Saxophonist JESSY J again teams with PAUL BROWN and digs into her Latin heritage on TRUE LOVE

True Love. With these two perfectly chosen words, Jessy J has, in unveiling the title of her second Peak Records release, captured the blazing emotions of her legions of fans across the U.S. and Latin America who made her the breakout genre star of 2008.

With her sizzling mix of hot beats, Latin and samba rhythms, instantly captivating melodies and model looks, this Mexican American saxophonist/singer proved quite the sensation with her debut CD Tequila Moon--earning her such accolades as Radio and Records “Debut Artist of The Year” and contemporary jazz song of the year by R&R and Billboard for the title track, which stayed perched at #1 for an incredible eight weeks. Adding to the multi-talented artist’s rising star was her cover story in Jazziz Magazine, features in People Espanol, and JazzTimes, to name a few, plus numerous television appearances and radio interviews.

Produced by mega contemporary and urban jazz hit maker, musician/guitarist and label mate Paul Brown, (who also produced Tequila Moon), one of the most remarkable aspects of True Love is Jessy’s ongoing commitment to her development as an artist and composer on her own terms. Backed on most tracks by Brown, keyboardist Gregg Karukas, bassist Roberto Vally, drummer Sergio Gonzalez and percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia, she puts her unique, multi-cultural stamp on an 10 track mix of vocals and instrumentals that draws from her rich Latin heritage and love for both traditional and contemporary jazz.

Jessy’s soul-bearing search for True Love blossoms into a full on concept that tells a playfully romantic story from start to finish. The sensual and exotic, soundscape kissed “Tropical Rain” forest may be the ideal location to meet that special person and have a sizzling affair that you think, in your state of euphoria, might just last “Forever” (whose sense of peace is conveyed through a dreamy chill and laid back funk vibe). But just when you think you’ve met your “True Love” (a balmy bolero in which Jessy turns on her seductive and swinging jazz charms), he shows his edgy, rebellious and flirtatious side (the retro soul, Michael Jackson, Prince and Santana influenced “Mr. Prince”) and you wonder if he’s mature enough to go the distance.

Originally the title track for the 1959 Portuguese language film Orfeu Negro, and later popularized in English by Frank Sinatra as “A Day In the Life Of A Fool,” “Morning of the Carnival” from Black Orpheus (aka “Manha De Carnival”) not only finds Jessy capturing the cool essence of Astrud Gilberto but also paints an exciting, bustling scene where your lover is looking for you amidst the thousands of patrons. Only you’re not there. In fact, your spirit is miles away, lost “Somewhere in A Dream,” a balmy, ethereal tune whose melody, like the musings of the heart, goes round and round. After a few sleepless nights (conveyed via Jessy’s soaring sax melody and straight ahead meets old school soul jazz rhythms of “Jessy’s Blues”), you embrace the future with a refreshed outlook and find an even deeper, truer love on “Llegaste Tu” (“You arrived”), an anthemic, richly percussive Spanish pop-folk anthem composed by Jessy with top Latin producer Pablo Aguirre and Paulina Aguirre. The elegant “Brazilian Dance” features a lush, soulful sax-voice duet between Jessy and the tune’s composer Sergio Aranda. No Jessy J project would be complete without a track that celebrates her Mexican-American roots. With its swirl of flute, guitar, piano and fiery vocal textures, “Baila!” makes it easy to respond to its command to get up and dance.

Jessy has also been making urban jazz fans across the U.S. “baila” up a storm these past two years as a featured performer with genre greats Gerald Albright, Peter White, Jeff Lorber, Euge Groove and Jeff Golub on the popular 2008-2009 editions of the all-star Guitars and Saxes tours. She has also headlined with her own band several times at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival and at such events as the City of Lights Jazz and Rhythm & Blues Festival in Las Vegas and the 98.1 Anniversary Gaslamp Festival in San Diego. This burgeoning slate of shows complements Jessy’s extensive schedule in the pop and Latin music worlds, where she continues to tour as saxophonist and backing vocalist for pop great Michael Bolton and has played extensively with two of Mexico’s most popular artists, Gloria Trevi (aka “The Madonna of Mexico”) and Armando Manzanero (whom Jessy calls “the Mancini of Mexico”).

“My favorite part of playing live is connecting with the audience, as if everyone listening is my friend who I’ve invited over for a barbecue at my house or an intimate show in my living room,” says Jessy. “Sharing music is a way to create long term relationships with people, and by playing my songs from the heart, I feel like I’m opening a window to my soul and there’s nothing to hide. It’s always been a very special experience as a side person, but the bonds are even greater now that I’m a solo artist performing my own songs. The true joy of playing with Guitars and Saxes is learning from all these great artists and rising to the challenges that come from working with musicians of this caliber.”

