“Jon Sass brings the tuba to places where it’s never been before”
(Wavelength, New Orleans)
Born in New York City and raised in Harlem, Jon Sass is widely recognized as a true Groove Master and arguably the most innovative tuba player. In an industry where originality can be elusive, Jon has successfully forged his own niche by creating his own music, concepts, including multimedia programs.
Jon started playing tuba at 14. Two weeks following his High School graduation, he was invited to play with the Vienna Art Orchester. He began his career globe-trotting between Boston, Vienna, and New York while simultaneously completing his studies at Boston University.
Since relocating to Vienna in 1985, his career has blossomed on the international stage, allowing him to work alongside some of the crème de la crème of musicians from around the globe. With years of experience and more than 100 recordings, Jon has become a sought-after guest artist at brass and tuba events worldwide. Since the 1990s he was featured soloists for Wind Ensembles, Chamber Orchestras and Big Bands. His versatility has earned him the nickname “Der Tausendsassa der Tuba” in the German-speaking world. His debut solo CD, „SASSIFIED, is a “synthesis of arts and stands as a significant milestone in the history of Tuba music.”
Jon’s visionary project, Creative Impulse, has sparked the development of play-along books published by Editions BIM-BASSLINE BOOK as well as team-building seminars like the Corporate Groove. He has toured American universities presenting Creative Impulse and was recently chosen for the inaugural Howard Johnson Jazz Tuba Residency at Penn State. In recent years, Jon has been invited to compose and perform the music for several theatre productions, as well as event musical direction .
Jon has performed, recorded, and toured worldwide and been featured together with artists such as appearance with Author Colson Whitehead in a presentation playing solo, concept artist Mary Ellen Carrol, Ivan Neville, Vince Mendoza, Peter Wolf, Ricky Ford, Bobby Shew, Steven Mead, chamber ensembles of the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic, Art of Brass Vienna, in duo with Dave Taylor, Arkady Shilkloper, Wolfgang Puschnig, and Milagros Pinera. Other artists include Ray Anderson, Michelle Rosewoman, David Murray, Sunny Murray, Butch Morris, James Spaulding, Leon Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Peter Erskine, Frank Foster, Erika Stucky, Henry Threadgill, Linda Tillery and the Heritage Cultural Choir, Howard Johnson Heavy Tuba and Vienna Art Orchestra. And has arranged for the James Brown Horns.
Jon’s worldview is that „all things in our universe are connected, and music has the power to heal, create positive emotions, bring different people together and provide enlightenment!“
– “Sounds mighty good on that tuba!” (James Brown)
– “Jon Sass brings the tuba to places where it’s never been before” (Wavelength, New Orleans)
– “Sass could revolutionize the tuba.” (Edmonton Sun, Canada)
– “Jonathan McClain Sass, a virtuoso tuba player from Harlem who now lives in Vienna, defied the reputation of unwieldy instrument by playing exquisite trills that fluttered off into silence.” (The New York Times)– “His instrument is the extension of his soul. His CD SASSIFIED brings across the real reason why there is music to be heard in the first place: pure delight at the highest spiritual level. Jon Sass reveals the modernistic trivial appearances of today with an almost shamanistic way of seeing things. The point where the sophistication of technology has come to an end is where Jon Sass begins” (Christian Kolonovits Austrian Producer)