I And Thou (Jason Hart): Crossover Prog

Jason Hart is a singer/songwriter and keyboard player who has performed and recorded extensively with Rufus Wainwright, Antony and the Johnsons, Keren Ann, Nacho Cano and others. He has shared the stage with many music legends, including Elton John, Lou Reed, Moby, the B52's and Kris Kristofferson. He has more recently toured as support act for the art rock legends Marillion in the US and Canada. He is currently the keyboard player with the well-known UK-based progressive rock band Renaissance.

A New Yorker raised in East Tennessee, Jason started his musical education at age 6. As a child, he won numerous piano competitions throughout the South but became bored with the discipline of learning the 'classics' and started writing his own songs. Early compositions were influenced by an odd mixture of musical theater and 'progressive' rock artists like Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel. To this day, Jason's writing references elements of these diverse styles, as well as his favorite singer/songwriters, from Joni Mitchell and Elton John to Tori Amos and Rufus Wainwright.

After a time writing jingles and music for the theater, a job playing keyboards for a Spanish pop star and writing top-40 hits in Spain (as well a stint teaching English to actress Penelope Cruz), and a period developing a short-lived group called "Dramapop", Jason decided to throw caution to the wind and move forward as a solo artist.

Several years of intense labor and thought culminated in the birth of his first full-length CD entitled "If I Were You": twelve dynamic original compositions that bravely convey a lifetime of experience and emotion. Jason's heartfelt vocals and extraordinary keyboard work were supported by strings, drums, bass, guitar, sax, harmonica and flute...as well as several special guest vocalists...musical tapestries which touch the heart and stir the soul. The CD featured guest performances by Rufus Wainwright, Antony (Antony and the Johnsons), Ana Torroja (Mecano) and others.

Songs like the title track "If I Were You" put a new spin on the subject of obsession; "I Won't Blame Myself" was an anthem for victims of childhood sexual abuse; "Beautiful Nightmare" was a funky ode to ambivalence; "Marco Polo" was a story about the search for connection in the big city; "Don't Fall" and "Sometimes the Heart" were 'twisted lullabies' about family dynamics...every song  was a small universe unto itself. That CD was released on 30th August 2005 via cdbaby.com, but is now pretty well unavailable.

An impressive list of guest musicians supports Hart on the album. John Gargano from IZZ is on bass, Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright and many others) takes care of drums, and we have Jack Petruzzelli (the Fab Faux, Patti Smith etc.) on guitar. There are also guest appearances from Paul Bremner (IZZ) on guitar, Laura Meade (IZZ, solo) on backing vocals, Max Moston (Slow Six) on violin, the acclaimed French/Israeli singer/songwriter Keren Ann (KAB, Shelby, solo) who is featured on track three, 'Hide and Seek'…and the great Steve Hogarth from Marillion, who sings on the album's final track, the Rufus Wainwright cover 'Go or Go Ahead.' Much like Hogarth's recent project with Richard Barbieri, the song features his unmistakable theatrical singing in a very minimalist sound environment, filled with rich layers of synth explorations, a subtle piano theme that runs beneath the central vocals, and sweet acoustic guitars.

“Speak” is a heady brew of progressive rock, art rock, pop, classical and theater music enriched with plenty of symphonic & orchestral passages. Most of the album is slow and contains a good dose of vintage keys mixed into more modern textures. Rather than creating songs that will stick with the listener, the main focus is on exploring moods and atmospheres, complete with vast washes of sound and deep space in the production department. The arrangements are sparse and built patiently; each progression takes its time to develop and the vocals and instrumentation are provided with beautiful contrasts. Although all four of the main tracks clock in at over 10 minutes, each piece segues into the next seamlessly and carries passages filled with reams of ebbs and flows.

Fans of Renassaince, IZZ, Echolyn, Hogarth-era Marillion, and No-Man as well as anyone who enjoys beauitfully textured ambient passages in progressive rock should check this disc out.

OK - that should do for now...!!