Edwin Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician who has been a member of several rock bands including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K., and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zappa's band in 1976–77. Noted for his keyboard work, Jobson has also gained acclaim for his violin playing. He won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards. In March 2019 Jobson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Jobson was born Edwin Jobson in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, England, on 28 April 1955. He started to learn piano at age seven, and added violin when he was eight. He received a Diploma of Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music at the same age, and was playing in an orchestra at 12. At 16 he applied to study at the Royal Academy, but was denied a place because of his age, so he joined local band Fat Grapple instead. When he was 17 in 1972, Fat Grapple supported Curved Air, and shortly afterwards Jobson replaced the departing Darryl Way on violin.
The group had some regional success with their 1973 release Air Cut. They toured in Europe but disbanded shortly thereafter. In 2009, previously recorded tapes were released as the Lovechild album, which included two of Jobson's compositions.
While still in Curved Air, Jobson, who was 16, became acquainted with Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry as their sisters shared a room in college. Jobson contributed to Ferry's solo album These Foolish Things, then in 1973 Jobson, 17 years old, replaced Brian Eno in Roxy Music, where he found himself playing three roles: Eno's, Ferry's (who had stepped up as a frontman after initially playing piano), and his own.
Jobson stayed with the band for three studio albums and numerous tours before the band went on an extended hiatus in 1976.
He featured on the live Viva! album, particularly on "If There Is Something".
In 1977, he collaborated with Ferry on the composition "As The World Turns". The song's intricate and complex arrangements were tied together by Jobson. This song was released on the B-side of Ferry's solo single "This Is Tomorrow".
Throughout the 1970s, Jobson continued to perform on keyboards and violin for a variety of recording artists, including King Crimson, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, John Entwistle, and Bill Bruford.
While touring in late 1975, Roxy Music opened for Frank Zappa's band in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was at this performance that Jobson and Zappa first met. After the Roxy tour ended, Jobson subsequently spent a week in early 1976 travelling with Zappa's band in Canada, during which time Jobson and Zappa performed a varied repertoire in hotel rooms and backstage at concert venues. Jobson was eventually brought onstage with only minutes' notice to perform what was essentially an audition before thousands of Zappa fans.
Once Roxy Music went on hiatus in 1976, Jobson became heavily sought after. He contemplated an offer to join Procol Harum, but ultimately decided to become a member of Frank Zappa's band. Although Jobson appeared on the cover of the Zoot Allures (1976) album, he did not perform on any of the recorded tracks. In a 1995 interview with Art Rock, Jobson said Zappa always recorded everything himself and whoever was in the band at the time of its release made it onto the album cover: "You may be in the group when it comes out, or maybe you left the band five years before the album comes out. That's how he makes records". Jobson is featured prominently on the live album Zappa in New York released in 1978 but recorded in December 1976 at the Palladium. Other albums featuring recordings with Jobson are Studio Tan, Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 and the posthumously released Läther, originally slated to be released in 1977. In 2009, Vaulternative Records, Zappa's label, released the live album Philly '76, recorded at the Spectrum Theater in Philadelphia in October 1976, in which Jobson is featured extensively on keyboards and violin.
In 1977, Jobson co-founded the progressive rock supergroup U.K. Initially, the band included former King Crimson members Bill Bruford (drums) and John Wetton (bass and lead vocals), along with guitarist Allan Holdsworth. However, after their debut album, U.K. (1978), and subsequent tour, Bruford and Holdsworth departed to pursue other musical endeavors.
Drummer Terry Bozzio, who knew Jobson from their time together in Zappa's band, was available and thus enlisted to join U.K. The trio released two additional albums, Danger Money (1979) and a live concert production Night After Night (1979), and embarked on a successful tour before U.K. disbanded in 1980.
Jobson was asked to participate on Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson's solo endeavour, which was eventually released by Chrysalis Records in 1980 as a full-fledged Tull album, A. Jobson, credited as a special guest, performed on keyboards and electric violin, and was cited in liner notes as providing additional musical material. He remained with the band for their subsequent world tour in 1980–1981.
Jobson reunited twice with the band in the subsequent years. He played keyboards and violin on their only 1985 concert, in place of Jethro Tull's then keyboard player Peter-John Vettese, at International Congress Centrum in Berlin, to celebrate Johann Sebastian Bach's 300th birthday. Jobson was heavily featured on the band's performance of Bach's "Double Violin Concerto". He has also appeared as a surprise guest for the band's concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in November 1989.
Jobson was briefly a member of Yes in 1983 after the departure of keyboardist Tony Kaye. Jobson neither recorded nor performed live with Yes. His only official appearances with the band were in promotional photographs, and in the video for "Owner of a Lonely Heart", but the video was released after Kaye had rejoined and Jobson had departed. This resulted in Jobson appearing (though edited out as much as possible) in the original version of the song's video. Jobson has stated on his website that he was asked to replace Kaye, and was hesitant to do so until after hearing the band's new release, and then rehearsing with the band in London. He returned to his home in the US as a full member of Yes, and set forth learning the band's repertoire. However, several weeks later he received a call from the band's management advising that Kaye was back in the group and the two would be sharing keyboard duties. Jobson declined, and left the band.
In 1983 Capitol Records/EMI released Jobson's solo effort, The Green Album. Half of the original compositions were performed in a band-style format using session musicians on drums, bass, and guitars, while the other half are instrumentals performed by Jobson without accompaniment (save bass on one track). Vocals, keyboards, and electric violin were performed by Jobson.
Two years later, Jobson made a significant genre shift from progressive rock music to the stylings of new age with Theme of Secrets. This 1985 release by new-age record label Private Music, was recorded solely using Synclavier and samples. That same year he also composed and performed three piano compositions on the label's compilation album Piano One.
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