Interview: Jason Mraz plays Ruth Eckerd this weekend
May 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT
Jason Mraz brings "Grandma’s Gospel Favorites," along with two decades of well-thumbed original music, to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater on Saturday.
You can take the boy out of the country, but you’ll never take the country out of the boy.
Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz is holding that old saying up to the light with his brand-new album, Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. The California-based, two-time Grammy winner’s sweet and breezy acoustic music has sold millions of albums (and produced bona fide classic songs like “I’m Yours,” “I Won’t Give Up” and “Make it Mine”), but he never, ever forgot his roots. Mraz grew up a regular church-goer in rural Mechanicsburg, Virginia.
(768x768, AR: 1.0)
The new record consists of sparse acoustic arrangements of old-time church tunes, including “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” “Evening Prayer” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
There really was a Grandma, and these really were her gospel favorites (read on to hear Mraz tell the whole story).
This left turn shouldn’t be surprising to his longtime fans, who’ve absorbed and enjoyed Mraz’s forays into Brazilian music, reggae, chamber pop, R&B and dance music.
Mraz brings Grandma’s Gospel Favorites, along with two decades of well-thumbed original music, to Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater) Saturday. It is a solo acoustic show; tickets are at this link.
(Gregory Page, mentioned in this interview, is Mraz’ opening act.)
St. Pete Catalyst: Tell me about this gospel album.
Jason Mraz: It was recorded in 2007, for my grandma. So almost 20 years ago. Any time I made music, in my youth, my grandmother would follow it up with “When you gonna make me a gospel album?” That was her preferred radio station. So I decided to please her, and one holiday I gifted her a gospel album, for Christmas.
It has been in our family for 20 years, and it is a favorite. And through the encouragement of friends and family, and also because of where I’m at in life – I’m going to be 50 next year – I resonate more with the material these days. About what’s gonna happen when we die, and how can I find comfort and peace in the here and now? And trust in the hereafter.
So, I’m finally sharing Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. And it’s not for everyone; it’s for Grandma, specifically. But for anyone who may love that Appalachian, bluegrass, Americana sound, and old-timey songs of comfort, Grandma’s Gospel Favorites may be for you!
Was the whole thing recorded in 2007, with no later overdubs or changes?
It was. I’ll admit there are two songs that were written post-Grandma, through the years, but they were still on brand as I moved through life. My grandma lost one of her daughters, unfortunately – my aunt. And that was probably five years after I’d made the record for my grandma. And I wrote a new song called “When We Die,” which is sort of asking, what the heck happens when we die? What kind of comfort will I find?
So it’s an original song that I included on this release. My family loved it, we played it at my aunt’s memorial. And my dad insisted I include it on Grandma’s Gospel Favorites.
And you did “Daddy Sang Bass,” the old Carl Perkins/Johnny Cash song.
That was on the original record. I made this album fast, for Grandma, and I needed to include songs that were gonna make her laugh. And “Daddy Sang Bass” was definitely one of those. She always loved that.
OK, this album is something you’re putting out to make a profound statement at this point in your life. Even though it’s most likely, well, counter-commercial.
I wouldn’t even say it’s a profound statement from me; it’s basically an album of covers of old-timey songs. The songs themselves make a statement, I guess – they help us find comfort in times of stress, or times near death. And that’s certainly where my grandmother was. She was in her later years when I gifted her this record. And she had lost her husband.
It’s a well-made record that I’ve just been sitting on for all this time. Through sharing it with friends and family, they said “It’ll find its audience,” basically.
So it isn’t a huge commercial push. I’m not going to be going to radio, or making music videos, or changing my identity for it. And it may become the first in a series of covers albums. The album cover says Jason Mraz Sings Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. Well, maybe I’ll Sing Holiday Favorites or Sing the Music of Gregory Page, who’s one of my favorite songwriters.
It may open up new doors for me, I’m not sure.
Just to cover the ground, I’ll ask: there’s no question in your mind of “Are my fans going to accept this?”
I never know what fans are going to accept. Even if it’s an album full of originals. Some people like the mellow acoustics, some people prefer the horns, and the uptempo dance with the raps in it. I never know what fans are gonna gravitate towards. It’s really not up to me to decide.
You’re an artist. You’re allowed to do what you want.
That’s right! And it’s music. There’s lots of music out there to be celebrated, to be heard, to be sung. To be shared. I’ve really had fun exploring genre the last few years. In 2020 I put a reggae album out. And the last effort was more sort of pop disco, because I’d never truly embraced dance. And I went for it.
And then this was a complete departure from both of those things. But it also revealed a little bit – for anyone who’s playing the home game – about where I started. And I did start at Grandma’s house, singing in front of her fireplace, and singing on Sundays at church.
It may not reflect fully on my beliefs today, but it’s still who I am and where I came from. I did grow up watching Hee-Haw and Lawrence Welk, and listening to old-timey country music.
My favorite songwriter is Willie Nelson, and he’s done a fantastic job of exploring genre. In fact, I consider him a jazz artist who plays country music.
