Jon Brion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Brion
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Brion in 2004
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| Background information | |
| Born | December 11, 1963 Glen Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1982–present |
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Jon Brion (born December 11, 1963) is a talented American musician. He is a singer, songwriter, and plays many different instruments. He also works as a record producer and creates music for movies.
Before becoming famous as a producer and film composer, Jon played in bands like The Excerpts, The Bats, 'Til Tuesday, and The Grays. He has produced music for many well-known artists. These include Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Kanye West, and Mac Miller. His work helped shape the sound of many alternative music artists around the year 2000.
Jon released his first solo album, Meaningless, in 2001.
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Early life
Jon Brion was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, on December 11, 1963. Music was a big part of his family. His mother, LaRue, was a singer. His father, Keith Brion, directed bands at Yale. Jon's brother became a composer, and his sister became a violinist.
Jon grew up in Connecticut. He left Hamden High School at age 17 to play music full-time. From 1980 to 1985, he was in a band called The Excerpts.
Career
Early Bands
In the early 1980s, Jon Brion teamed up with musician Bill Murphy in New Haven, Connecticut. They formed a band called The Bats with bassist Don "Riff" Fertman. The Bats released one single, "Popgun," and an album called How Pop Can You Get? in 1982. Critics liked their music, but it didn't sell much, and the band eventually broke up.
Later, in 1987, Jon moved to Boston. He played solo shows and joined the band 'Til Tuesday. He also played guitar for Jellyfish on their 1993 album Spilt Milk. In 1994, he joined The Grays. He even played guitar on the Wallflowers' famous song "One Headlight" using a screwdriver as a slide!
Music Production
After becoming known as a great session musician (someone who plays instruments on recordings for other artists), Jon started producing music. He produced albums for his then-girlfriend Aimee Mann, including Whatever and I'm With Stupid.
He has also produced music for many other artists. These include Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, Rhett Miller, Robyn Hitchcock, and Evan Dando. In 2005, he co-produced Kanye West's album Late Registration.
In 2002, Jon started producing Fiona Apple's album Extraordinary Machine. However, other producers later finished the album. Jon's early versions of the songs were leaked online. They became very popular with fans even before the album officially came out.
Sean Lennon said working with Jon was like working with a "weird alien prodigy." Jon also produced albums for Dido, Spoon, Keane, and Of Montreal. He worked on Best Coast's second album in 2012. More recently, he worked on rapper Mac Miller's album Swimming (2018). After Mac Miller's death, Jon finished producing his album Circles (2020).
Solo Album: Meaningless
Jon signed with Lava/Atlantic Records in 1997. However, they released him from his contract after he turned in his first solo album, Meaningless. He then released the album independently in 2001. In 2022, the album was updated and re-released.
People often wonder if Jon will release another solo album. In 2004, Aimee Mann said that Jon had enough material for "at least 10 albums." She also mentioned that he is a perfectionist and finds it hard to say when a song is truly finished.
Film Scores
Jon Brion is also a talented film composer. He creates the music for movies. He often works with director Paul Thomas Anderson. Jon has scored many of Anderson's films and even appeared in Boogie Nights as a guitar player.
For his movie soundtracks, Jon is known for using old-fashioned sampling instruments. These include the Chamberlin and Optigan. They help him create sounds that almost perfectly copy real instruments.
He has been nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on Magnolia (1999) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). He also wrote the music for the Disney/Pixar short film, The Blue Umbrella.
Live Performances
Jon Brion is famous for his regular Friday-night shows at a club in Los Angeles called Largo. At these shows, he plays cover songs and his own music. He uses many different instruments and sometimes has guest musicians and comedians join him.
He doesn't use a set list. Instead, he asks the audience for ideas on what to play. He uses a "jigsaw puzzle" method to build songs. He records himself playing drums, then adds piano, bass, guitar, and vocals using looping systems. Many famous musicians have joined him on stage over the years. These include Jackson Browne, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Elliott Smith, and Ben Folds.
In 2006, Jon had to cancel shows because of tendonitis in his right hand. As a temporary goodbye, he played one show using only his left hand. He even looped songs and played drums with one stick! He later returned to Largo, playing weekly shows, then monthly, until the COVID-19 pandemic. He plans to start playing there again soon.
In 2018, Jon opened for comedian John Mulaney during his "Kid Gorgeous" tour in New York City. Jon played classic rock songs on Radio City's huge Wurlitzer pipe organ.
Personal life
Jon Brion lives and works in Los Angeles.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Meaningless (2001)
Band Albums
- The Bats – How Pop Can You Get? (1982)
- The Grays – Ro Sham Bo (1994)
Film Scores
- Hard Eight (1996)
- Magnolia (1999)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- I Heart Huckabees (2004)
- The Break-Up (2006)
- Synecdoche, New York (2008)
- Step Brothers (2008)
- Glago's Guest (2008)
- The Other Guys (2010)
- Stone (2010)
- The Future (2011)
- ParaNorman (2012)
- This Is 40 (2012)
- The Blue Umbrella (2013)
- Delivery Man (2013)
- The Gambler (2014)
- Trainwreck (2015)
- John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015)
- Curmudgeons (2016)
- Wilson (2017)
- Lady Bird (2017)
- Sink or Swim (2018)
- Christopher Robin (2018)
- Fool's Paradise (2023)
- Beating Hearts (2024)
Images for kids
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Jon Brion in 2004
See also
In Spanish: Jon Brion para niños
