Short Biography
Jason Mraz left his Virginia hometown right after high school and struck out for New York City to find his fame and fortune. Honing his skills by busking on the streets in the Big Apple, Jason decided that perhaps this line of work could be performed in a nicer climate. Next stop: San Diego, and soon Jason moved from the outdoor beachside stages to inside a local hot spot called Java Joe's. It was there he met percussionist/vocalist Toca Rivera and the two made a name for themselves all along the California coast. He released his own CD, Jason Mraz: Live and Acoustic 2001, which got the attention of all the major record labels.
His first release on Elektra, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, was released in November 2002. The album sold platinum and included the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Wait)". That success led to Jason's second release, this time on sister label Atlantic, the Grammy-nominated Mr. A-Z, which debuted at #5 on the charts, and featured the hit single "Wordplay".
For his all-important third album, Jason traveled to England to work with producer Martin Terefe, best known for his work with Coldplay and James Morrison (who guests on the intricate Details in the Fabric). The result is We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. which garnered three Grammy nominations - Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, both for "I'm Yours", and Best Engineered Album. "I'm Yours", the first single from the album, holds the distinction of being the only song to ever top the radio airplay charts in the U.S. in all four major formats - Top 40, Adult Alternative, Adult Contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary. The second single from the album is "Lucky", a duet with platinum singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat.
In his spare time, Jason is an avid photographer in the unlikely realm of Polaroids. A book of 50 of his unretouched and non-photoshopped photos entitled "a thousand things" was released in October 2008 and has spread the word about this multi-talented artist to the world of galleries and bookstores. Jason is the consummate musical and visual artist of the new century.
In-depth Biography
Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz hails from Mechanicsville, VA, where he grew up as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and local roots musicians the Agents of Good Roots. But it was Mraz's interest and participation in musical theater that was his first introduction to music. Mraz moved to New York following high school to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy but dropped out a year later when he took up the guitar and began to focus on songwriting. Nonetheless, Mraz's training as a vocalist would show itself on his debut album which is marked by the pure clarity and range of his vocals.
After busking around New York, Mraz eventually returned to Virginia; but, in 1999, he ultimately made his way West, settling in San Diego, CA, known for its coffeehouse scene and support of singer/songwriters, most notably Jewel. Mraz began playing local shops and landed a weekly slot at local hot-spot Java Joe's. At the same time, Mraz met drummer Toca Rivera and the two began performing together -- Mraz on acoustic guitar, Rivera on djembe -- honing a live show that featured as much comedic banter between the two as music.
Over the next two years, Mraz's following grew outside of San Diego to Los Angeles, garnering the attention of record labels. In early 2002, Mraz signed to Elektra Records and returned to Virginia to write and record his debut album, working with producer John AlagÃa (the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) and his high school heroes, the Agents of Good Roots, as his backing band. The resulting effort, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, was released in November of 2002. It blended Mraz's early influences and coming-of-age sensibilities with country, roots rock, the poeticism of coffeehouse folk, elements of jazz, and hip-hop's rhythmic charge. The buoyant first single "Remedy [I Won't Worry]" (co-written by Mraz with pop hitmakers the Matrix) was a hit, and Mraz headed out on the road to support it. One of those shows, an October 2003 date at the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, became Mraz' summer 2004 live release Tonight, Not Again. it tided his fans over until July 2005, when he returned with the sophomore studio effort Mr. A-Z. ~ Christina Saraceno, All Music Guide
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