BIOGRAPHY

JESSY J

TERRANOVA

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With the release of TERRANOVA, top contemporary jazz saxophonist Jessy J continues to add magical musical milestones to a celebrated career spanning 17 years. With eight chart topping Billboard albums, 13 top singles, a strong Spotify presence and sold-out world tours, her unique artistry has established her as one of the most in-demand and sought-after saxophonists in the genre.

TERRANOVA reunites Jessy with multi-GRAMMY·-winning producer Paul Brown for their fifth studio album together. It was Brown who produced her 2008 debut hit album Tequila Moon and for TERRANOVA they’ve created an exciting 8-song sequel showcasing her sweet spot of blending contemporary jazz with a sensual Latin flair.

Just as on Tequila Moon, Jessy and Brown worked with two distinctive ensembles on TERRANOVA. The group the saxophonist says conveys an “East coast vibe” is anchored by GRAMMY nominated bassist Brian Bromberg and includes performances on various songs by keyboardists and guitarists Jeffrey Leroy Smith, Buddy Jordan and Shane Theriot, guitarist Derryl Bannerman, with Brown contributing percussion. The team representing the “classic LA sound” on three of TERRANOVA’s core tracks includes Bromberg, Theriot (on guitars), keyboardists David Garfield (who also plays piano and Rhodes) and Jay Rowe (keyboard strings), drummer Gorden Campbell and percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia. While the “East Coasters” recorded at Brown’s home base, The Funky Joint in Sherman Oaks, CA, the “West Coast” crew’s songs were tracked at Yaniv’s studio in Woodland Hills and engineered by Yaniv.

Jessy’s desire for TERRANOVA to have no boundaries on the material and “create a celebration with whatever song grabs me, whether originals or not” led her to carry on her unique tradition of including re-imaginings of several beloved classics amidst the new songs she wrote solo and co-wrote with Brown, Bromberg and Smith and with Brown, Bromberg and Theriot. Drawing from three genres she loves, Jessy creates a hip, thumping, brass-fired jam on Grover Washington’s pre-smooth jazz classic “Mister Magic,” and with the Garfield-led contingent showcases her lovely, soulful lead vocals (in English, rather than the original Portuguese) on the rollicking, Jobim classic “No More Blues” and a balmy, tropical Latin pop/soul flavored “Piel Canela” - a mid-60s favorite of Jessy’s father written by Puerto Rican singer Bobby Capó and popularized by Eydie Gormé and Trio Los Panchos.

Terranova’s five stellar originals showcasing Jessy’s rich, emotional tenor style start with the opening title track, a sultry funk Latin dance romp, and the festive, densely percussive and soaring “Beso Del Sol,” which has a bit of a Sergio Mendes “Mas Que Nada” vibe and was named for a beautiful moment where the sun was shining through the window of the studio and directly onto Jessy’s saxophone as she was recording it (truly a “kiss of the sun”). Theriot works up a cool, old school organ sound that drives the bluesy energy of the sultry, mid-tempo flow of “My Everything” while the closer, a buoyant and infectiously emphatic burst of smooth/Latin jazz fusion titled “Right on Time” features the talents of Thiago Pinheiro (keys, bass, programming) and drummer Iajhi Hampden. The spirited, free-flowing magic of “Fresh” harkens back to a song from Tequila Moon titled “PB ‘N’ J”; both Brown collaborations began acoustically, with Jessy playing piano and sax during the session.

TERRANOVA, marks the exciting milestone of her tenth studio jazz album featuring her infectious trademark fusion of contemporary jazz and Latin vibes. This follows several exciting projects that found her exploring other sides of her ever-evolving artistry. Written and recorded during the pandemic era, her 2022 album Blue – chosen #1 Album of the Year by the influential JazzTrax platform - tapped into her longtime love for the vibrant soul and blues energies of the 60’s and 70’s and features James Brownesque drums and tasty/bluesy Ray Charles organ licks. Jessy’s 2024 release Now, Let’s Play is a children’s album rooted in her many years of classical training and performances and driven by her love as a mom to her two beautiful sons, David and Matteo. “It’s Time to Go” from this collection was selected as one of the Top Kids Songs of 2024 by Spotify’s editors. Recording exclusively for her own label Changi Records since the mid-2010s, Jessy’s discography includes Live at Yoshi’s – 10 Year Anniversary Special (2018) and two volumes of California Christmas. For a complete discography visit www.jessyj.com.

In addition to her airplay and chart success, tours with smooth jazz greats like Lorber, Gerald Albright, Euge Groove and Peter White, and her own international tours everywhere from Cuba, Nigeria and Malaysia to the Philippines and Japan, Jessy has performed on the hit television competition shows “American Idol,” “The Voice” and “Dancing With The Stars.” In recent years, she has toured with Anita Baker, recorded with Robin Thicke and contributed as composer/performer to the albums of two members of Chance the Rapper’s band - the Grammy nominated Intellexual album and The Juju Exchange’s Exchange.

“Recording an album like TERRANOVA with songs that touch my heart and so many amazing musicians is the perfect way to reflect on where I’ve been and set the tone, for where I’m headed,” Jessy says. “It was also wonderful to work with Paul again because he always brings out a different side of my playing than when I produce myself. These songs were created from a truly special place in my heart, and something interesting happened while recording this new album—I felt so at peace, calm, content, and confident. I think you’ll feel that energy in TERRANOVA.