That’s important to me.”, In this era of quick turnovers, transitory attitudes, and short-term loyalties, Wilber is living proof that a lifetime dedicated to a goal like making music is worth the effort. Margo Price, Sturgill Simpson, John Mooreland, Dan Auerbach, Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell particularly come to mind. One last one that comes to mind is Lee Ann Womack's voice. ‘Records by Johnny Cash, Tom T. Hall, Marty Robbins, and other artists were what set me off in that direction. Nothing puts things into perspective like a lonely road allowing isolation with one’s thoughts. With over 20 years under his belt employing his guitar … There were so many ties, here’s another example of where every vote counts! But we didn't stay in touch after that. Fortunately, I am well prepared and working with fun people, so all the gigs should be a blast. From childhood piano lessons and commandeering his dad’s guitar to playing stringed bass in school orchestra and joining high school rock bands, the 47-year-old folk rocker, who will release a new album, Reaction Time, on August 11th, knows what longevity means, in more ways than one. ‘I enjoy accompanying other artists. With a career balance that involves so many different strands I wondered which of the roles brought the most satisfaction. “That was 21 years ago,” he says. Beyond a Song guest host Jason Wilber interviews John Prine. I auditioned and got the job’, Remarkably that association has now lasted for twenty years without any hiccups. Wilber strums stories from space stations and post-apocalyptic bunkers, alongside down to earth parables on the mysteries and truths of life. ‘Maybe, that would be nice. Thirdly, John's fans are wonderful. ‘Well pretty much all of John's duet partners have been incredible artists in their own rite, so they were all impressive in that respect. Right away I was making more money playing in bands on the weekends than any of my friends who had part time jobs. On his new album, Reaction Time, Jason Wilber takes the fragments from his mind’s eye and melds them into a lyrical testimony of his inner contemplation… Continue Reading → New Music , Reviews album release , album review , Americana , Jason Wilber , John Prine , new music , Reaction Time , singer/songwriter While his most recognizable gig has been as the longtime guitarist for folk legend John Prine, Wilber has shared the stage and studio with Iris DeMent, Greg Brown, Over the Rhine, and Sheryl Crow, … “The time has gone by really quickly. The people who like John's music are very loyal and keep coming back to see us play year after year. It’s lot of fun, John is amazing to work for, and the music is great,” he adds. Across the record, the […] Listen Online: https://www.beyondasong.com Mahern's musical career kicked off as a teenager with hardcore punk band The Zero Boys and he subsequently worked with household names such as Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Afghan Whigs, Magnolia Electric Co. and Iggy Pop. “Reaction Time was a great process of discovery for me.”, Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube. Wilber was Prine's lead guitarist, and a terrific one at that. Interview with singer/songwriter/guitarist Jason Wilber for Forest Park eLearning. On his new album, Time Traveler (Wibertone Records), singer/songwriter Jason Wilber deftly addresses such heavy subjects as the temporal nature of existence, the human condition, and the interplay between life and death in a manner that is both emotionally captivating and intellectually stimulating to the listener of its 12 tracks. I just progressed from there and at some point I started concentrating more on writing my own songs’, Without doubt the turning point in his career was his association with John Prine who Wilber actually performed with unofficially long before teaming up with him. So, it's kind of a tossup between performing my own songs and accompanying other artists on their songs. “We come from slightly different places musically,” he says of Mahern. He thinks of musical things that I don't think of and vice versa. "Time Traveler," Jason Wilber. ‘Ha-ha. We have a good collaborative working relationship and I can count on him to be honest about whether he thinks something is good or not. It's better now, in the sense that there are alternative outlets for Americana artists to be heard. So clearly it can be done. A career spanning over two decades to date has included twenty years as guitarist in the studio and on tour with John Prine, the release of eight studio albums, producer, session player, radio show host and guitar instructor. Sounds obvious, but sometimes that part gets overlooked. Courtesy of Jason Wilber. “Loved the interview!” - Mel Hughes (commenting on Jason Wilber show) “Excellent!” - Brad Summers (on Jason Wilber interview) Powered by Squarespace. This is before Americana was a genre, it was called roots rock back then, or some artists were called cow punk. Has the door finally been opened for Americana type artists to reach much wider audiences I enquired. Learn how your comment data is processed. His latest album Reaction Time is Wilbur’s eight studio recording since the release of his debut album Lost In Your Hometown in 1998. Secondly, the songs are fantastic works of art. Check out Jason's new 12 song album Time Traveler, and 4 song EP Honey Bee, available now! "Watch out for what you've got / Hold onto what you want," Wilber sings about being told. The