The Jason Pratt Band

I am a lover of many different types of music. My songs are a direct reflection of every great musical attribute that has influenced me along the way. Although there is much diversity in my musical foundation, I have had great success in balancing them together to create the voice I call my own. At first listen, my songs reveal noticeable influence by artists such as G. Love and Special Sauce, Jack Johnson, Stevie Wonder.

I have been a singer songwriter for over fifteen years now. I write primarily on guitar and piano, but my principal instrument is bass guitar. As a bassist I am deeply rooted in music that grooves. I take groove into consideration with each song I write and it is my goal to create a vibe that catches the audience’s attention and lets them enjoy themselves.

As a singer and writer, my primary goal is write a chord progression and hook that people can’t shake even if they tried. I grew up listening to rock and roll, but also discovered soul, R&B, and hip hop along the way. Groups like De La Soul, G Love, and Tribe Called Quest had an undeniable impact on me, with their unique approach, message, and consistency of substance in their music. I began writing rhythmic phrases that soon cultivated itself into a consistent gift of gab, but I do this without abandoning my roots as a rock singer and keep these phrases both melodic and thought provoking.

My style development is also rooted in my personal belief that music is always interpreted by both feeling and thought. I believe that music is felt first, and if people like what they hear, they will put it under a microscope for a closer look. I aspire to write songs that hold up in both contexts. I try to make an immediate impact that engages my audience. Great songs go beyond immediate impact and give more to a listener over time. I want listeners to enojoy my songs right off the bat so that they go home and listen to it over and over again.

I see my music as an ongoing challenge of self-expression and impact. I aim to dig deeper and improve myself with each song I write while maintaining my sense of humor and originality. I write contemporary pop music, but I believe that the average listener is smarter than most believe. I often write songs that have a more complex chord structure than the average pop song on the radio, but I do this behind an undeniably hip groove, strong melody, and catchy lyric. This is my core belief and approach to writing good, intelligent music that’s unpretentious, unique, and fun.

I have toured full time for seven years as the front man/bassist/head songwriter for Revision, a funk soul rock group from Ithaca NY. I’ve averaged 150 shows a year and I'm no stranger to performing on stage. I have had some modest success with regular radio airplay on a regional level and I am favored among college listeners. After leaving the group in 2006, I decided to enroll at Berklee College of Music and become an accomplished contemporary writer, producer, and performer. In my short time at Berklee, I have started and fronted a successful Pixies tribute band called “Death to the Pixies” which has been a fun and challenging homage to my first big rock influence, as well as Jay Pratt and the Americana, a acoustic trio featuring my original music played on upright bass, guitar, and fiddle.

In the fall of 2008 I return to the stage once again, going public with my original music for the first time in over two years with my primaray trio known as “The Jason Pratt Band”. We have since recorded and released an EPentitled “Life Only Gets Heavier.” JPB will be recording a full length album before the end of the year and will shop for label support after graduation.

My experience has taught me so much. I understand how reputation is everything in the music business, and pride myself on being both accountable and professional. Given the opportunity to perform, or write, I seek to gain the confidence of my peers and superiors by producing quality material on a consistent basis while contributing to a positive atmosphere. We’re all in this together, and I see no reason why we can’t strive for the best, be good to one another, and enjoy ourselves in the process. Cheers, Jason Pratt