Jason Mraz fulfills dream of making a reggae album
When you see Jason Mraz booked on a festival called Rock, Reggae & Relief with The Wailers, you figure the remnants of Bob Marley’s legendary band will handle the reggae and Mraz will rock — in his light, bouncy manner.
Mraz, known for such hits as “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)” and “I’m Yours,” has always had touches of reggae in his sound, but for this tour, he comes to the Pittsburgh festival on Saturday backing “Look for the Good,” his first full-on reggae album.
“I’d been dreaming of it for a while,” Mraz said in an email interview (the result of a bad phone connection). “Reggae is powerful music and I’ve wanted to experience it more intimately. That’s the great thing about being a musician. You get to create and play the kind of music you love.”
The 44-year-old singer-songwriter had been dreaming of it since 2004, when he visited the Jamaican home of Marley (who played his final concert in Pittsburgh, at the Stanley Theater, in 1980) and got a firsthand look at the reggae culture.
The spark behind “Look for the Good” came from producer Michael Goldwasser, whose band Easy Star created reggae versions of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” (“Dub Side of the Moon”), Radiohead’s “OK Computer” (“Radiodread”), The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” (“Lonely Hearts Dub Band”) and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” (“Thrillah”). His production credits included work with Toot and the Maytals, Steel Pulse and Matisyahu.
“[Michael] was the driving force behind all the great reggae arrangements on the album,” Mraz notes. “His invitation to make new music was all it took. I was ready.”
And thus the challenge was laid down: a New York-based producer and a Virginiaborn pop star with a musical theater background making something resembling an authentic reggae album.
“Michael seemed only interested in being authentic,” Mraz said, “and that mostly meant being honest and doing everything from the heart. But he was also concerned with drum tones and hi-hats and accurate percussive vibes for the various styles of reggae we tried to honor throughout the album. If I bring anything to the genre, I hope it’s new listeners.”
“Look for the Good,” his seventh album, was recorded at Mraz’s home studio in San Diego with contributions from LA folkrock band Raining Jane, San Diego rapper Abby Dorsey (aka MC Flow), Jeff Berkley (of San Diego duo Berkley Hart) and special guests Tiffany Haddish and reggae singer Sister Carol.
It was released in June 2020, three months after the pandemic began, and rose to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Current Reggae Albums Chart.
The timing of the release “was inconvenient in many ways,” Mraz said. “We wanted to be on the road with a message of unity during a year of intense division and debates, but that wasn’t possible. If I look for the good in the situation, it’s that the music industry and its counterparts innovated new ways to connect with audiences.”
Beginning in April 2020, Mraz did a series of friendly, intimate livestreams that can still be found on YouTube.
“I spent my time at home, learning to participate virtually, like everyone else,” he said. “I feel best when I’m doing something creative, so rather than dread the news and busy myself with worry, I just played a lot of piano.”
Now, he’s on the road with a 12-piece band learning some new tricks.
“This is my first reggae festival,” he said of the Pittsburgh date. “I’m thrilled to hear other bands and hopefully greet them backstage.”
Pittsburgh plays a small role in the new album in that Fred Rogers inspired the cover, which is a mirror framed by a rainbow.
“He was always reminding us that we’re special,” Mraz said. “We put the mirror on the front cover to say ‘look for the good’ within.’ ”
Rock, Reggae and Relief will be held on Forbes Avenue, Downtown, Saturday. Tickets start at $30. It benefits hospitality workers and food insecurity initiatives through The Piatt Family Foundation. Proceeds will be dedicated to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and 412 Food Rescue.
Reusable empty water bottles are permitted. No outside chairs, beverages or food permitted beyond security. Concert-goers will be allowed to leave and re-enter the venue but must pass through security each time. The concert is all ages. Children 12 and under pay a discounted price.
Rock, Reggae & Relief schedule:
1 p.m.: Gates open
1:15 p.m.: Johnny Jensen (singer-songwriter from Captiva, Fla.)
2:15 p.m.: Roots of Creation (reggae/ rock/dubtronica band from New Hampshire)
4 p.m.: Uprooted (featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root)
6:15 p.m.: The Wailers (led by Aston Barrett Jr., son of the legendary Wailers bassist, and featuring Donald Kinsey, who played with Marley in 1975-76)
9 p.m.: Jason Mraz
11:05 p.m.: After-party with Ras Prophet at Revel & Roost