Trombonist, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Raymond James Mason has made a career out of showing up where trombones usually don’t. A New York native with roots in Nashville and Los Angeles, his work spans major tours, landmark recordings, and collaborations that reflect the breadth of 21st century popular music.
Ray’s horn section work appears on global hits including “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (GRAMMY Award for Record of the Year), with additional studio credits spanning Mac Miller, Lizzo, Norah Jones, The Black Keys, Little Big Town, Ed Sheeran, as well as landmark releases on Daptone, Easy Eye Sound, and Big Crown. His arranging portfolio includes work with producers Dan Auerbach, Mark Ronson, Emile Haynie, Adam Blackstone, Diplo, El Michels Affair, and Danger Mouse. Known for both his playing and his arranging, he often leads sections in the studio and on the road.
On stage, Ray has performed with Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, Elvis Costello, and The Roots, among many others. His live TV highlights include the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, the Academy Awards with Eminem and as a member of the orchestra, Saturday Night Live with Bruno Mars and as a fill-in for Yamaha Artist Steve Turre in the House Band, and The GRAMMY Awards with Nas. As a touring musician, he’s worked with Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Lauren Daigle, GRiZ, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bright Eyes, and Mark Ronson.
A member of the Brooklyn afrobeat collective Antibalas, Ray earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Global Music Album. His sync and soundtrack work includes placements on ABC, Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix, as well as campaigns for Nike, Facebook, and Taco Bell.
Beyond his sideman work, Mason co-leads Wild Iris Brass Band with Yamaha Artist Jeff Coffin, whose release, Way Up, received a 4.5-star Editor’s Pick review and “Best of 2025” acknowledgment in DownBeat Magazine. He also leads various improvisatory groups in NYC, Nashville, and LA. Equally at home in the classroom as on the stage, he teaches at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music and is available for clinics and masterclasses where he shares the lessons of a career built across genres, stages, and studios.
Ray studied classical and jazz trombone at New York University under Tom Hutchinson, Mark Patterson, Yamaha Artist Robin Eubanks, Alan Ferber, and Elliot Mason, with mentorships from SNL Bandleader Lenny Pickett and GRAMMY-winning composer and Yamaha Artist Brian Lynch. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.