La Prensa de San Antonio.- A free jazz concert at The Shops at La Cantera with amazing music from Latina saxophonist Jessy J is a great way to unwind ... from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 26 – remember to bring a lawn chair!
By Angela Covo angela.covo@gmail.com
Jessy J, just 31, has been playing the sax for more than 20 years. Always musical, she started playing the saxophone in band in middle school.
Even before she knew how verstaile the saxaphone was, Jessy couldn't put it down. While everyone else was out playing, J would practice - because she wanted to.
“I practiced all the time, I loved it,” she said. It was that passion for music that determined her life's path.
At 15, she heard the sax in the middle of a Latin piece and was completely sold on the sound.
“When I heard the sax melody with the Brazilian harmonies and Latin rhythms, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life,” she explained.
The artist was born in Portland, Oregon, but she feels very connected to San Antonio.
“The concert in San Antonio will be special for me because it’s where my mother is from and I’ll get to visit with my family. It will be just like a homecoming,” Jessy J explained.
“I love San Antonio and the music is an expression of love – I want the audience to be able to kick back and enjoy the music and be worry-free,” she said.
“Music lets you stay in the moment,” she added.
Jessy J is already an award winning artist with number one tracks. Her 2008 debut CD, Tequila Moon on Peak Records, was one of the most successful recordings in contemporary jazz. Both Billboard and Radio & Records named the title track the Number One Song of the Year. Her sophomore release, True Love, demonstrates the artist’s ability to engage and captivate audiences, earning another top spot for her original song “Tropical Rain.”
Jessy J also received high critical acclaim from publications across the board, including Latina Style Magazine, Jazziz Magazine and Saxophone Journal Magazine. She was even credited with starting a new movement in Jazz in the May cover story of JAZZIZ magazine and “increasing the boundaries of jazz both musically and demographically." People en Espanol says simply this young Latina is “revolutionizing jazz.”
The accomplished musician also sings and dances. Jessy J sang background vocals for Michael Bolton, played with the Henry Mancini Jazz Orchestra and performed in the off-Broadway production of “Blast!”
However, what she is most proud of is being able to pursue her dream.
“I am so happy to be a Latina woman pursuing my dream in music. And I love to share my joy with others through the music,” she said.
Visit jessyj.com for more information about the artist and her work.
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