Irabagon grew up in Chicago’s northern suburbs before attending
DePaul, where he completed his BM in Music Business in 2000. In 2001, Irabagon moved to New York City and enrolled in a master's degree at
Manhattan School of Music; In 2003, Irabagon joined
Peter Evans and
Kevin Shea in Moppa Elliott's
Mostly Other People Do the Killing, a quartet known for both technical skill and a "prankish exterior"; their first album was released on Elliott's Hot Cup Records in 2005. Irabagon went on to record eleven albums with the group, including their controversial note-for-note remake of
Miles Davis's
Kind of Blue. In 2008,
Innova released Irabagon's first album as leader,
Jon Irabagon’s Outright!. The record's core quintet includes trumpeter Russ Johnson, pianist
Kris Davis, bassist
Eivind Opsvik, and drummer Jeff Davis, all of whom also provide vocals on a track with the 14-member Outright! Mixed Choir; another track, "Outright! Theme", features a 30-member jazz band. Later that year, Irabagon was announced winner of the 2008
Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition by judges
Wayne Shorter,
Jimmy Heath,
Greg Osby,
Jane Ira Bloom, and
David Sánchez. The award included a cash prize, some of which went toward studies with Roscoe Mitchell, In the first of several dual-disparate-release years, the more conservative album was preceded by ''I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues'', a one-track, metal-tinged improvisation with drummer
Mike Pride. In 2010, Firehouse 12 Records released the
Mary Halvorson Quintet's
Saturn Sings, the first of four releases Irabagon recorded with the composer and guitarist; following the quintet's second album, they appeared on
NPR Music's
Tiny Desk Concerts. Halvorson and Irabagon continued performing together in various arrangements, after an extremely active 2012: Irabagon was featured on the acclaimed
Be Still, the first of four albums he recorded with the
Dave Douglas Quintet, as well as on the Mary Halvorson Quintet's highly lauded
Bending Bridges. He marked Irabbagast's debut with two releases as bandleader: ''I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues Volume 2: Appalachian Haze
, a trio with Mick Barr and Mike Pride; and Outright! Unhinged'', his quintet with
Ralph Alessi,
Jacob Sacks, John Hébert, and
Tom Rainey. == Discography==