by none other than Paul Franklin, this tune is one of my faves,It's worth checkin' out, I think you guy's will LOVE IT.It's Brent at his best.Mark Moree aka DblStop

Heres a tab I did for the solo to "I aint never seen no one like you"...

http://freepdfhosting.com/bf8a049462.pdf

Alan Jackson - Let's Get Back to Me and You
Alan Jackson - Burnin the Honky Tonks Down
Brooks/Dunn - Whisky under the Bridge
Shania Twain - Love Gets Me Everytime


.. and as mentioned above .. every track on Hot Wired is masterful!

"burnin' the honky tonks down" (did anyone trancribe this?)

"arkansas traveler" from doug jernigan's album "speed pickin' & country ballads"

i could be wrong...but wasn't it dan huff who played the solo on
"love gets me everytime"?

"burnin' the honky tonks down" (did anyone trancribe this?)

I'll do it. I'm working on a few other of his solos too - I'll post them as I finish.

"i could be wrong...but wasn't it dan huff who played the solo on "love gets me everytime"?

I thought that as well... the stand out solo on the Cmoe on over album (for me) was 'When', I believe that was a BSM solo, loved it.

I hope Brent gets to play in concert with D. Fagen someday. I would be there in a minute even if I had to travel cross/country.

You and many others :wink:

There's just too many! I actually like his pop-country stuff, like on Mark Wills albums.