Alanis Morissette Touring with Jason Mraz on Acoustic “Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour”

Elektra/Atlantic recording artist Jason Mraz is gearing up for a packed slate of activities heralding the July 26th release of his eagerly awaited second studio album, “MR. A-Z.” Among the highlights of the upcoming weeks is Mraz’s acoustic appearance with Alanis Morissette on her just-announced “Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour” of North America, as well as his performances with Dave Matthews Band on two August shows in California. The 27-date Morissette/Mraz trek kicks off on June 7th in Toronto and concludes on July 17th in Costa Mesa, California.

Mraz is currently wrapping up a string of April college dates, which have found him playing in a variety of musical combinations — from duo gigs with longtime percussionist Toca Rivera to full-band shows. Next month, Mraz will embark on a U.S. promotional tour, hitting key markets to support the release of his new album’s first single, “Wordplay.” The track is slated to impact Hot AC and Triple A radio outlets on May 16th.

The forthcoming release of “MR. A-Z” comes nearly three years after the release of Mraz’s first studio set and Elektra debut, “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME.” The acclaimed singer/musician’s new album is produced by Steve Lillywhite, who most recently produced U2’s new album, and has worked with the likes of the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, and many others. “MR. A-Z” was recorded at Allaire Studios near Woodstock, New York, as well as at Mraz’s home studio in San Diego, California.

“‘MR. A-Z’ is my pseudo-self-titled second album,” says Mraz. “This time it’s all Mraz from beginning to end, the alpha and the omega, from the frontal lobe to the reptilian membrane, the A-Z, thus assigning it the nomenclature it naturally desired and deserved, ‘MR. A-Z.'”

Jason Mraz has been celebrated as one of the most gifted young singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Born in Virginia, he left his hometown of Mechanicsville in 1999 and headed to California. Settling in San Diego, Mraz became a leading light in the city’s world-renowned coffeehouse scene. Word of his compelling blend of folk, pop, hip-hop, and roots-rock soon spread, and in 2002, Mraz released his Elektra debut, “WAITING FOR MY ROCKET TO COME.” The album — which is rapidly nearing the RIAA platinum mark — received widespread critical praise and spawned the chart-topping singles “Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” “You & I Both,” and “Curbside Prophet.”

Earning acclaim for his captivating live performances, Mraz has headlined a series of national tours and shared stages with Coldplay, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Jewel, David Gray, and others, playing over 200 shows in 2003. In 2004, Mraz blazed a trail across the United States with a unique solo acoustic tour, dubbed “The Tour of the Curbside Prophets.” Inspired by Mraz’s beginnings as a street musician, the inventive musical caravan drew rave reviews and SRO crowds from coast to coast.

While waiting for Mraz’s new album to come, fans were treated to the summer ’04 release of the two-disc CD/DVD collection, “TONIGHT, NOT AGAIN: JASON MRAZ LIVE AT THE EAGLES BALLROOM” — which captures the unadulterated experience of one of his legendary concerts.