Jason Mraz review

There was no need for Jason Mraz to release his latest live album Selections for Friends. In fact, it’s only available online. But now that this compilation of live tacks from Shubas Tavern in Chicago and the Montalvo Center in Saratoga, California is here, I’m not complaining. I expected it to be a collection of live songs as a follow up to his sophomore slump Mr. A-Z. To my pleasure that is not the case. Instead it is a relaxing blend of old favorites, revamped versions of the newer songs I couldn’t bring myself to listen to more than a handful of times, and his newest track “The Beauty in Ugly” from the Ugly Betty soundtrack.
The thirty-four minute opening medley displays everything there is to love about Jason Mraz. He sings as if it’s the first, not four hundredth time he’s singing each track this year. Mraz trained to be a Broadway musician and his ability to keep each track sounding like he is debuting it is something he definitely shares with the actors of Broadway. Even the best of artists fail to hide their boredom in music. Listening to this live album I’d find it hard to believe Jason Mraz has lost interest in singing his songs. Throughout the opening medley of his well known older songs, Mraz’s voice quietly hits high notes leaving the listener with his sense of tension and unnoticing he transitions to smooth shouts of craze that chill the listener with melodies for lovers to cuddle to.
In keeping with the tradition of live albums, Mraz includes an audience sing-a-long track. He didn’t just place it on the album and make it seem as though the audience started singing the background melodies to “Did you Get My Message?” Rather, he included the Audience Rehearsal at Shubas prior to the recording of the actual live track. This addition has made my liking for the album increase quite significantly. When the audience sings their oh’s and ah’s I feel like I should sing along too, since I got to be in on the same rehearsal session that led to its recording. In a post-modern way, including the listener in on the creation of the live album really brings the live song to new heights. “Did You Get My Message?” does not stop at that. Later in the album, another live recording of the same song at Montalvo is included featuring a piano and enlarged percussion section without the audience participation. These three tracks together present the well-rounded entertainer that is Jason Mraz.
Selections for Friends will continue making Jason Mraz an artist that girls swoon for. Even if you think you’ve overplayed certain tracks to the point of no return, or if you just flat out thought you hated other tracks, Mraz’s unique live style of re-creating every one of his songs by vocalizing new notes as he jams makes his live tracks worth listening to.