It wasn’t far from the Taylor complex that Jason Mraz’s successful career was launched, in the coffeehouses of San Diego. It was his equivalent of the Beatles’ Hamburg period, during which he honed his talent for blending acoustic grooves, supple melodies, and clever, heartfelt lyrics into compelling pop songs. He played out often, developing himself into compelling live act who seemed destined to make it.
Mraz grew up in Mechanicsville, Virginia, where, as a teenager, he started writing and taught himself to play guitar, often covering Dave Matthews and Bob Dylan tunes with his brother. He later moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy to study acting, but continued to play guitar and sing. It was there that he discovered he had a natural knack for making up funny songs on the fly with his acoustic.
“It became a party trick,” he told the
San Diego Union-Tribune in 2009. “People would come over and challenge me with objects or situations, and I would just make up a song about it and get a good laugh and make people really connect.”
The experience prompted a recalibration of his career plans. He realized that the creative freedom of writing and playing his own songs beat auditioning for acting jobs.
Mraz moved to San Diego in 1999, and it didn’t take long for him to plug into the collaborative acoustic scene and, before long, set in motion a word-of-mouth groundswell. He frequently performed as a duo with local percussionist Toca Rivera (who remains a core component of his live band), eventually setting up residencies at various local venues, where Mraz cultivated a passionate following. The buzz spread to L.A. and beyond.
Mraz’s talents as a songwriter and performer led to a major label deal, and his 2002 debut introduced him to the world with the help of several hits, including “Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” “You and I Both,” and “Curbside Prophet.” Mraz’s second effort,
Mr. A-Z (2005) spawned the hit “Wordplay” and was nominated for a Grammy. His 2008 studio effort,
We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., included the soon-to-be-epic hit “I’m Yours,” which was nominated for two Grammys and set the record for the longest running song on the Billboard “Hot 100” Chart. The tune is also one of the best-selling digital songs of all time in the U.S., with more than of 4.4 million paid downloads. Another pair of tunes from the album scored Grammy nominations: “Make it Mine” (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance) and “Lucky” with Colbie Caillat (Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals).
At times, Mraz’s sound suggests a more caffeinated, rock-centric version of breezy jazz-pop singer-songwriter Michael Franks, whom Mraz cites as a musical influence (he points to Franks’ 1976 album The Art of Tea as an inspiration). But Mraz brings more of a street/beat poet and hip-hop sensibility to the party, as he assimilates an array of musical flavors into his world: jazz, funk, reggae, soul and Latin music, each of which inject unique rhythmic accents to his fluid, mellow-rock vibe.
Seeing Mraz perform is to experience the fullness of his multi-pronged artistry. His nimble, crystalline tenor, his melodic and rhythmic sophistication, his strong pop instincts, and his ability to unleash a sonorous gush of lyrical wordplay together all coalesce into a soulful groove on stage. His music has a certain lightness to it that’s conspicuously devoid of stereotypical rock ‘n’ roll angst or bravado. On stage, he’s playful, funny and spontaneous. He has a good time messing with his persona: part hipster geek, part street performer, part ladykilling balladeer. Mraz innately understands music’s power to uplift and empower people, along with his own ability to use his songwriting voice to make soul-nourishing music. It’s a testament to his songcraft that his music connects not only in a coffeehouse but at a huge festival. Through his world travels and diverse musical experiences, he says he’s gained a greater appreciation for a universal desire among audiences everywhere: They want to be happy. And through music, happiness is exactly what Mraz delivers.
Website:
jasonmraz.com