Mraz and the new sounds in Yes!

I admire and truly appreciate all the technological marvels that pop artists have taken to using to make their shows and recordings truly spectacular. Still there is something tremendously appealing about singers who can simply stand on stage and hold an audience by the sheer force of their music. More so when he has written the songs and accompanies himself on the guitar. And nowadays, surely one of the greatest among these troubadors is Jason Mraz. 

That is why I warmly welcomed the news that MMI Live! and Ovation Productions is bringing Mraz to Manila again. The pop idol will perform on Nov. 27, 8 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. He will bring along the all-girl folk-rock band from Los Angeles, Raining Jane, which is made up of Mai Bloomfield, Becky Gebhardt, Chaska Potter and Mona Tavakoli. And I say cheers to Mraz because he will perform an all-acoustic set composed mainly of songs from Yes!, his first acoustic album. I say, watch this show and enjoy the sounds. Go basic, simple and take a break from the complicated brew that is today’s music.

Pinoys love hit songs and Mraz is no stranger to those.  His days playing the coffee house circuit in California have given him a dead sure grasp of what music buyers like listening to. This is evidenced by his consistently well-received albums. Waiting For My Rocket To Come, Mr. A-Z, We Sing We Dance, We Steal Things, Love Is A Four Letter Word, the enchanting live recording Beautiful Mess (Live On Earth) and Yes! These came in quick succession after he made his debut in 2003.

So did the hit singles that he also composed. The Remedy from 10 years ago got the hit-making bandwagon going. This was followed by the phenomenal selling I’m Yours, the Grammy-winning Lucky, a duet with Colbie Caillat, I Won’t Give Up, his other Grammy winner Make It Mine, Himself and others that I am sure the Big Dome audience would adore listening to.

Released only a few months ago, Yes! is Mraz’s fifth studio album and in terms of everything, it is his best. I mean everything from his vocals, the subtle use of the voices of Raining Jane to the engineering, is in peak form. He sounds so relaxed. His singing is effortless. There is such a fresh, happy vibe to his songs that I find so contagious. It feels like one can see the good in everybody through this music. And that is an excellent thought. Maybe the idea is too ambitious or even preposterous but if more people would take the trouble to listen to Yes! Then maybe we could be on our way to changing the world. Mraz will see to that.

His favorite constantly reassuring theme dominates the album. Standouts are the hook-filled Love Someone, which was the album’s first single. The perky 3 Things that echoes his early work. The all-encompassing promise of You Can Rely On Me. The radio friendly Everywhere and Long Drive.  All are masterpieces of melody and lyrics that show an artist who is ever reaching for his best. The other cuts are Rise, Hello You Beautiful Thing, Best Friend, Quiet, Out Of My Hands, Back To Earth, A World With You and Shine.

There is only one dark cloud in the mix. And I do not mean that in a negative way. It is just that there is such a sad bittersweet quality in the song and that is not something usually associated with the upbeat Mraz. This is It’s Hard To Say Goodbye. This is the only song that Mraz and Raining Jane did not write for the album. This is an oldie that was popularized by the soul group Boyz II Men in the early ’90s.  It is such a beautiful song and what I like about having it in the album is that it shows off Mraz as an inspired interpreter. Here is proof that this guy is not only good with his compositions.  He can take any song and make it his own. I am sure that even some people familiar with It’s Hard To Say Goodbye were lured into thinking that it is another Mraz original in Yes! I would love to hear him do this one live.

Check out Jason Mraz and Raining Jane Live in ManiIa at the Araneta. Ticket prices are P6,125; P5,070; P3,700; P2,430 and P845, plus service charges. Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets and online at www.Ticketnet.com.ph.