Jon Regen was raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. A protégé of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron, Regen began his career as a sympathetic sideman to renowned jazz artists like Jimmy Scott and Kyle Eastwood. Named
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Jon Regen was raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. A protégé of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron, Regen began his career as a sympathetic sideman to renowned jazz artists like Jimmy Scott and Kyle Eastwood. Named Runner-Up in the 1996 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Regen would jump-out on his own with a series of critically acclaimed instrumental jazz recordings; From Left To Right(1996), Live at The Blue Note (2000), and Tel Aviv (2001).
In 2004, Regen made an abrupt left turn and released the self-produced, singer/songwriter EP Almost Home. Universally acclaimed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, the EP would formally announce Regen’s arrival on the world stage, and would kick start a concert career that thrives to this day. Regen followed the EP up with his full-length 2008 release Let It Go, which featured appearances by Andy Summers of The Police, Martha Wainwright, and other iconic guests. The album would receive worldwide praise from critics and listeners alike, and go on to sell over 5,000 copies without a label or distributor attached. Regen would tour for nearly 3 years in support of Let It Go, with a steady stream of sold-out shows on both sides of the Atlantic.
Regen also co-wrote three of the album’s tracks with storied songsmiths like Matchbox Twenty front man Rob Thomas (‘Just Waiting For Now’), and UK soul phenom David McAlmont (‘Spirits of The Soul’ and ‘Run Away’). “Rob and David pushed me into territory I couldn’t have found on my own,” Regen says. “They forced me to step outside my comfort zone.”
