When jazz pianist Jon Weber lived in Chicago, it was easy for him to get to Valparaiso. Since he moved to New York City, more travel is certainly involved.
Concert Association of Valparaiso closes its 2017-18 season by bringing back the past favorite on April 20 at First United Methodist Church of Valparaiso.
“I had a wonderful experience with Valpo. I did shows perhaps three or four times over the last 15 years or so. I don’t think I’ve done it for eight or 10 years,” said Weber via phone from New York between gigs.
“It’s a great series. I love everybody who’s on the program. I’m honored to be amongst such an esteemed gathering.”
Weber’s concert draws from his “From Joplin to Jarrett: 115 Years of Piano Jazz” show.
“In the past I’ve just gone up and winged it, no script, and walked up and played whatever people ask for. This show will have a little bit of structure,” Weber said.
“I would probably cover Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, certainly Earl Hines, Bud Powell, George Shearing and Thelonious Monk. I’ll probably do an evolution of jazz piano. It would keep the thing moving, playing things that are hard, fast, loud and fun.
“I’ll give a little bit of history why each was important and why each deserves to be part of jazz history. Maybe I could even tell you where things are likely to go in the future. I’ll just make it a lot of fun.
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“I’ll keep the audience engaged and I’ll ask them questions like they’re on ‘Jeopardy!’ because they’ll know the answers about everything.”
Weber has recorded and toured throughout the world and scored for television since 1987.
“I wrote 1,200 jingles when I was in Chicago, which meant I wrote a lot. You have to get to the point very quickly. You get 30 seconds worth of film. It is an action and a voice-over or some actors doing a short little play. I look at it, listen to the rhythm of speech and look at what’s going to work with that,” he said.
Weber’s “Simple Complex” album of original music recorded in 2003 and released in 2004 is what he cites as the top thing he has done thus far.
“One of the pieces on the album I wrote when I was 9. The rest I wrote pretty much in high school. I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to ask the most celebrated and illustrious musicians I can think of to play with me,'” he said.
“Simple Complex” includes saxophonist Eric Alexander; vibraphonist Gary Burton; flugelhornist Roy Hargrove; bassists Avishai Cohen, the late Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and Peter Washington; trumpeter Diego Urcola; and drummer Mark Walker.
“I was extremely happy how that happened to come together. I got extraordinarily lucky. It was a one-of-a-kind project. It got tons of radio airplay and reached No. 1 on about eight different charts in eight different countries,” Weber said.
“The baiduhai gave it best album of the year (in 2004) so I was very proud of that.”
The mostly self-taught Weber first became interested in piano at a young age.
“I was 3 at my grandma’s house. She was 80 years older than me. She had a player piano. When you open it up, you put in what looks like a Scott paper towel with holes in it. I would put in rolls and listen to them. Air gets forced through them and activates the keys,” he said.
“Much to my delight I would do it five or six hours at a time. She would smile away. I played piano six hours a day throughout my childhood.”
Weber, who hosts “Piano Jazz with Jon Weber” on NPR, said he likes the unpredictability of jazz piano.
“You never know where it’s going to go,” he said.
“You go to a classical show and you know you’re going to get piano concertos, sonatas and such and such. You go to a jazz show and you don’t know what you’re going to get but whatever it is it’s going to be cool. It’s going to be spontaneous and generated on the spot. It’s completely in the moment.”
Jon Weber
When: 7 p.m. April 20
Where: First United Methodist Church of Valparaiso, 103 Franklin St., Valparaiso
Tickets: $15 adult; $10 student; free ages 12 and younger
Information: 219-462-5305 or 219-926-8379; www.valpoconcerts.com
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.