Where Is Jason Crosby Now?!
The myth of coincidence, there must be a message
Jason Crosby performing with Oteil & Friends on 10/03/2025.
Ever seen a few people before an arena or stadium show, only to keep seeing them throughout the night? Maybe it started while tailgating, continued through security, then they’re in the same section as you. Most folks would chalk it up to coincidence, but I don’t believe that exists.
Before this year, Jason Crosby wasn’t on my radar. Shame on me because, simply put, he’s a talent. Played in Assembly Of Dust, but I wasn’t aware he’d joined. Multi-instrumentalist, master of all. Likes wearing winter hats or baseball hats. I didn’t meet him or anything, it all began unbeknownst to me, and that kind of story tends to offer significant learning that ripples.
Widespread Panic: Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City, NJ, 02/14/2025
It’d been a dozen years since I last saw Widespread Panic, my primary jamband many moons ago. Their first show in eight months, on Valentine’s Day to boot: Love was in the air. Following a guest-free opening set and three songs deep in the second, they welcomed longtime collaborator John Keane and…Jason Crosby. For six cuts. I’m sure those who attended or have listened to recordings of Panic’s Sit n Ski Tour loved the fiddle flavor he provided. His keyboard work, as well as backing vocals on a track, added distinct layers. Crosby played on select songs the next couple of nights, but this was a single-gig commitment for me. Still, he had my attention.
Dave Matthews Band: PNC Banks Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, 05/28/2025
Funny anecdote. The day I went to see Dave Matthews Band, I was watching colleagues battle at the ping-pong table with my ticket-bearing friend. He and his wife are huge Dave fans, and he noted a thread that mentioned a possible sit-in. His suggestion was a fiddler, to which I suggested you know who—I mean, how many guys outside of Itzhak Perlman can I name? Crosby played on “Pig” and an “Ants Marching” that hit my home state right. Back-to-back animal tunes. Summer vibes in spring, a gorgeous evening in the pavilion, and a hike to the car highlighted by the refrain “Jason Crosby, huh?” He deserved and earned his Jersey love.
Oteil & Friends: The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, 10/03/2025
After DMB, I noticed the Crosby Collective was going to be in New York City. Very tempted, but I had an obligation. Then, Oteil Burbridge announced a tour that had his outfit at The Cap. I’d seen Oteil with The Brothers at MSG in April and with The Allmans over the years, but never as leader. Jazz, blues, R&B, and rock, so much tasty improvisation. Jason Crosby was there, of course, and for the whole show rather than a guest spot. Sideman par excellence, with effortless solos when it’s his turn in the rotation. It was also nice to enjoy without knowing every move, as I’m unfamiliar with many of the songs. An organic, therapeutic experience.
You and that person you constantly see at a show might have a message for each other, could be a joke or a more serious subject. The reality is that the next level of communication in cases like these often isn’t reached, leaving you to guess, for lack of a better word, the message’s meaning, if you’re inclined to dig. And during this year of beginning to dig into new communities and new things, I’ve come to understand that Jason Crosby represents the glorious unexpected, to travel freely, with music or otherwise.
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