livestream also featured Stephen Colbert, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Jim James, Kurt Vile, and more by Ben Kaye on June 12, 2020, 11:33am Or maybe it was because I enjoyed it so much, all the hours of practicing didn't feel like work to me. "For me, those tend to emerge over time when I … Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price have made somewhat unlikely industry breakthroughs in recent years despite the mounting hurdles. Possibly best known for his association with John Prine and also widely considered as one of the finest guitar players of his time, I’m intrigued as to how he actually manages to write so much material and actually record it given the mileage he clocks up on the road. As a touring member of John Prine's band since the age of 26, Wilber has played some of the world's most storied stages. In an interview with The Tennessean ahead of this year's ceremony, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said, ... Jason Wilber performs with John Prine at the Tennessee Theatre Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. “You can put one of those records on and it casts a magic spell—you can be somewhere else in some other story. On his new album, Reaction Time, Jason Wilber takes the fragments from his mind’s eye and melds them into a lyrical testimony of his inner contemplation about his past, his current place in life, and what the future holds. Rich hosts this extraordinary weekly radio series that features discussions with World Class musicians, producers, audio engineers, etc., about their lives and making music. Home News Interviews CD Releases CD Reviews Concerts Artists Archive ☰ Behind The Midway (Flat Earth, 2000) Jason Wilber. Jason Wilber Interview August 8, 2017 The old adage of the male species not being able to multi-task most certainly does not apply to Jason Wilber. AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with JASON WILBER. Indiana native Jason Wilber has built a wide-ranging career as singer, songwriter, producer, radio host, and in-demand guitarist for a multitude of artists in the folk and Americana world. I could not resist questioning which of the two roles is more demanding. Indiana native Jason Wilber has built a wide-ranging career as singer, songwriter, producer, radio host, and in-demand guitarist for a multitude of artists in the folk and Americana world. If I were forced to choose one though, I'd choose playing my own songs’, A self-confessed guitar fanatic from an early age his career did not follow any premeditated path, simply flowing from one stage to another as if predetermined. “Getting to work with John and watch how he does things has made me realize that there’s a mystery to good music; you can’t put it all into words,” he explains. So combine that with great songs and enthusiastic audiences, and it's pretty easy to stay engaged’, Accompanying Prine on duet recordings over the years gave him the opportunity to work with the cream of the industry’s female vocalists. From 2006-2016, Jason Wilber hosted the syndicated radio series, In Search of a Song, which featured long form interviews with singers, songwriters, musicians, and producers. A year into John’s Lost Dogs + Mixed Blessings tour, one of those friends joined Steve Earle’s band, and recommended me to John to take his place.” Wilber auditioned and Prine offered him the job on the spot. The album also reunites Wilber with Iris DeMent who adds backing vocals to Heaven, the closing track on the album. Legendary singer-songwriter John Prine passed away on April 7, 2020 after a battle with COVID-19, leaving the music world at large in an overall state of mourning. On the other hand, it's nice to be the one primarily creating the picture too. I'm looking forward to it!’. For longtime John Prine bandmate and Indiana native ‘Ha-ha. While his most recognizable gig has been as the longtime guitarist for folk legend John Prine, Wilber has shared the stage and studio with Iris DeMent, Greg Brown, Over the Rhine, and Sheryl Crow, … I wanted to play with someone who was making their own music, to be a part of something new, something original. Pressure mainly is a result of being unprepared for the situation, and/or working with people who are difficult. This is part 1 of a 3 part interview. ‘As far as sticking together, first of all John is pretty easy going and fun to work with. I've had the pleasure of working with her for many years now. He doesn't get too stressed about anything and he doesn't put a lot of rules or constraints on his musicians. It's one thing to hear her on a record, but when you're standing in the same room with her, it's quite striking. Jason Wilber’s latest record, Time Traveler, plays like a radio signal emanating from some distant outpost.Folk music from the future, with themes at once timeless and timely. This is a special program from the Beyond a Song archive from 2010. I wondered what drew Wilbur to him rather than take hold of the reins himself. That can't be overlooked when you think about what allows you to go out and tour continually for so many years. ‘I first met John when I was in high school. We played a whole set of John's songs at a little bar in the little college town where I still live. The tour takes in shows in Ireland, UK and The States fairly well filling in his diary until the end of 2017. ‘Paul is a fantastic engineer and producer. Before he was known for his own songwriting, Jason Wilber played many musical stages alongside the legendary John Prine. There were lots of other artists I started listening to back in the '80's like Los Lobos, Lone Justice, The Plimsoles, to name a few. Beyond a Song first appeared in 2005 with the original series "In Search of a Song" with host Jason Wilber (John Prine's longtime lead guitarist). Rather than self-produce Wilber engaged the services of Paul Mahern on both Echoes and Reaction Time. The old adage of the male species not being able to multi-task most certainly does not apply to Jason Wilber. Fast forward 30 years and it hasn't changed a whole bunch. That was really the start of it all. independent thoughts on alternative music. Interviewing Sara Morgan in KC, Missouri. Reactions to recent stories on Dan Fogelberg, “The Zen of John Prine,” by Jason Wilber, Doc Watson & more. ‘We all enjoy playing together and just hanging out. Jason Wilber’s new record, Reaction Time, plays like a solitary tour bus rolling steadfastly through the countryside under mysterious skies.It’s the sound of long, hushed hours spent scribbling in notebooks, dreaming up gorgeously mournful melodies and cascading harmonies set against jangling guitars, the searching songs underpinned by a persistent longing. “I ditched college to tour with some bar cover bands around the country, but after several years, I got burned out on that,” he recalls. But the main stream music is still something else. “It has suited me very well.”, Wilber has distilled his road-worn observations and ruminations into Reaction Time, his eighth studio album and quick follow-up to 2016’s Echoes; he joined forces with long time friend and producer Paul Mahern, and the pair optimized their complementary talents to create Wilber’s finest work yet. Once I started playing guitar and doing gigs with bands, I realized it kind of came easy to me. Acclaimed guitarist Jason Wilber may be best known as John Prine's guitar player, but that's okay with him. "The songs on Reaction Time weren’t written with any specific themes in mind," says Grammy-winning artist Jason Wilber. That's kind of a loaded question. Jason Wilber spent the majority of his adult life surrounded by legends. From spraying note perfect guitar licks in sold out theatres as a band member to performing solo with a smaller audience unassisted. That's pretty rare. It was an escape,” says Jason Wilber, who discovered Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins and Tom T. Hall in his parents’ record collection as a child. Lucky man, Jason Wilber. Tone, pitch, phrasing, just spot on every time. Rich hosts this extraordinary weekly radio series that features discussions with World Class musicians, producers, audio engineers, etc., about their lives and making music. Keep an eye out for our monthly polls and vote for your favorite every month and then at the end of … I'd say those are three of the keys to us all being able to do it for so long’, Prine’s shows in Ireland have been and continue to be exceptional, I’d go as far as saying they have even improved in the past decade if that’s possible! She has such a pure and beautiful voice and her southern accent is really ideal for country music.’, The lack of industry support that many artists are exposed to these days often results in meagre pickings making survival as a professional artist more perilous than ever. I probed if there was any one artist that particularly impressed you above the rest. Sometimes even our knowledge of what is best can be inhibited when our heart is at play. Another would be Miranda Lambert, who pretty much sang everything perfectly, every time. Wilber’s laid back and relaxed persona is in contradiction to an artist that appears to have nailed down the survival formula better than most. When I was about 26, I had couple of good friends who’d moved to Nashville and were playing in John Prine’s band. For the first few years, I thought it would end at any moment, probably because of my own inexperience and insecurity, and, most artists don’t keep a band for that long, they generally put a band together for individual tours and then change things up. Reviewed by Philip Bernhardt Jason Wilber has played lead guitar for some notables - John Prine, Iris Dement and Hal Ketchum. So, it's a pleasure to perform John's music with him. You voted and picked your favorite albums of 2020. And you can find almost anything on the internet. “Love Me Now” Official Music Video You can see all of Jason’s music videos, live performance videos, and more on the Jason Wilber YouTube Channel… Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves, and Bill Murray will remember the life and music of John Prine during an all-star online special on Thursday. He sat in with a band some friends of mine had and I sat in on guitar. He’s a world class engineer, and he’s really honest and objective. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. About 10 years later, some friends of mine were playing in John's band and they recommended me when he needed a guitar player. I guess it depends on your definition of “survive”. You have to have an audience or there are no shows. To folk music icon John Prine, Indiana was a place to find guitarists and the place where he made his movie acting debut. So to use your analogy; there is a door open, but it's not front door’, Wilber will be playing a full programme of dates on the upcoming tour of Ireland, some with John Prine and also solo gigs at venues from one end of the country to the other.