Jesse Weber received a Bachelors Degree in music performance from the University of Montana in 2000. At the U of M, Jesse studied with highly acclaimed instructors including Bob Ledbetter, Lance Boyd, Andy Narrell, Peter Erskine, Fred Simpson, Julie Spencer, Horacio “El Negro” Hernendez, Miguel Bernal Nodal, and several other guest artists with the Islanders Steel Band, the U of M percussion Ensemble, and the Buddy De Franco Jazz Festival. Jesse studied all aspects of percussion including marimba, vibraphone, timpani, orchestral percussion, and marching percussion. Jesse spent 3 years as the drumline section leader for the competitive group the “Big Sky Winds,” and spent 5 years as a member of the Missoula Symphony Orchestra.
Jesse became enthralled with the African roots of percussion and began intensive studies of the music of Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, and Cuba. In 1998, he began playing with Los Rumberos De Montana, an Afro – Cuban drum and dance group. With this group, he travelled to Havana Cuba and played in the famous Callejon De Hamel along with the group Clave Y Guaguanco. In Cuba, he learned congas, timbale, bongo, cajon, and studied the sacred rhythms of the Bata drums with Miguel Bernal Nodal.
Back in Montana, Jesse helped found The First Day Project, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing Afro-Cuban music and dance to the masses. He spent three months touring the US with an all star cast of musicians. Jesse has returned to Cuba ten times to further his study of Afro-Cuban music and folklore.
Jesse has been studying, teaching, performing, and living music in San Francisco since 2001. He has shared the stage with Bay Area superstars including Sandy Perez, Carlos Aldama, Jose Francisco Barroso, Chris “Flaco” Walker, Michael Spiro, Fito Reinoso, Jesus Diaz, Colin Douglass, Matt Lucas, Javier Navarette, Carlitos Medrano, Patricio Angulo, Omar Ledezma Jr., Ernesto Mazar Kindelán-Fairfield, Brett Hunter, and Sergio Duran. Jesse is currently pursuing several musical projects covering a wide variety of styles including Salsa, Son, Cumbia, Reggae, Ska, Afrobeat, Mowtown, and House.
Strike Iron http://www.strikeironband.com/
La GenteSF https://lagentemusicsf.com/
Makru https://www.makrumusic.com/
The Justin Ancheta Band https://justinanchetaband.com/