I hope to have a long life in music. And that will include all types of music, if I live long enough.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
https://youtu.be/EkHTsc9PU2A?si=zK50MMgwLDIQRbbp
Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz is holding that old saying up to the light with his brand-new album, Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. The California-based, two-time Grammy winner’s sweet and breezy acoustic music has sold millions of albums (and produced bona fide classic songs like “I’m Yours,” “I Won’t Give Up” and “Make it Mine”), but he never, ever forgot his roots. Mraz grew up a regular church-goer in rural Mechanicsburg, Virginia.
(768x768, AR: 1.0)
The new record consists of sparse acoustic arrangements of old-time church tunes, including “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” “Evening Prayer” and “The Old Rugged Cross.”
There really was a Grandma, and these really were her gospel favorites (read on to hear Mraz tell the whole story).
This left turn shouldn’t be surprising to his longtime fans, who’ve absorbed and enjoyed Mraz’s forays into Brazilian music, reggae, chamber pop, R&B and dance music.
Mraz brings Grandma’s Gospel Favorites, along with two decades of well-thumbed original music, to Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater) Saturday. It is a solo acoustic show; tickets are at this link.
(Gregory Page, mentioned in this interview, is Mraz’ opening act.)
St. Pete Catalyst: Tell me about this gospel album.
Jason Mraz: It was recorded in 2007, for my grandma. So almost 20 years ago. Any time I made music, in my youth, my grandmother would follow it up with “When you gonna make me a gospel album?” That was her preferred radio station. So I decided to please her, and one holiday I gifted her a gospel album, for Christmas.
It has been in our family for 20 years, and it is a favorite. And through the encouragement of friends and family, and also because of where I’m at in life – I’m going to be 50 next year – I resonate more with the material these days. About what’s gonna happen when we die, and how can I find comfort and peace in the here and now? And trust in the hereafter.
So, I’m finally sharing Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. And it’s not for everyone; it’s for Grandma, specifically. But for anyone who may love that Appalachian, bluegrass, Americana sound, and old-timey songs of comfort, Grandma’s Gospel Favorites may be for you!
Was the whole thing recorded in 2007, with no later overdubs or changes?
It was. I’ll admit there are two songs that were written post-Grandma, through the years, but they were still on brand as I moved through life. My grandma lost one of her daughters, unfortunately – my aunt. And that was probably five years after I’d made the record for my grandma. And I wrote a new song called “When We Die,” which is sort of asking, what the heck happens when we die? What kind of comfort will I find?
So it’s an original song that I included on this release. My family loved it, we played it at my aunt’s memorial. And my dad insisted I include it on Grandma’s Gospel Favorites.
And you did “Daddy Sang Bass,” the old Carl Perkins/Johnny Cash song.
That was on the original record. I made this album fast, for Grandma, and I needed to include songs that were gonna make her laugh. And “Daddy Sang Bass” was definitely one of those. She always loved that.
OK, this album is something you’re putting out to make a profound statement at this point in your life. Even though it’s most likely, well, counter-commercial.
I wouldn’t even say it’s a profound statement from me; it’s basically an album of covers of old-timey songs. The songs themselves make a statement, I guess – they help us find comfort in times of stress, or times near death. And that’s certainly where my grandmother was. She was in her later years when I gifted her this record. And she had lost her husband.
It’s a well-made record that I’ve just been sitting on for all this time. Through sharing it with friends and family, they said “It’ll find its audience,” basically.
So it isn’t a huge commercial push. I’m not going to be going to radio, or making music videos, or changing my identity for it. And it may become the first in a series of covers albums. The album cover says Jason Mraz Sings Grandma’s Gospel Favorites. Well, maybe I’ll Sing Holiday Favorites or Sing the Music of Gregory Page, who’s one of my favorite songwriters.
It may open up new doors for me, I’m not sure.
Just to cover the ground, I’ll ask: there’s no question in your mind of “Are my fans going to accept this?”
I never know what fans are going to accept. Even if it’s an album full of originals. Some people like the mellow acoustics, some people prefer the horns, and the uptempo dance with the raps in it. I never know what fans are gonna gravitate towards. It’s really not up to me to decide.
You’re an artist. You’re allowed to do what you want.
That’s right! And it’s music. There’s lots of music out there to be celebrated, to be heard, to be sung. To be shared. I’ve really had fun exploring genre the last few years. In 2020 I put a reggae album out. And the last effort was more sort of pop disco, because I’d never truly embraced dance. And I went for it.
And then this was a complete departure from both of those things. But it also revealed a little bit – for anyone who’s playing the home game – about where I started. And I did start at Grandma’s house, singing in front of her fireplace, and singing on Sundays at church.
It may not reflect fully on my beliefs today, but it’s still who I am and where I came from. I did grow up watching Hee-Haw and Lawrence Welk, and listening to old-timey country music.
My favorite songwriter is Willie Nelson, and he’s done a fantastic job of exploring genre. In fact, I consider him a jazz artist who plays country music.
I hope to have a long life in music. And that will include all types of music, if I live long enough.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
https://youtu.be/EkHTsc9PU2A?si=zK50MMgwLDIQRbbp