Biography
George Masso, a skilled trombonist whose recordings appeared on the Arbors label, enjoyed an extended career that received less recognition than it deserved. Apart from a handful of early engagements, one of which was a 1948 stint alongside Jimmy Dorsey, he supported himself through teaching until 1973. All the while he continued performing on trombone in his spare time, and once he turned to music full time he joined the Benny Goodman Sextet for a tour that same year. Masso subsequently collaborated with Bobby Hackett and Bobby Rosengarden, joined the World’s Greatest Jazz Band in 1975, and cut sessions with Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, and Woody Herman. Between 1978 and 1983 he directed his own dates for Famous Door, World Jazz, and Dreamstreet, often sharing the front line with tenor saxophonist Al Klink and trumpeter Glenn Zottola. Additional sessions followed for Sackville and Arbors, and he became a steady presence at jazz parties and classic jazz festivals. Masso died on October 22, 2019, at the age of 92.
Albums
