Jason Moss (musician)
Encyclopedia
Jason David Moss is an American musician, known for his work as the lead guitar
ist for the ska
-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
, of which he was a member from 1992 to 2010.
, Moss grew up in Oregon following his family's relocation to Eugene
in 1976. Influenced by hard rock
and guitarists such as Jimmy Page
and Ace Frehley
, Moss taught himself guitar at age 14, and spent most of his early music career playing in various Eugene cover bands and a group called The Impostors. After his graduation from South Eugene High School
in 1986, he left to study journalism
at Western Washington University
.
, dropped out of school to tour with the Daddies. Starting with 1994's Rapid City Muscle Car
, Moss played guitar on all of the Daddies' recordings up to 2009's Skaboy JFK
, including the band's 1997 hit single "Zoot Suit Riot
". Moss left the Daddies in March 2010 to resume his education.
Throughout the Daddies' history, Moss alternated between a Gibson Les Paul
, an Epiphone Broadway hollowbody and a Hamer
Artist Mahogany, and most recently used Vox
amplifiers.
Moss has also played and recorded with the Eugene-based glam/hard rock band White Hot Odyssey
with Steve Perry and the hip hop
–jazz
band Runaway Slave. In his spare time, Moss works as a guitar teacher.
for complete list of recordings
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist for the ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
, of which he was a member from 1992 to 2010.
Early life
Born in Lawrence, KansasLawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
, Moss grew up in Oregon following his family's relocation to Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
in 1976. Influenced by hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and guitarists such as Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
and Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
, Moss taught himself guitar at age 14, and spent most of his early music career playing in various Eugene cover bands and a group called The Impostors. After his graduation from South Eugene High School
South Eugene High School
South Eugene High School is a public high school located in Eugene, Oregon, United States.-History:It was founded as Eugene High School around 1900, and was located at Willamette Street and West 11th Avenue in a brick building that later served as Eugene's city hall. In 1915, Eugene High moved to a...
in 1986, he left to study journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...
.
Career
In 1992, following the departure of second guitarist John Fohl, the Daddies placed an ad seeking a new guitarist. A longtime fan of the band, Moss responded and, after being hired on the spot by Daddies frontman Steve PerrySteve Perry (Oregon musician)
Stephen Henry Perry is an American musician, best known for being the lead singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he is the founding member.-Early life:...
, dropped out of school to tour with the Daddies. Starting with 1994's Rapid City Muscle Car
Rapid City Muscle Car
Rapid City Muscle Car is the second studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1994 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
, Moss played guitar on all of the Daddies' recordings up to 2009's Skaboy JFK
Skaboy JFK
Skaboy JFK: The Skankin' Hits of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies is a compilation album by American ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in September 2009 on Rock Ridge Music....
, including the band's 1997 hit single "Zoot Suit Riot
Zoot Suit Riot (song)
"Zoot Suit Riot" is a song by American ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. It was written and composed by Steve Perry as a bonus track for the band's all-swing compilation album of the same name, and thus follows a musical style similar to 1940s jump swing."Zoot Suit Riot" is often cited as...
". Moss left the Daddies in March 2010 to resume his education.
Throughout the Daddies' history, Moss alternated between a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, an Epiphone Broadway hollowbody and a Hamer
Hamer Guitars
Hamer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars. Founded in 1973 by vintage guitar shop owners, Jol Dantzig and his business partner Paul Hamer. Early instruments featured guitar designs based on the Gibson Explorer and Flying V...
Artist Mahogany, and most recently used Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
amplifiers.
Moss has also played and recorded with the Eugene-based glam/hard rock band White Hot Odyssey
White Hot Odyssey
White Hot Odyssey is an American hard rock band formed in Eugene, Oregon in 2002 by Cherry Poppin' Daddies vocalist Steve Perry and guitarist Jason Moss, along with musicians Mark Rogers , Ed Cole and Jivan Valpey .-Biography:...
with Steve Perry and the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
–jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band Runaway Slave. In his spare time, Moss works as a guitar teacher.
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
See: Cherry Poppin' Daddies discographyCherry Poppin' Daddies discography
The discography of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, a Eugene, Oregon-based ska-swing band, includes five studio albums, four singles, two compilation albums, three demos and three music videos, among other recordings....
for complete list of recordings
- Rapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle Car is the second studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1994 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
(1994) - lead guitar - Kids on the StreetKids on the StreetKids on the Street is the third studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1996 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
(1996) - lead guitar - Soul CaddySoul CaddySoul Caddy is the fourth studio album, fifth chronologically, by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on October 3, 2000 by Mojo Records.-Album overview:...
(2000) - guitar - SusquehannaSusquehanna (album)Susquehanna is the fifth studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records in February 2008, and later re-issued on Rock Ridge Music in September 2009....
(2008) - guitar