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Pianist Jason Yeager Presents New Music With NYC Trio at Regattabar on March 7

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"Jason Yeager is a monster pianist and composer....[who] surprises you like a thunderbolt." —Ran Blake, pianist/composer and MacArthur Fellow

“Yeager plays a thoughtfully subtle, harmonically advanced sort of piano with great touch." —Grego Edwards, All About Jazz

Cambridge, MA—Framingham native and NYC-based jazz pianist/composer Jason Yeager returns to the Regattabar with his trio on March 7 at 7:30 PM. Having released his acclaimed debut CD, Ruminations, on Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music label last March at the Regattabar, Yeager returns with recent compositions reflecting the experiences and musical growth that come with having spent his first full year living in the Big Apple.

“My move to New York and the great energy, diversity, and chaos of that city have impacted my composing and improvising in several ways—I am taking more chances musically, exploring new sides of myself and the world around me," Yeager says.

Joining Yeager (on piano) at the Regattabar will be Michael Gleichman on drums and Danny Weller on bass. Tickets to the show are $16.00 and can be purchased now online at regattabarjazz.com or by calling 617-395-7757. The Regattabar welcomes all ages and is wheelchair accessible.

Yeager's music is deeply expressive and multi-faceted, and prioritizes melody, emotional honesty, and spontaneity. Mentored by jazz pianists Danilo Pérez, Fred Hersch, and Ran Blake at New England Conservatory, Yeager's evolving musical personality reflects his love of jazz and improvisation combined with an openness to exploring many of the world's great musical styles and traditions. His music incorporates such diverse musical elements as a Vietnamese Buddhist chant-inspired melody, classical counterpoint and harmony, Argentine folk rhythms, drum'n'bass-inspired grooves, and more.

The new music he will present at the Regattabar maintains the spirit and ongoing development of the aesthetic he presented on Ruminations, but with greater abandon and a more exploratory approach to improvisation. One piece features free improvisation based around a theme inspired by the aesthetics of 1970s Keith Jarrett and Ornette Coleman. Another is a dedication piece honoring long-time collaborator, friend and Israeli bassist Tal Gamlieli, featuring Israeli-inflected folk-rhythms and classical counterpoint.

The roots of such an expansive musical palette can be traced to a clear connection between life experiences and musical inspiration, a connection exemplified by Yeager's mentors and musical heroes. For example, a semester spent studying in Argentina during Yeager's major in International Relations at Tufts University nurtured a curiosity in studying diverse cultures and musical traditions, inspiring pieces that utilize Argentine folk rhythms. Similarly, participation in a Buddhist meditation retreat in Vermont led to his composition “Zen Chant."

“My compositions reflect very personal experiences, ranging from my travels abroad to my personal journey as a musician and human being. Each piece is unique, while also reflecting a particular aesthetic that I'm going for right now," Yeager says.

The Jason Yeager Trio's debut CD, Ruminations, which featured Gleichman on drums and Tal Gamlieli on bass, was released last March on Greg Osby's Inner Circle Music label and marked an important stepping-stone in the 24-year-old pianist's career. Writes critic Grego Edwards in an All About Jazz review, ..."Ruminations shows the sort of subtle interplay a piano trio ideally develops when they grow together as a unit." Legendary pianist/composer Ran Blake calls Yeager “extraordinary," “a very intuitive musician....[who] surprises you like a thunderbolt," and “a special person and an incredible composer and musician."

Like one of his key mentors and teachers, the renowned pianist Danilo Pérez, Yeager believes that music can be a force for good, with the healing capacity to bring people together and contribute positively to our world. In maintaining this dialogue between his experiences outside of music and his creative ventures within it, Yeager hopes to do his part by someday fusing his interests in music and social justice.

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