An excellent trombonist who records for Arbors,
George Masso has had a long if somewhat underrated career. Other than some early gigs (including a 1948 association with
Jimmy Dorsey),
Masso made his living from teaching in schools up until 1973. However, he always played trombone on the side and, soon after becoming a full-time musician, he toured with the
Benny Goodman Sextet (1973).
Masso worked with
Bobby Hackett,
Bobby Rosengarden, and the World's Greatest Jazz Band (the latter starting in 1975) and recorded with
Scott Hamilton,
Warren Vache, and
Woody Herman. He led sessions for Famous Door, World Jazz, and Dreamstreet during 1978-1983, frequently sharing the front line with tenor saxophonist
Al Klink and trumpeter
Glenn Zottola. Since then,
George Masso has recorded for Sackville and Arbors and become a reliable fixture at
jazz parties and classic
jazz festivals. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide