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orn in Stuttgart, Germany in 1964, Jason grew up in a home in which music was an integral part of family life. From the age of four on, he was deeply involved with classical music on the recorder and the flute. A first listen to John Coltrane’s Ballads album changed all that. At the age of 21 Seizer took up the tenor saxophone and devoted himself to jazz. Jason first studied at the acclaimed Hilversum Conservatory in Holland before embarking in a multi-month sojourn in New York where he took lessons with, among others, Joe Lovano. As to other influences: “The intimacy and complexity of our relationships. My work as producer and sound engineer has helped me be more analytical about the music. Psychology is also important. I like exploring why music is what it is both personally and historically. In this respect, reading is important. I am fascinated by the complexity of people, especially people who are different.” And, of course, there are the musicians who have influenced Jason. “When I first heard Bird, I was blown away. I used to turn his music up loud when I drove around in my first car—an old Beetle. It just got to me!” Coltrane and Rollins had a big influence on Seizer—as did Joe Henderson’s playing and compositions.

 

The 1990’s saw Jason settled in Munich and playing with such top players as American drummer Rick Hollander, Belgian bassist Nic Thys, trumpeterPeter Tuscher, German pianistWalter Lang, and fighting friendly tenor sax battles with the likes of Johannes Enders. By the late 90’s, such major players as Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart were recording and touring with Seizer. Since the founding of PIROUET in 2002, Seizer has worked as producer and engineer for the record company, and “every single recording has influenced me—the music, the great musicians—every aspect, every production.” It was American pianist Marc Copland’s involvement in Seizer’s groups from 2004 through 2008 that brought Seizer’s play to a larger international audience. Three of Seizer’s four PIROUET albums resulted from their close collaboration.

 

In All About Jazz, John Kelman stated, “It’s easy to hear why Copland and Seizer are so comfortable working together. Both work close the center, but bring an introspection and slightly left-of-center harmonic abstractness…delicate but ever-present interplay, and performances that draw in rather than push out.” In his poetic liner notes to Seizer’s Fair Way CD, Copland marveled at Seizer’s “maturity and patience, so hard to find anywhere, with his searching for exactly the right phrase, the right breath, an awareness of the power of one note.” For Jason, “Playing with Marc was a beautiful experience. I felt a total freedom in what I played—the idea that there are no wrong notes—he was a real mentor for me and also very important for the label.”

 

Seizer’s present group features the phenomenal pianist Pablo Held. Their relationship goes back to Jason’s producing Held’s first Pirouet album, recorded in 2007 at the tender age of 21. Since then, the two have developed a close personal and musical friendship, working and recording in each other’s groups. Jazz Podium extoled Cinema Paradiso, Seizer’s first album with his current band, as “Pure cinema for the ears! An acoustic opus magnum!” ■

 

​Biography producer ›

› musician

“… i am not there to force my own aesthetic on the music. That aesthetic is created by the musician, my task is to capture the music when it happens …”

Saxophonist and composer Jason Seizer had already built an impressive reputation in the jazz world before taking on the job at Pirouet. Producer and artistic director from the record firm’s inception in 2003 on, he has stood at the label’s creative center. As sound engineer, he was responsible for the recordings and the mixes for a company that has become one of jazz’s premier independent labels. Now working as an independent producer/sound engineer, his philosophy has remained the same: “…to stay out of the picture as much as possible. When questions come up, then sometimes I will give some input. I do this very carefully, because even small suggestions can have an enormous impact.

 

My strategy is to figure out how I can make the best out of the music and the situation. What can I do to influence the music as much as is needed, but as little as possible, so that the music’s energy is captured? I’m not there to force my own aesthetic on the music. in the end that aesthetic is created by the artist and the way in which the music is recorded.” Seizer has produced and engineered seven recordings with master pianist Bill Carrothers and ten classic Marc Copland CDs.

The list of internationally renowned players that have participated on recordings that Seizer has overseen as producer and engineer include Kenny Werner, Joey Baron, Larry Goldings, Tim Hagans, Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Dave Liebman, Paul Motian, Greg Osby, Tom Rainey, Chris Speed, Craig Taborn, John Taylor, Mark Turner, Jürgen Friedrich, Pablo Held, Achim Kaufmann, Hayden Chisholm, Johannes Enders, Domenic Landolf, Ben van Gelder, Nils Wogram, Robert Landfermann, Matthias Pichler, Henning Sieverts, Jonas Burgwinkel, Christian Lillinger, Dré Pallemaerts, and Jochen Rueckert.

