Jason Weber
 One of the most rewarding aspects of working with The Jazz Nation is discovering new artists. Sometimes the discoveries occur in unusual ways. I was looking through a few threads on a jazz discussion board one day and saw a post about a young saxophonist. I thought, ok, great, another sax player! But I’m interested in checking out new artists, so I followed a couple of links and ended up at MP3.com. I listened to the first track listed on the site, then the next, then the next, and then I just hit the “play all tracks” and spent the next couple of hours with Jason Weber’s music. I was definitely impressed. So, it’s with a great deal of pleasure that I introduce you to Jason Weber.
With a plethora of sax players filling the airwaves and record bins, it takes a lot to stand out in the crowd, especially when it seems like so many sax players are trying to emulate someone else. So when people discuss someone new, the inevitable comparisons come up. Who does he/she sound like? While Jason Weber’s soprano sax work is a little reminiscent of Eric Marienthal, the refreshing thing is that for the most part, Jason Weber sounds like… Jason Weber.
Jason was born in Elgin, Illinois, near Chicago and grew up in Fox River Grove, Illinois. “I started playing sax when I was nine (4th grade),” Jason explains. Jason is one of ten children. “I had 3 brothers who played instruments (trumpet, French horn and trombone), and I wanted to play something different. Other than that, I actually don’t think that there was anything in particular that initially drew me to the saxophone.”
One of his earliest musical influences was his older brother, Kurt, who co-writes some of the music and also plays trumpet on Jason’s CDs. “He’s several years older than me and was playing some big band gigs here and there. He was taking some college music classes which I actually got a chance to sit in on when I was in junior high.”
“The first saxophonist who really made an impact on me was David Sanborn, and I still love his playing. Some other sax players that I really enjoy listening to are, in no particular order: Michael Brecker, Kirk Whalum, Kenny Garrett, Bill Evans and Bob Berg.”
His family moved to Wisconsin when he was a sophomore in high school and later he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin in 1994. Jason relocated to southern California in 1997 to further pursue his music career.
 Since his arrival to the San Diego and Los Angeles music scenes, Weber has quickly made his presence known as an incredibly gifted performer capable of moving audiences not only with finesse, but also with his unbridled passion and intensity. This versatility allows Weber to perform virtually any style of music in any setting. Consequently, Weber is in great demand as a sideman and for recording sessions when not performing with his own group.
There are the obvious advantages to being located in contemporary and smooth jazz mecca, southern California, but there are some disadvantages as well. “One of the disadvantages, in a way, is the fact that there are so many great players here! The fact that there’s not as big of a market for jazz as there is for rock and pop music means that there’s a lot of competition for gigs and radio airplay. It’s a 'small fish in a big pond' kind of thing. That’s the 'glass is half-empty' side of it though. I’ve lived in southern California for five years and it’s still amazing to me how many of the musicians that I grew up listening to live here! I’ve gotten a chance to play with a few of them, which I probably never would’ve gotten had I stayed in the Midwest.”
Over the past several years, Weber has performed with national recording artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Gerald Albright, Everette Harp, Nathan East, Greg Phillinganes, Brian Auger, Michael P. O'Neal, Ray Fuller and Steve Ferrone, among others.
Jason plays soprano, alto and tenor sax (as well as the bari and flute) on his CDs. But the one he is most likely to pick up and play "just because" is the tenor. “Although I started on alto, I’m most drawn to the tenor. It seems to me to be the most versatile of all of the saxophones.”
Being an independent artist in the Southern California scene has its advantages and disadvantages. “As an independent artist, you have a little more control over the creative aspects of your music. If you can somehow create enough of a 'buzz' independently, you can also make more money per CD sale than you can if you’re signed with a label. Getting to that point is difficult, but as everyone knows, the recording industry is rapidly changing. With the internet, there are more opportunities for independent artists to promote their music. Obviously a major label is still going to give an artist the most exposure though.”
Jason writes or co-writes all of his own material. “I tend to think of music in a more abstract kind of way. I’m not, for example, inspired to write a song about a beautiful sunset or something. Song titles come later. I basically just try to catch a vibe and develop it. Song titles come after the fact.”
Some musicians write music when they get an inspiration. Others will say, "it's time to write a song" and sit down and compose. Others will write while collaborating with other musicians - bouncing musical ideas off each other. “I try to keep an open mind and approach it in a number of different ways. If you always write the same way, you kind of get into a routine and your music loses its sense of 'freshness'. I try to keep things spontaneous and experiment with different kinds of rhythms and textures. Sometimes the coolest thing is when you make a mistake and it leads you in another direction that you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.”
How does he see himself five years from now? Ten years from now? “I just want to continue to grow and improve as a musician and writer and see where it leads me. If commercial success and boatloads of money come because of it - great! But that’s not why I play music. I play music because I love it. As long as we’re not starving and I get to play good music with good musicians who are cool people too, I’m a happy guy! Although it can be really frustrating sometimes, there’s nothing else that I’d rather do.”
What advice would Jason give young sax players thinking about pursuing music as a career? “Don’t do it! Just kidding! I got some advice from a teacher who told me not to become a musician unless that’s the only thing that you can do. He further explained that he didn’t mean to only become a musician if you‘re too lame or stupid that you can’t do anything else! The point was that music is a tough business and that you should only become a full-time musician if nothing else will make you happy. If your only goal is to make a ton of money, you’re in the wrong business! The likelihood that you’ll be one of the few “in the right place at the right time with the right look and the right sound” is small. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the market for jazz is much smaller than other styles.“
Jason has released four CDs. The newest, Something Blue, has received excellent reviews.
He is currently at work on a new recording project with producer Marcel East, who has worked with some of the most respected names in Jazz, R&B and Pop music, including: Earth, Wind and Fire, Huey Lewis and the News, Fourplay, David Benoit and Eric Marienthal.
I tend to listen to music in stages. The first stage is purely emotional. Music needs to take me somewhere. If it doesn’t, I don’t usually spend any more time with it. If it does, in the next stage I listen for technical skills; how well the artist uses his/her instrument, the quality of the recording, the quality of the backup band. If I’m impressed by all of that, I’ll move on to the last stage where I put on the headphones and listen to the layers. If there are a lot of layers to explore, I’ve reached my musical Nirvana. Jason Weber’s music took me all the way there.
- Elizabeth Ware
|
Listening Station
LISTEN in REAL AUDIO
|
|
|
|
|
DON'T HAVE REAL AUDIO?
Get it Free here:
 |
|
To find out more about Jason’s CDs and performance schedule, visit his website:
www.jasonweber.net
|
