Four years ago, a demo version of an upbeat litle tune called "I'm Yours" was put on iTunes for about 10 seconds, and developed a cult following. The artist was a little known singer, Jason Mraz. In 2005, most people knew his major hit, "The Remedy," but didn't actually know his name. His debut, Waiting for my Rocket to Come, still went platinum, even though his radio play faded with each new single. His sophomore effort, Mr. A-Z, while technically brilliant, did not capture the attention of the masses, and it looked like Mraz would fade into the obscurity of European tours and indie satellite radio stations.
Despite the lack of attention, I continued to play his stuff for anyone who would listen. I had my roommates singing along to "I'm Yours" months before the remastered single hit the airwaves, and brought my music major friends to the brink of tears with epic songs like, "Song for a Friend." As great as his recorded work has been, his live albums have been even better. I remember running down to the local music store the day Tonight, Not Again: Live from the Eagles Ballroom hit the racks, and watched in awe with my friends as Jason played nearly an entire show of brand new material. In fact, those cult followers who really know Mraz's work can list of dozens of songs that the artist exclusively plays in the live setting. These live albums are what make Mraz different than any other pop hook writer with an acoustic guitar; the lyrics show depth, and the stripped down setting and connection Mraz has to his "band" makes a concert in a stadium feel like a party in his backyard.
Basically, if you don't know this guy, you need to. A few tracks to check out:
"Unfold" Tonight, Not Again: Live from the Eagles Ballroom
"Song for a Friend" Selections for Friends
"Tonight, Not Again" Waiting for my Rocket to Come
"Make it Mine" We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things
"Rocket Man" iTunes Live: London Sessions EP
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