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New
J A Z Z N Y T T review 
NR. 02 2005 (april - mai) TIDSSKRIFT FOR JAZZ OG ANNEN RYTMISK
KVALITETSMUSIKK LØSSALG KR. 50.
"Dense, driving, energetic and with beautiful solos...Gets
up the pulse and appetite for life...Lightens up the soul...Suddenly,
the carnival is loose...Warmly recommended."
--Erland Fjøsna-- JAZZNYTT
 Swiss
National Radio calls Simple Complex "Best Jazz Album
of 2004."
MOLDE (Dagsavisen): Six years old, he learnt 2000 standards
from his Grandmother’s piano rolls. We met the two-meter
tall child prodigy in Molde.
 With
the head full of music
by: Roald Helgheim:
In his valise, Jon Weber (43) carries his last release, ”SIMPLE
COMPLEX”, with a band featuring names like Gary Burton,
Kurt Elling, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Eric
Alexander. In Molde he’s played two midnight concerts
with bass player Eilertsen and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen.
Here he even performed a special arrangement of «Den
fyrste song eg høyra fekk», with words by Per
Sivle.
I’ve learnt a little Norwegian by a Norwegian friend,
and I’ve been in Norway around ten times. I’ve also
done a gig for Norwegian broadcasting (NRK.no), says Weber.
Q: Is it true that you remember a song only after a glance
at the music?
A: Sure. I don’t know what my parents were planning
to do with my mother’s advanced grind organ, but I remember
all of those tunes. Mother says that I played them in a different
way every time. I improvised before I knew what jazz was.
Today I carry around ten times as much in my head," says
this highly skilled pianist, born in Milwaukee, but moved
to Chicago in 1987. His career as a solo pianist started in
his teens. His first release was ” Jazz Wagon” in
1993, and he’s now got four releases to his credit. He
can play Fats Waller like Fats Waller. I’ts hardly a
surprise that Art Tatum is his biggest idol.
"I grew up in a family of seven kids, and we had barely
enough to make ends meet. The music was my gift, says Weber,
who at the age of 16 had the chance to play in Mark Kleckley’s
bigband. That was the first time he ever read jazz chord symbols."
"I learned all the band arrangements in a couple of
days," says Weber, who'd also learned to play the guitar,
and soon received assignments as arranger for other local
bands. At 19, he led a quintet that opened up at festivals
for Pat Metheny, Buddy Rich and others. Before recording the
last CD, he called Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and
the other guys and sent them his material.
"It’s an advantage to be one’s own master,
but I sure could use a decent agent, " says Weber. On
his notepad, he’s transcribed some Norwegian children’s
songs adding to the 20168 in his head already.
Published : 14.07.2004 - 04:00 Updated: 14.07.2004 - 15:27
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