 

“The years that I have worked as a producer and sound engineer, every single recording has influenced me—the music, the great musicians—every aspect, every production. I have learned that my job is to make people feel good in the studio; sound, environment, the whole complex process—it’s all important. Seizer has recorded and mixed more than 140 albums, listening to the tapes again and again in order to bring out every nuance in order to produce the best master possible. And one of the most important advantages of working with Jason Seizer: “Being a musician is great for doing that job because you know the feeling being behind the mic”■

 

​ Biography musician ›

 

jason seizer · biography

orn in Stuttgart, Germany in 1964, Jason grew up in a home in which music was an integral part of family life. From the age of four on, he was deeply involved with classical music on the recorder and the flute. A first listen to John Coltrane’s Ballads album changed all that. At the age of 21 Seizer took up the tenor saxophone and devoted himself to jazz. Jason first studied at the acclaimed Hilversum Conservatory in Holland before embarking in a multi-month sojourn in New York where he took lessons with, among others, Joe Lovano. As to other influences: “The intimacy and complexity of our relationships. My work as producer and sound engineer has helped me be more analytical about the music. Psychology is also important. I like exploring why music is what it is both personally and historically. In this respect, reading is important. I am fascinated by the complexity of people, especially people who are different.” And, of course, there are the musicians who have influenced Jason. “When I first heard Bird, I was blown away. I used to turn his music up loud when I drove around in my first car—an old Beetle. It just got to me!” Coltrane and Rollins had a big influence on Seizer—as did Joe Henderson’s play and compositions.

 

The 1990’s saw Jason settled in Munich and playing with such top players as American drummer Rick Hollander, Belgian bassist Nic Thys, trumpeterPeter Tuscher, German pianist Walter Lang, and fighting friendly tenor sax battles with the likes of Johannes Enders. By the late 90’s, such major players asLarry Goldings, Peter Bernstein and Bill Stewart were recording and touring with Seizer. Since the founding of PIROUET in 2002, Seizer has worked as producer and engineer for the record company, and “every single recording has influenced me—the music, the great musicians—every aspect, every production.” It was American pianist Marc Copland’s involvement in Seizer’s groups from 2004 through 2008 that brought Seizer’s play to a larger international audience. Three of Seizer’s four PIROUET albums resulted from their close collaboration.

 

In All About Jazz, John Kelman stated, “It’s easy to hear why Copland and Seizer are so comfortable working together. Both work close the center, but bring an introspection and slightly left-of-center harmonic abstractness…delicate but ever-present interplay, and performances that draw in rather than push out.” In his poetic liner notes to Seizer’s Fair Way CD, Copland marveled at Seizer’s “maturity and patience, so hard to find anywhere, with his searching for exactly the right phrase, the right breath, an awareness of the power of one note.” For Jason, “Playing with Marc was a beautiful experience. I felt a total freedom in what I played—the idea that there are no wrong notes—he was a real mentor for me and also very important for the label.”

 

Seizer’s present group features the phenomenal pianist Pablo Held. Their relationship goes back to Jason’s producing Held’s first Pirouet album, recorded in 2007 at the tender age of 21. Since then, the two have developed a close personal and musical friendship, working and recording in each other’s groups. Jazz Podium extoled Cinema Paradiso, Seizer’s first album with his current band, as “Pure cinema for the ears! An acoustic opus magnum!” ■

Saxophonist and composer Jason Seizer had already built an impressive reputation in the jazz world before taking on the job at Pirouet. Producer and artistic director from the record firm’s inception in 2003 on, he has stood at the label’s creative center. As sound engineer, he was responsible for the recordings and the mixes for a company that has become one of jazz’s premier independent labels. Now working as an independent producer/sound engineer, his philosophy has remained the same: “…to stay out of the picture as much as possible. When questions come up, then sometimes I will give some input. I do this very carefully, because even small suggestions can have an enormous impact.

 

My strategy is to figure out how I can make the best out of the music and the situation. What can I do to influence the music as much as is needed, but as little as possible, so that the music’s energy is captured? I’m not there to force my own aesthetic on the music. in the end that aesthetic is created by the artist and the way in which the music is recorded.” Seizer has produced and engineered seven recordings with master pianist Bill Carrothers and ten classic Marc Copland CDs.

 

The list of internationally renowned players that have participated on recordings that Seizer has overseen as producer and engineer include Kenny Werner, Joey Baron, Larry Goldings, Tim Hagans, Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Dave Liebman, Paul Motian, Greg Osby, Tom Rainey, Chris Speed, Craig Taborn, John Taylor, Mark Turner, Jürgen Friedrich, Pablo Held, Achim Kaufmann, Hayden Chisholm, Johannes Enders, Domenic Landolf, Ben van Gelder, Nils Wogram, Robert Landfermann, Matthias Pichler, Henning Sieverts, Jonas Burgwinkel, Christian Lillinger, Dré Pallemaerts, and Jochen Rueckert.

 

“The years that I have worked as a producer and sound engineer, every single recording has influenced me—the music, the great musicians—every aspect, every production. I have learned that my job is to make people feel good in the studio; sound, environment, the whole complex process—it’s all important. Seizer has recorded and mixed more than 140 albums, listening to the tapes again and again in order to bring out every nuance in order to produce the best master possible. And one of the most important advantages of working with Jason Seizer: “Being a musician is great for doing that job because you know the feeling being behind the mic” ■

 

​ Biography musician ›

 

jason seizer

biography

“… I am not there to force my own aesthetic on the music. That aesthetic is created by the musician, my task is to capture the music when it happens …”