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Edwin Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician who has been a member of several progressive 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.
The group had some regional success with their 1973 release Air Cut. They toured in Europe, however they disbanded shortly thereafter. In 2009, previously recorded tapes were released as the Lovechild album, which included two of Jobson's compositions.
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, Bill Bruford, and others.
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 Magazine, Jobson explained that 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.
Drummer Terry Bozzio, who knew Jobson from their time together in Zappa's band, was available and thus enlisted to join UK. 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 UK disbanded in 1980.
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.
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 music 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.
Jobson also composed music for the world of advertising, most notably the Amtrak "California Zephyr" commercial that featured Richie Havens singing "There's Something About a Train That's Magic". For his scoring and music direction on this effort, Jobson won the Clio Awards for original music scoring in 1988. He continued to receive Clio Award accolades as either a winner or finalist for a number of years running.
In November 2009 Jobson reunited with former Roxy Music and U.K. bandmate, John Wetton, for what was termed "The 30th Anniversary of U.K.", with three performances in Poland (Kraków, Warsaw and Bydgoszcz).
During 2009 Jobson also created an adjunct performing group, the 'U-Z Project', which featured a revolving line-up of guest musicians; these ensembles continue to perform at live concerts throughout North and Central America, Europe, and Japan. Participating musicians have included John Wetton, Alex Machacek, Marc Bonilla, and drummers Marco Minnemann, Mike Mangini, Virgil Donati, Gary Husband, and Simon Phillips.
In January 2010 Jobson was named to the technical advisory board of Austin, Texas based keyboard manufacturer, Infinite Response. He was involved in the development of the company's VAX77 folding MIDI keyboard controller, Infinite Response: News 8 February 2011. which Jobson showcased at the January 2010 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. Jobson's U-Z Project headlined NEARfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on 20 June 2010. A live CD compiled from various U-Z performances in 2009 was released as Ultimate Zero – The Best of the U-Z Project Live in Japan in November 2010.
In January 2011, Jobson gave a series of "master classes" in Japan, featuring performances of compositions throughout his career and lecture-style discussions of his music. In April of that year, a Jobson-Wetton "U.K." reunion tour provided performances in Japan and the US, with Alex Machacek (guitar) and Marco Minnemann (drums) completing the four-piece line-up. Jobson headlined the 2011 Zappanale festival on 21 August in Bad Doberan, Germany, and played an earlier gig in Zoetermeer, Netherlands on 19 August, with a U-Z project line-up of Marc Bonilla (vocals/bass), Alex Machacek (guitar) and Marco Minnemann (drums).
In early 2012, Jobson confirmed that he re-formed the UK trio line-up — Jobson, John Wetton, and Terry Bozzio — for a one-off world tour, which took place from May–June 2012, with the trio playing dates in North America and Japan. However, Bozzio did not join the additional summer concert dates in Europe, where drummer Gary Husband assumed that role. Alex Machacek (guitar) was also added to the band line-up. Jobson, Wetton, Machacek, and Husband also headlined at NEARfest Apocalypse in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Additionally, the trio of Jobson, Wetton, and Bozzio extended its performances with a March 2013 stint on the inaugural voyage of the progressive rock Cruise to the Edge excursion, where they headlined with Yes and Steve Hackett.
Jobson marked the fortieth anniversary of the start of his professional music career with a short tour in Japan during November 2013. Joining him onstage was an ensemble cast of musicians from his career, including John Wetton, Sonja Kristina, Alex Machacek, Marco Minnemann, Aaron Lippert, and Ric Fierabracci. He performed songs which spanned the four decades including music from Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K., UKZ, as well as his solo efforts, to sold-out venues in Tokyo and Osaka.
In April 2017 Jobson and Marc Bonilla began the "Fallen Angels Tour", a tribute to the music of John Wetton & Keith Emerson, commencing at London's Under The Bridge venue at Stamford Bridge Stadium on 22 April.
| 1973 | Curved Air | Air Cut | |
| 1973 | Roxy Music | Stranded | |
| 1974 | Country Life | ||
| 1975 | Siren | ||
| 1976 | Viva! | ||
| 1976 | Eddie Jobson | Yesterday Boulevard b/w On a Still Night | Single, (Island WIP-6287) |
| 1978 | Frank Zappa | Zappa in New York | Recorded: 26–29 December 1976 |
| 1978 | U.K. | UK | |
| 1979 | Danger Money | ||
| 1979 | Night After Night | ||
| 1999 | Concert Classics, Vol. 4 | Recorded: 11 July 1978 | |
| 1980 | Jethro Tull | A | |
| 1983 | Eddie Jobson | The Green Album | Eddie Jobson / Zinc |
| 1985 | Theme of Secrets | ||
| 1990 | Curved Air | Lovechild | Recorded: July 1973 |
| 2000 | The Bulgarian Women's Choir—Angelite | Voices of Life | |
| 2009 | UKZ | Radiation | |
| 2009 | Frank Zappa | Philly '76 | Recorded: 29 October 1976 |
| 2010 | Eddie Jobson | Ultimate Zero Tour - Live | Live album |
| 2013 | U.K. | Reunion – Live in Tokyo | CD&DVD |
| 2015 | Curtain Call | Recorded: 2013 | |
| 2015 | Eddie Jobson | Four Decades | Live album, Recorded: 2013 |
| 2018 | 1971–1979 The Band Years | Compilation album | |
| 2019 | Frank Zappa | Zappa In New York 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition | Recorded: 26–29 December 1976 |
| 2022 | Frank Zappa | Zappa/Erie | Recorded: 10–13 November 1976 |
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