8 JAZZTIMES SEPTEMBER 2019CHRISDRUKKERPaul Jost Sings His Life
After a long, diverse career, a musician of many instruments
now concentrates on one: his voicePaul Jost, looking to connect6Ì
he first time you hear Paul Jost’s
new album Simple Life you
think, “Who is this guy?” He
sings with quirky phrasing. He some-
times talks and often whispers. He also
wails, like when he scats across “Black-
bird” in a headlong dash. His manner-
isms are disarming because he is so
believable. He sounds real. His lived-in,
slightly frayed voice belongs to someone
who has been around the block.
Jost, now 57, has been a profession-
al musician (primarily a drummer)
since he was 12. His long list of former
employers includes Billy Eckstine and
Dr. John. He is a composer, arranger,
multi-instrumentalist, and teacher. His
compositions have appeared in adver-
tising jingles and also on recordings by
Carl Perkins and the Band.OPENING CHORUS
He says, “Singing has always been
part of me but it wasn’t how I presented
myself. I might sing on a gig if some-
body asked me to come up and do a
duet or something. But in the last five or
six years, singing has felt like a natural
progression, part of my journey. When
we’re young we’re eager to show our in-
dependence, how different we are. As we
get older I think we become more aware
of how similar we are. I’m looking to
connect with people now.”
Jost’s solo vocal debut came in 2014
with Breaking Through. It was an intrigu-
ing record, but Simple Life is a stronger
statement. The band is Jost’s tight work-
ing quartet, now together two years: Jim
Ridl (piano), Dean Johnson (bass), and
Tim Horner (drums). Vibraphonist Joe
Locke contributes, memorably, to fourFEBRUARY 1-8, 2020
MIAMI •^ COSTA MAYA •^ COZUMEL •^ KEY WEST
CELEBRITY INFINITYUS & CANADA toll free +888.852.
INTERNATIONAL toll free +800.852.
THE LINEUP
DIANNE REEVES • CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE
ARTURO SANDOVAL • KURT ELLING
SHELLY BERG Music Director
JOHN CLAYTON Big Band Director
ARTEMIS, featuring: RENEE ROSNES,
ANAT COHEN, MELISSA ALDANA, ALLISON
MILLER, NORIKO UEDA, INGRID JENSEN
Celebrating the Centennial Birthday
of Dave Brubeck:
BRUBECK BROTHERS QUARTET
CHARLES MCPHERSON • STEVE TYRELL
JOEY DeFRANCESCO • BYRON STRIPLING
JOHN PIZZARELLI • JEFF HAMILTON
LEWIS NASH • JEFF CLAYTON
RANDY BRECKER • WYCLIFFE GORDON
HOUSTON PERSON • KEN PEPLOWSKI
BENNY GREEN • CATHERINE RUSSELL
JAMES MORRISON • RENÉ MARIE
VERONICA SWIFT • NIKI HARIS
EMMET COHEN • GERALD CLAYTON
ALLEN FARNHAM • PETER MARTINMore than 100 jazz
musicians will be performingJOIN THE WAITLIST
at thejazzcruise.com
x Video: Paul Jost sings “Young and Foolish” on WBGO’s Singers Unlimited