Saturday, January 28, Mason Turner And The Reign held an Album Release show with Amy Hall and The Velvet Mornings at the Stone Way Cafe sponsored by the United Way charity Organization.

Mason Turner is a local Seattle guitarist who has made a name for himself playing the blues with his band Mason Turner And The Reign. When I’ve seen them in the past, it has been a typical lineup of two guitarists including Turner who is also on vocals, a bass, and drums manned by Gunnar Streuli. This time around, however, The Reign has dropped the second guitar and has opted instead for a horns section consisting of a saxophone and a trumpet. Though relatively small, these players pack a punch with intricate solos and mad skills.

Amy Hall opened the show with a solo acoustic guitar and ukelele performance. Following her, Redmond alternative pop band The Velvet Mornings played some catchy tunes. Vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joey Boone said he was under the weather, but his voice had amazing presence on stage. I couldn’t really hear the lead guitarist though.

After a representative of the United Way spoke about the cause, Mason Turner And The Reign made their entrance from the crowd. Right off the bat, Turner felt very comfortable as a frontman compared to when I’ve seen him before, and during the show his voice really complimented his guitar playing. Speaking of which, Turner’s solos were perfectly executed with zest and fluidity. The Reign played the usual lineup of songs, all from the album save for a cover of ‘Red House’ by Jimi Hendrix. The album Summer Man is out now on Soundcloud, and will be out on iTunes.