Biography
Saxophonist Jessy J has built a reputation as a sought-after live act whose sound fuses Latin rhythms with R&B sensibilities inside a smooth-jazz framework. Born Jessica Arellano in Portland, Oregon, in 1982, she spent her formative years in Hemet, California, where her Mexican father and Texan mother raised her. Piano lessons began at age four, followed by years of competition performances; at fifteen she earned the title of Piano State Champion during the Béla Bartók Festival held in California. She later changed her primary instrument to saxophone and, after completing a jazz-studies degree at the University of Southern California, entered the professional circuit. Early credits included studio support for Michael Bublé and road work alongside the Temptations, Jessica Simpson, Michael Bolton, Gloria Trevi, and Armando Manzanero.
In 2004 she joined the touring ensemble of the off-Broadway production Blast!, traveling with the show through the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Producer and guitarist Paul Brown first showcased her as a featured artist on February 14, 2006; soon afterward she began headlining her own dates, with an early appearance at the Catalina JazzTrax Festival later that year. Her self-titled debut album appeared in 2007, after which she moved to Peak Records for the 2008 follow-up Tequila Moon. The project resonated with listeners, its title track reaching the top of the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart. A third solo release, True Love, arrived the next year.
Hot Sauce surfaced in 2011 and included contributions from Joe Sample, Paul Brown, Harvey Mason, Ray Parker, Jr., and Saunders Sermons; the set opened at number one on the Billboard Jazz chart. Jessy J subsequently joined the Shanachie roster, issuing Second Chances in 2013, which featured Jeff Lorber and Norman Brown, and My One and Only One in 2015, again teaming her with guitarist Paul Brown and keyboardist Greg Karukas. The holiday collection California Christmas followed in 2016. Two years later she celebrated the tenth anniversary of “Tequila Moon” with the concert recording Live at Yoshi’s: 10 Year Anniversary Special.
In 2004 she joined the touring ensemble of the off-Broadway production Blast!, traveling with the show through the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Producer and guitarist Paul Brown first showcased her as a featured artist on February 14, 2006; soon afterward she began headlining her own dates, with an early appearance at the Catalina JazzTrax Festival later that year. Her self-titled debut album appeared in 2007, after which she moved to Peak Records for the 2008 follow-up Tequila Moon. The project resonated with listeners, its title track reaching the top of the Billboard Smooth Jazz Songs chart. A third solo release, True Love, arrived the next year.
Hot Sauce surfaced in 2011 and included contributions from Joe Sample, Paul Brown, Harvey Mason, Ray Parker, Jr., and Saunders Sermons; the set opened at number one on the Billboard Jazz chart. Jessy J subsequently joined the Shanachie roster, issuing Second Chances in 2013, which featured Jeff Lorber and Norman Brown, and My One and Only One in 2015, again teaming her with guitarist Paul Brown and keyboardist Greg Karukas. The holiday collection California Christmas followed in 2016. Two years later she celebrated the tenth anniversary of “Tequila Moon” with the concert recording Live at Yoshi’s: 10 Year Anniversary Special.
Albums
