My Exclusive Interview with the Very Talented and Modest Jon Weber!
- Natasha Castillo
- Dec 12, 2018
- 3 min read
Hello everyone!
The next Spotlight is right around the corner in two days. Are you READY?
I know all of you have been waiting for THIS... my exclusive interview with the multi-talented Jon Weber!
For those of you who don't know Jon, here is a little bio to wet your whistle!
"Jon Weber is a virtuoso - pure and simple." - ALL ABOUT JAZZ Jazz pianist Jon Weber has recorded and toured all over the world, winning numerous honors for performance and composition - scoring extensively for television since 1987. Gary Burton, Roy Hargrove, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Avishai Cohen have all recorded Jon’s music, and his newest critically-acclaimed release, SIMPLE COMPLEX, rose to #1. Jon lives in New York City and hosts NPR’s “Piano Jazz with Jon Weber” after frequently serving as guest host for Marian McPartland.
Celebrated around the world, here are a few quotes that will may give you an idea of his talent:
"He forms fascinating and unexpected connections between artists of different eras, their development and influences in jazz piano, but because Mr. Weber can play up a storm, it was also a thrilling demonstration of one man's passionate attachment to his chosen instrument." - Stephen Holden - New York Times
"Jon Weber is a virtuoso - pure and simple. FIVE STARS" – ALL ABOUT JAZZ [USA]
"Incisive in his compositional ethic." – ALL ABOUT JAZZ [USA]
“...dazzling right-hand lines and skillful stride-piano breaks.” Jack Massarik – LONDON EVENING STANDARD [UK]
“Definitely recommended.” – LONDON EVENING STANDARD [UK]
"Virtuoso stuff that is bursting with energy. Judging by the amount of times it’s already been sampled, is being seriously checked out." –STRAIGHT NO CHASER [JAPAN / UK]
“Weber is indeed an impressive musician, not only for his instrumental performance but also for his ambitious compositions. His music distinguishes itself by its assertive complexity, indisputable melodicism and decisive spirit. – JAZZ HOT [FRANCE]
"Guiding us through 100 years of music in just an hour, Weber interspersed each musical excerpt with insights and anecdotes that revealed a lifetime's worth of impassioned research." – Jessica Nicholas – The Melbourne Age Newspaper and ABC Radio Australia [AUSTRALIA]
I first met Jon about 6 years ago as he was playing substitute for Mark Janas at the Salon. Jon had an impeccable sense of musicianship and played beautifully for a wide range of performers and styles, a wonderfully supportive accompanist.
Since then, I've watched him played for the best performers in cabaret in the Cabaret Convention as well as other shows. He is amazingly modest for a celebrity!
For this interview, I asked him the following questions:
1) Can you share with us some interesting facts that most people don’t know about you?
A) I played heavy metal guitar as a teenager
B) I have visited 66 world capitols so far
C) As recently as 10 years ago, I could still dunk a basketball in street clothes
2) What ignited your passion for music? How did it all begin?
Grandma's player piano, Dad's extensive record collection and my sister's instinct for composition
3) In all your years in music, do you a couple of particularly interesting stories that you'd like to share with the readers?
The following people have joined me onstage as I performed my own gig - as well as hundreds more:
1) Stevie Wonder
2) Wynton Marsalis
3) Bobby McFerrin
4) Roy Hargrove
5) Rod Stewart
6) Billy Preston
7) Sam Shepherd
8) Tony Curtis
9) Leontyne Price
10) Bobby Short
4) What motivates your creativity and passion for life? What inspires your music? Name three things that never fail to put a smile on your face!
A) Hearing someone who is not yet a grownup - comprehending music at a grownup level
B) Hearing someone who is quite old - still able to produce music that is profound and significant
C) Playing music in a place far from home - and discovering something in common with people who, at first glance, appear to be quite different from me
5) Share with us what you have in the pipeline for us to be on the lookout for!
A) In the next two months, I will perform in the UK, the Cayman Islands, Hawaii and I just got invited to Cuba
Are you intrigued??? Come experience the wondrous performance of Multi-award winning Jeff Harnar and experience the magic of singing with Jon Weber for yourself this FRIDAY at the SPOTLIGHT!
ON TOP OF IT ALL, KNOW THAT IN HONOR OF THE LIFE OF MY DEAR FRIEND JOHN KOPROWSKI, SPOTLIGHT ON YOU OPEN MIC WILL BE MAKING A DONATION TO THE SINGNASIUM JOHN KOPROWSKI SCHOLARSHIP FUND!
HOPE TO SEE YOU IN TWO DAYS AT THE SPOTLIGHT!!!
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