Well, it is early October and in the United Kingdom that can only mean one thing – a brand new series of Strictly Come Dancing. Those of you in the USA will know the show as Dancing With The Stars and may also be aware that smooth jazz saxophonist Jessy J has been a member of this show’s house band for the last seven years variously playing alto tenor and baritone saxes as well as flute and clarinet.
Of course Jessy has been a significant presence on the smooth jazz scene since 2008 and the release of her debut recording ‘Tequila Moon’. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Hemet, CA, in part she takes her musical influences from her Mexican-American heritage. Indeed her Mexican born father and mother filled the family home with festive, live Latin music and on graduating from USC with a degree in jazz studies she enjoyed instant success as a session player. In 2005-06 Jessy toured with both The Temptations and Jessica Simpson but when she decided to focus her talents on contemporary jazz, she immediately knew she wanted to work with Paul Brown. As Jessy signposted her career with a succession of hit albums Brown has remained a guiding light throughout with a case in point being her 2015 project, the very cool, very understated and very sophisticated ‘My One And Only One’. ‘Blue’ followed in 2022.
Jessy has a new single right now. Titled ‘Right On Time’ it is well worth checking out.