Jon Weber
Encyclopedia
Jon Weber is a New York City
and Chicago
-based jazz
pianist
and composer (born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
in 1961) whose compositions and performances have met critical and popular acclaim in many countries around the world. Largely self-taught, Weber has perfect pitch
and total melodic recall.
Weber began playing at a very young age, and eventually settled in Chicago, with frequent appearances in New York City. He has performed and recorded with a broad range of jazz musicians in the United States
, Europe
, India
, Japan
and Australia
.
His album "Jazz Wagon" was released in 1993, followed by a live album, "Flying Keys", and "It's Never Quite the Same" an album of tunes by composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. His most recent album, Simple Complex
, features his own compositions. It was released in 2004 with Weber on piano, drummer Mark Walker, Eric Alexander on sax, trumpeters Diego Urcola and Roy Hargrove
, bassists Avishai Cohen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
, Peter Washington
and Gary Burton
on vibraphone
.
Weber has appeared on many broadcasts including NPR's Piano Jazz
with pianist Marian McPartland
, and Jazz Inspired
with Judy Carmichael. In January, 2012 he will begin hosting an updated version of the popular Piano Jazz show, to be called Piano Jazz Rising Stars on NPR
.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based 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...
pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and composer (born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
in 1961) whose compositions and performances have met critical and popular acclaim in many countries around the world. Largely self-taught, Weber has perfect pitch
Absolute pitch
Absolute pitch , widely referred to as perfect pitch, is the ability of a person to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of an external reference.-Definition:...
and total melodic recall.
Weber began playing at a very young age, and eventually settled in Chicago, with frequent appearances in New York City. He has performed and recorded with a broad range of jazz musicians in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
His album "Jazz Wagon" was released in 1993, followed by a live album, "Flying Keys", and "It's Never Quite the Same" an album of tunes by composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. His most recent album, Simple Complex
Simple Complex
Simple ComplexA Jazz album of original compositions by Pianist Jon Weber, featuring an unusual ensemble of well-known musicians. Simple Complex was released in 2004 to international critical acclaim...
, features his own compositions. It was released in 2004 with Weber on piano, drummer Mark Walker, Eric Alexander on sax, trumpeters Diego Urcola and Roy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
, bassists Avishai Cohen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
- Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 * Kirk in Copenhagen 1963 * Ben Webster in Denmark 1965-1971 Live at Danish Radio studios, Jazzhus Montmartre and Odd Fellow Palæet - Universal Music Denmark*One Flight Up 1964 *Sunday Walk 1969 - Discography :* My Name Is Albert Ayler 1963 (with...
, Peter Washington
Peter Washington
Peter Washington is a jazz double bassist. He initially played classical bass and played with the Westchester Community Symphony at 14. Later he worked with electric bass and in rock bands. He went on to study English at the University of California, Berkeley...
and Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
on vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
.
Weber has appeared on many broadcasts including NPR's Piano Jazz
Piano Jazz
Piano Jazz is a weekly one hour radio show produced and distributed by National Public Radio. It began on June 4, 1978 and has always been hosted by jazz pianist Marian McPartland. It is the longest running cultural program on NPR. The show features a single guest, and usually consists of about an...
with pianist Marian McPartland
Marian McPartland
Margaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
, and Jazz Inspired
Jazz Inspired
Jazz Inspired is a weekly radio series hosted by Judy Carmichael. The program is broadcast on more than 170 radio stations throughout the United States and Canada, as well as XM and Sirius Satellite radio. The one hour broadcast features jazz musicians as well as jazz-related topics...
with Judy Carmichael. In January, 2012 he will begin hosting an updated version of the popular Piano Jazz show, to be called Piano Jazz Rising Stars on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
.