Bryon J Mason photos

Bryon J Mason

Bryon J Mason was just 17 when he was employed as a dark room assistant in a small London theatrical portrait studio. In 1956, he attended a Butlin’s Jazz Weekend at the Hammersmith Palais, a popular music venue in west London, where he captured images of the Eric Delaney Band, a regular on the dance hall circuit during the 1950s, includes two leading UK jazz musicians, Jimmy Skidmore and Bert Courtley. It was common at the time for jazz musicians to find regular employment in the popular dance bands. 

The Bryon J Mason Collection also has images taken of Humphrey Lyttelton and his Band in February 1956 at Hammersmith Town Hall. As well as photos of the band on stage, there are informal images of Lyttelton and the band members Bruce Turner (alto sax), Wally Fawkes (clarinet), John Picard (trombone), Jim Bray (bass), Stan Greig (drums) and Johnny Parker (piano).