Jason Yates

I started playing music when I was a teenager, and began on guitar, Jason recalls. There was always a certain way I wanted to play, no matter what band I was in. It had to be natural, and have a strong groove to it. When I was writing the songs on the new album, that idea was at the front of my mind the whole time. That approach to music has always served Yates well. In the early 90s, Momma Stud fashioned a burning mix of rock and funk that found them a solid national following. A lot of those lessons, and many other musical experiences prepared the Southern Californian for his position in Ben Harper s band, The Innocent Criminals, for the past five years. But even before that, he had been building a reputation among other musicians as the go to person on keyboards for soulful playing. When Macy Grey started the band that would eventually lead to her record deal and multi platinum success, Yates was there. He performed with Natalie Merchant on her first solo tour for the Tigerlily album. Yates has also recorded with G. Love & Special Sauce, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Citizen Cope, the Gary Louris Mark Olsen band, Mazzy Star, Taj Mahal, Toots & the Maytals, Acetone and many others. Yates was an integral part of the band with Ben Harper that recorded the Five Blind Boys Grammy Award winning album There Will Be A Light. That release is seen as a real synthesis of gospel and rock, and also earned an award from the NAACP. The sound of the songs on Jason Yates could come from almost any period. The free flowing feel has elements of the best soul music from the 60s and early 70s, but it s obvious this music has been made in 2009. Yates Hammond organ has a timeless sound, full of the swells and fills that make that instrument so distinctive. For the recording sessions, Yates knew it needed to be done at Manuel Nieto s Estudio in East Los Angeles. The music needed a certain down home place to be created, and once that place was found, it was like the last piece of the puzzle. That room has the exact feel I wanted. Very open and down to earth, he says. For the musicians, he also knew whom he needed, and called on the nucleus of Mark Lightcap, Oliver Charles and Gary Mallaber to play on the sessions, with C.C. Nite on guest vocals and Marc Ford on guitar. When we finished, and all listened back, we knew we d done what we set out to do, Yates says proudly. I spent a long time thinking about this and trying to find a way to do what I wanted. And I finally did. On songs like My Way Out, I Run and To Reason, Jason Yates is an album that sounds like someone has taken an exciting journey to finally find their way home. It captures the soul of a man like only the best music can, and for that Yates and his listeners can be very thankful.