By Andrew Poretz …
Pop met Pops at Forest Hills Stadium on August 17 when pop singer/songwriter and guitarist Jason Mraz closed out his Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride (the name of his newest album) summer tour with the help of the New York Pops orchestra, led by Maestro Steven Reineke. Mraz is a formidable performer, a Grammy Award-winning artist with many millions of albums sold and billions of Spotify streams to his credit.
At an after-party following a New York Pops concert at their usual Carnegie Hall venue, Reineke asked Mraz to end his 2023 tour with the Pops, and Mraz readily agreed. His 12-piece “SuperBand” of top musicians, combined with the nearly 80-member Pops, made for an extremely satisfying evening of music. that included nearly two dozen selections from the star’s two-decade career. The Forest Hills Stadium venue, once the home for the US Open tennis tournament, is quite a switch for the Pops. The orchestra last played the stadium in 2019. Here, people talk, take photos and videos, and get up for food runs. Drink vendors hawk their wares even during quiet passages.
Mraz is a wordsmith, known for clever lyrics that explore love, the male-female dynamic, and espouse a refreshingly positive outlook. While many of his songs seem to follow the “four-chord” formula of the described by the musical comedy group Axis of Awesome in their famous video (which includes a Jason Mraz reference), they are varied in their tempos and rhythms.
The star arrived to the stage dressed in a white shirt and wild, flowery pants, sporting a blue summer Trilby hat. A relaxed Steven Reineke took a break from his usual black-tie formalwear, in black shirt and pants, no tie. The star was supported by his 11-piece “Supergroup.” The supergroup included the four members of Raining Jane (Mona Tavakoli, Becky Gebhardt, Mai Bloomfield, Chaska Potter)
The show opened with “Getting Started,” arranged by David Davidson. The star had the vocal support of two female singers. Mraz, with his light, airy tenor voice, has a comforting, appealing presence. He is a capable guitarist, if not a James Taylor virtuoso. “Getting Started” is quite rhythmic which, along with the repetition of the title as almost a mantra, created something of a hypnotic effect. In addition to Supergroup members drummer Amir Barzila and percussionist Mona Tavakoli, the Pops orchestra effectively “supersized” the rhythm section. The overall effect was quite exhilarating on numbers like this.
“Let’s See What the Night Can Do” could have been a musical declaration to those audience members who were mainly there for the New York Pops. The seductive, often evocative lyrics had lines like “I want to see what it’s like to spend the whole night with you.”
For “Long Drive,” with a reggae vibe, Mraz’s band was set up in something of a football scrimmage formation, with Maestro Reineke in the quarterback position.
The star credits his turn to “positive thinking” with the wonderful, moving “Remedy,” a song Mraz wrote while working on his first album. This was one of seven songs that Sean O’Loughlin arranged for the Pops. The lyrics tell of his close friend who developed advanced cancer. His friend’s positive attitude changed all those around him, including Mraz, who happily provided the update that this friend is still with us and thriving.
A high point came with “Beautiful Mess,” the first song Mraz wrote with Raining Jane members Mai Bloomfield and Mona Tavakoli. The New York Pops, with O’Loughlin’s lush arrangement, elevated this song in much the way George Martin’s orchestral arrangements did on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album.
Mraz made good use of his deep bullpen of talent. Chaska Potter joined Mraz for a sweet duet on “Lucky,” with well-crafted harmonies. This was one of five songs arranged for the orchestra by Marcel Camargo.
An excellent showman, Mraz had the sizable, enthusiastic audience in his hands from the get-go. They would often sing along, and generally knew most of the songs from the opening notes. At one point in the second half of the program, he asked the crowd to “be my choir,” repeating a chorus contrapuntally while he sang the main melody, adding to the communal vibe of the concert.
The star saved several of his biggest hits for the home stretch, including “I Won’t Give Up” and “I’m Yours,” and were well worth the wait.
The evening was a great success both for the New York Pops and for Jason Mraz. The Pops opens its 2023-2024 season on October 23 at Carnegie Hall.
Jason Mraz and his SuperBand with The New York Pops took place on August 17 at Forest Hills Stadium.
Photos: Rebecca J Michaelson
