Marlboro native primed for move in music career

BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

Jonathan Zucker Musician Jonathan Zucker went from the hustle and bustle of New York City’s Wall Street to the trendy sounds of the Los Angeles music scene.

Zucker, 29, a native of Marlboro, began his musical career in 2004 after working for several years as an equity trader for a New York investment bank.

With his educational background as a graduate of the Freehold Regional High School District’s business learning center at Marlboro High School and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Zucker’s career in business seemed a certainty.

Although he said he started out in the field with momentum and enthusiasm, the hard work and drop in the economy after the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, made Zucker realize he was ready for a change.

He took time off to do some soul searching and traveled through Europe, Australia and South America for six months. It was during this time that Zucker realized his passion for music was not just a phase.

“The one love that’s been constant in my life has been music,” he said.

Zucker found his way back to New York City and began to focus on his musical career. He bought new instruments, took song writing classes and bounced around from one open mic night to the next.

It wasn’t long before his talent was discovered by the popular Manhattan club C-Note and Zucker was offered a regular spot to perform.

The musician described the experience of sharing his own creations with an audience as an incredible high. Zucker, whose attraction to music began in the early stages of his life, said he was inspired by artists such as Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Springsteen.

He describes his music as a mix between Billy Joel and Coldplay and said it is piano-driven pop rock. Zucker said he tends to write songs that are meaningful and touch people in certain ways and the most gratifying part of the experience is when someone has been moved by his lyrics.

After several months of working on his craft and performing in local clubs around the city, Zucker recorded a CD, which he said proved to people that what he was doing was real.

The musician caught his big break in February with a gig at the Cutting Room in New York. Musical icons including Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones are only a few celebrity names that have graced the stage at the Cutting Room. Zucker’s performance included a CD release party, which he described as his coming out performance as a serious songwriter and singer.

“It gave me the feeling of being a big star,” he said.

Zucker, who said he had more connections on the west coast than he did in New York, decided to make a move to the center of the entertainment industry when he realized that the best way to make it in this business was to know the right people.

When you play a show in L.A. you never know who’s going to be there; it seems like everyone in Los Angeles is involved in the industry, Zucker said. He believes his odds of making it big have increased significantly since his move across the country; he said his songs are getting a better reception and he has been playing shows at some prominent clubs including the Viper Room and the Knitting Factory.

Zucker said New York was a safe place for him because he was always able to pack his shows with friends and family. He described L.A. as the major leagues for trying to make it in the industry because the scene is really competitive. Zucker said he has developed a real following for his shows, which he said is validation that he is doing something right.

Zucker is making a short return to the east coast for a homecoming show at the Cutting Room, 19 W. 24th St., New York City, on Nov. 22 at 9 p.m. For Zucker, the show is like coming full circle from his February debut. He said he will use this opportunity to show everyone that he has arrived and is on the verge of big things in the industry.