Jazz Articles about Jon Weber

Jon Weber: Simple Complex

by Elliott Simon
June 4, 2005

The story behind pianist Jon Weber's Simple Complex stretches credulity, but the music speaks for itself. From the age of three or so, Weber has been an instrumental and compositional wunderkind. A real life Schroeder practicing on a toy organ, he possessed absolute pitch and a phenomenal song memory. Learning piano from his grandmother's collection of piano rolls, he began feverishly composing until his early 20s and then became enraptured with pianists Art Tatum and Dave McKenna. Two decades later ...

Jon Weber: Simple Complex

by Rob Cline
May 20, 2004

Don't start with the liner notes. If you do, you may be scared off from pianist/composer Jon Weber's Simple Complex. That would be a shame, because the disc is a joy to listen to, full of gripping tunes highlighted by a variety of delightful surprises. Delve too deeply into the liner notes, however, and it may soon appear that a PhD in mathematics is a prerequisite to placing the album in the player. Is there a more frightening way to ...

Jon Weber: Simple Complex

by Matt Merewitz
May 2, 2004

Jon Weber Simple Complex SecondCenturyJazz Records 2004

Jon Weber is a virtuoso, pure and simple. Weber delivers what amounts to a five star effort if only for his program of all original compositions, incisive in its compositional aesthetic.

Just to set the record straight, we are not talking about the more well-known bassist, John Webber. And we are talking about a 42-year-old with many more prime years ahead of him. He is ...

Jon Weber: Simple Complex

by Michael P. Gladstone
May 1, 2004

Released in April, Simple Complex is pianist Jon Weber's second album, presenting ten original compositions in a lengthy session. Originally a self-taught child prodigy on piano, Weber has been writing and performing in the Chicago area. His songs reflect a love of the post bop pianists like Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul. The use of the word complex in the title accurately reflects his frequent change of time signatures and arrangements. The tracks are presented as hard bop blowing sessions ...