Photo credit; John Lyons

Pianist, composer and arranger Janette Mason leads a busy musical life involved in jazz and pop music and is much in demand as a session musician in the studio and out on the road.

Janette has also released an acclaimed series of albums under her own name, and for her latest album, ReWired she has selected and reworked some of her favourite songs form pop classics to standards.

With such diverse musical tastes and influences, we asked the pianist to pick her top ten albums, and of her selection, Janette says:

  1. The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out (1959)

I love everything about this album, the artwork on the cover by Neil Fujita, the rhythmic ingenuity and the flawless playing. I grew up listening to this and the sequel Time Further Out. The playing around with time and the shifting harmonies across the album was so exciting to my young ears. In fact, I had the piano books transcriptions of all the pieces and one of the first pieces I learned was Blue Rondo à la Turk.

The interplay of the quartet has been carefully worked out and shifts between, classical and Jazz feels. This has definitely influenced my approach to arranging and composition, I rarely stick to 4/4 and my favourite time signature is 7/8.

  1. Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66 – Fool On The Hill (1968)

I have to thank my Mother for her incredible taste in music. She was a jazz organist, pianist and vibes player with a love of Brazilian music. So Sergio Medes was played all the time at home. My sister and I used to sing along in Portuguese although we had no idea what we were saying.

I love the lush orchestration of the album especially on Upa Neguinho and Scarborough Fair alongside the clever arrangements of the pop tunes of the day.

  1. David Bowie – Low (1977)

In my teenage years I turned more to the punk seen in London and was an avid visitor to the Marquee in Wardour Street. I was listening to bands like Ultravox, The Stranglers, Siouxie and the Banshees and Polystyrene. Bowie crept onto my radar when I got taken to see film The Man Who Fell To Earth and subsequently bought my first Bowie album, Low.

These are classic tunes now, Sound and Vision and Breaking glass, but the uncategorisable Warszawa has got to be my favourite, so powerful. Things have come full circle here as I now play keyboards in Tony Visconti’s and Wood Woodmansey’s Holy Holy project and Tony Visconti was the producer on Low.

  1. Earth Wind And Fire – All ‘n All (1977)

I can’t actually guess how many times I’ve played this album. It must be hundreds, I never get bored of listening to it, and it was always a competition in my house to see who could along the loudest to Philip Bailey’s vocals at the end of Fantasy. The album just flows seamlessly from one track to another. I love the intimacy of the thumb piano that starts of Serpentine Fire than goes on into this full on brass introduction. Every track is a winner!

  1. Joe Sample – Carmel (1979)

I was aware of the Crusaders growing up as my brother was a huge Jazz Fusion fan however, I absolutely love the albums that Joe Sample put out under his own name and in particular, Carmel. He writes interesting music with a lot of different influences and then adds his precise, beautifully melodic and bluesy improvisations on top.

The title track here is my favourite along with Rainy Day In Monterey, I really enjoy the keyboard sounds he uses, mostly Fender Rhodes and Chorus. I still have my old beaten up Fender Rhodes, sad to say it rarely goes out the studio as it weighs a ton.

  1. Pat Metheny – Letter From Home (1989)

There are so many albums I could choose from, but I settled on Letter From Home. Metheny has been a lifelong influence, and enduring visitor to my turntable. I saw him live at The Hammersmith Apollo probably back in the 1980s. I think what attracts me to his writing is his ‘cinematic approach’, something that I try to emulate in my music. He takes time to create tension and allows the music to develop naturally, using shifting patterns to underpin his complex improvisations.

From the opening track, Have You Heard you are into a luscious sonic landscape with understated synth textures from Lyle Mays, the driving cymbal work of Paul Wertico and the solid bass work of Steve Rodby. The music moves along effortlessly and takes you on an incredible musical journey.

  1. Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain (2000)

Alison Goldfrapp is such an amazing artist, she’s my go to artist when I want to get up and dance. Her 2023 album Love Invention has not been out of my car’s CD player since I got it. You just have to turn it up loud and drive fast!! However, I’ve picked, Felt Mountain as one of my top ten albums. This was my first introduction to her music, and this particular album is a lot more cinematic and experimental then her later dance driven offerings.

The opening track Lovely Head has such an expansive sound pallet, whistling, synthesizers, strings, harpsichord plus her beautiful haunting voice, what more could you want.

  1. EST – A Strange Place For Snow (2002)

What an album, this was a game changer and really pushed me in a different direction in my writing. They expanded they limits of what the Modern Jazz Piano Trio could do and the roles that each instrument plays. My favourite track on here is When God Created The Coffee Break. The left hand ostinato is so exciting and the bass takes on the melodic role.

  1. Joni Mitchell – Travelogue ( 2002)

This is a marriage made in heaven, Joni Mitchell and the arranger Vince Mendoza.

This is a double disc of the best of Joni’ songs. They are shown in a different light here and they withstand the heavy orchestration. In fact, it makes you appreciate them in a whole new way. My favourites are Amelia and Cherokee Louise. Mitchell’s voice is lower and richer then on the original recordings and blends so beautifully with the orchestra.

I wish I could have sat in on those sessions.

  1. Diane Reeves – Beautiful Life (2013)

Again, this was a really difficult choice. There are so many great albums and songs that I go back to from Dianne. The third track on Beautiful life is Fleetwood Mac’s, Dreams, featuring Robert Glasper. It is just such an inventive arrangement and Dianne rides out the track with her unique approach to scatting. She features other artists throughout the album such as Gregory Porter and Esperanza Spalding, but my other favourite track is Bob Marley’s Waiting in Vain, featuring Lal Hathaway. I had the pleasure of seeing her at Love Supreme Festival and got myself right to the front of the stage. She is such a joyful presence and an amazing energy.

Album launch for Janette Mason ReWired  is on 14 May at PizzaExpress Jazz Club:
pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/janette-mason-rewired