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Pianist Jon Weber was born in Wisconsin in 1961, the youngest boy in a family of seven. At age 3, Weber received a toy organ. |
He immediately began picking out tunes and playing versions of the music he'd heard on his Dr. Seuss and Bugs Bunny Records. Soon after, his grandmother gave the family an old player piano with all of her old piano rolls. By age 6, Weber had learned almost 2,000 songs by tracing the finger movements on the player piano. He continued his musical education by delving into his father's record collection, learning and then reharmonizing the jazz and pop standards he heard.
In his teen years, Weber began writing down musical ideas and complex orchestrations on any scrap piece of paper he could find. During this time, he also learned to play guitar in an effort to develop his left hand. At 16, Weber joined the Mark Kleckley Big Band. By 19, he had his own jazz quintet, opening for such jazz luminaries as Pat Metheney, Buddy Rich and Freddie Hubbard.
Weber moved to Chicago in 1987, where he began a long-running engagement at the Four Seasons. He also found fans at New York’s 92nd Street Y, and in both venues, he was able to play duets with a number of musicians as they came through town, including Stevie Wonder, Cyrus Chestnut, Sir Roland Hanna and Marian McPartland. Impressed by his musicianship and extensive knowledge of jazz, McPartland invited Weber to join her on her Piano Jazz program in 1996. Later, she would commission Weber to transcribe the improvised musical portraits that were occasionally recorded on her Piano Jazz program.
Several appearances at major jazz festivals thrust Weber onto the international stage and his playing and personality won him a number of fans among listeners and critics alike. In addition to being a brilliant player and composer, Weber also has an amazing ability to recall the title, composer(s) and the year written for just about every jazz tune and pop standard.
The music from his latest release, Simple Complex, is based on the recently uncovered musical ideas and manuscripts written as a teenager.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
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Set List for Jon Weber on Piano Jazz:Simple Complex (Weber)
The First Song (Weber)
Blue Skies (Berlin)
Prelude to a Kiss (Ellington, Gordon, Mills)
Let's Fall In Love (Khoeler, Arlen)
While She's Dreaming (Weber)
Black And Tan Fantasy (Ellington, Miley)
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Ellington, Russell)
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Hilliard, Mann)
Lover Come Back To Me (Hammerstein, Romberg)
In his teen years, Weber began writing down musical ideas and complex orchestrations on any scrap piece of paper he could find. During this time, he also learned to play guitar in an effort to develop his left hand. At 16, Weber joined the Mark Kleckley Big Band. By 19, he had his own jazz quintet, opening for such jazz luminaries as Pat Metheney, Buddy Rich and Freddie Hubbard.
Weber moved to Chicago in 1987, where he began a long-running engagement at the Four Seasons. He also found fans at New York’s 92nd Street Y, and in both venues, he was able to play duets with a number of musicians as they came through town, including Stevie Wonder, Cyrus Chestnut, Sir Roland Hanna and Marian McPartland. Impressed by his musicianship and extensive knowledge of jazz, McPartland invited Weber to join her on her Piano Jazz program in 1996. Later, she would commission Weber to transcribe the improvised musical portraits that were occasionally recorded on her Piano Jazz program.
Several appearances at major jazz festivals thrust Weber onto the international stage and his playing and personality won him a number of fans among listeners and critics alike. In addition to being a brilliant player and composer, Weber also has an amazing ability to recall the title, composer(s) and the year written for just about every jazz tune and pop standard.
The music from his latest release, Simple Complex, is based on the recently uncovered musical ideas and manuscripts written as a teenager.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Jon Weber on Piano Jazz: