Artist Spotlight: Jason Marion
This dueling pianist gets his rock on at Sound Arts.
The hip new trend of piano dueling is emerging in clubs throughout major cities all over the states, and Bay Area musician Jason Marion is at the forefront.
In 2003, Jason was just getting started with his own independent musical career, when he stumbled upon his first piano duel performance and decided that was going to be his next move. He saw that these performers not only made money playing music, but that it also was a great way to gain exposure, continue practicing his piano techniques, and to perfect his musical stage presence.
Usually 2-4 pianos/players set-up in a smaller club or venue, dueling piano is when performing pianists take song requests and play them for tips; like a human jukebox. Requests made from the Classic Rock and Top 40 genres and heavy audience participation are typically standard, and Jason’s piano dueling repertoire now consists of playing 14-20 shows a month, able to play over 500 songs. Jason’s song list includes those from various artists like Frank Sinatra, Pink, and Biz Markie, and personal favorites such as Green Day, Kings of Leon, and The Beatles. Playing at venues in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Reno, and even scoring gigs like cruises and the Wisconsin State Fair, Jason is certainly practicing and perfecting his musicianship.
Every Thursday, Jason performs his dueling piano at The Dive Bar in Sacramento, filling in the rest of his week working door duties, and performing at other venues around the San Francisco Bay Area. And while Jason’s day-to-day schedule is jammed with various musical endeavors, it’s his aspiring independent career that’s brought him to Sound Arts HQ.
Entering into the studio late 2011 to finalize his 3rd full-length album, Jason hooked up with lead Sound Arts engineer Ryan Kleeman. Together they brought in various professional musicians and recording ideas, and fused them with Jason’s original humble rock sound and initial musical vision. Jason mentions that “the engineers at Sound Arts are good and better than others I’ve recorded with, and the quality is great.”
Sound Arts is extremely excited to have such a hard-working and talented artist record in our studio, and is looking forward to big things to come from this particular individual.
Influenced by an array of artists and genres, Mr. Marion’s style is a refreshing and eclectic mix of rocking guitars, eerily beautiful piano, catchy melodies, and a pleasantly gruff voice.
Buy his new album “Walk of Shame,” out July 15th, or catch a live performance by Jason every Thursday at The Dive Bar in Sacramento, www.duelingpianosatfoleys.com, or you can check out www.jasonmarion.com to see when he will be coming into a city near you!
Jason's CD is now available for purchase on Amazon or CDBaby.