The Portland, Oregon born, Hemet, California raised performer draws her inspiration naturally from several unique musical wellsprings. Growing up, her Mexican born father and mother, a native of Texas, had parties at their house where festive, live Latin music—including the La Banda music of her dad’s home country--flowed all night long. She was a huge fan of Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, but also loved pop. So when she turned pro after graduating from USC with a degree in jazz studies—she was named “Most Outstanding Jazz Student” of her class--she jumped quickly into recording sessions with artists like Michael Buble and toured with The Temptations (2005-6) and Jessica Simpson.

A true musical prodigy, Jessy J began playing piano at age four and spent most of her childhood as a competitive artist, performing at major conferences, competitions and festivals. These childhood experiences and the discipline and work ethic she gained from them would prove to be a great testing ground for her future career in the industry. Even while working post-USC with so many exciting pop and Latin artists, she was putting together her own band, performing at such L.A. hotspots as The Jazz Bakery and, through her work with the Henry Mancini Institute and Orchestra, performing at numerous official functions and private parties.

In 2004, Jessy joined the cast of the off-Broadway show Blast! and drew on her multitude of skills as an actress, singer, dancer and sax player as she performed throughout the U.S., in London and Tokyo. It was during this time that she started to have a strong desire to write and perform more of her own music. Once she got off the road, her friend, drummer Jamie Tate—a fellow clinician with the Thelonius Monk Jazz Institute—invited her to check out his gig with smooth jazz star Mindi Abair at the Newport Beach Jazz Festival, which further inspired Jessy to go after the dream she is now at last fulfilling with Tequila Moon.

The Spanish-speaking saxophonist is also heavily involved in music programs connected with the Hispanic community, performing over the years with the Hispanic Musician Association Orchestra. In 2006, Jessy had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the Latin Jazz Project put together by one of her true sax heroes, Paquito D’Rivera; the program involved D’Rivera mentoring a group of professional musicians under 30 in a workshop setting that led to the performance.

“After the success of Tequila Moon, it was inevitable that many fans would ask me, ok, so what’s next? Where do you go from #1?” says Jessy. “But I never really worried about that pressure because I knew my approach would be to simply dig deeper into my essence as a person, songwriter and musician. My goal was to convey my True Love by putting 100 percent of my heart and soul into every note, every session and every song. As the journey of this new album unfolded, I discovered something amazing, a little secret I will now share: after all this romantic searching, I realize now that my True Love is actually my lifelong passion for music. It’s a joy and an honor to have the opportunity to share more and more of this with the world as the years unfold.”

The music was beautiful under the Tequila Moon. Stay there a while and like Jessy, you may just discover your True Love!

No purchase necessary to enter this contest. Any purchase will not improve your chances of winning. By entering this contest, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules, waive any rights to claim ambiguity with the rules, and agree that the decision of the Sponsor is final in all matters relating to this contest. Void where prohibited by law, or where the registration or filing requirements of any federal, state, provincial, municipal or local law have not been complied with.

Entering Contest
The contest will begin on November 19, 2010 and end on midnight (12:00 a.m.) December 3, 2010. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. on December 3, 2010. To enter this contest, complete the required fields on the entry form located online at www.jessyj.com/contest Entrants are limited to one entry per person. No copies, facsimiles or mechanical reproductions will be accepted. Online entries received prior to or after the contest period will be disqualified. Any effort by the entrant to misrepresent themselves through the use of aliases will be disqualified. The foregoing requirements and restrictions will be strictly enforced and any submissions that do not comply with all of the foregoing requirements will be disqualified in the sole discretion of the Sponsor.

Eligibility
This contest is open to all legal residents of the United States and those who are twenty-one (21) years of age and over at the time of entry in the contest. The contest is not open to the employees, immediate families, or household members of Concord Music Group, Inc. and each of its respective parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries. The Winner will be subject to proving eligibility, including, but not limited to, verification of the prize Winner’s name, age and social security number. If the Winner cannot furnish verifiable and valid proof of age within twenty-four (24) hours after being notified of winning the contest or the Winner cannot be contacted within a reasonable period of time, an alternate Winner may be chosen from among the eligible entries received, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Void where prohibited and restricted by law. Additional restrictions may apply.

Prize
One (1) winner (“Winner”) will receive two (2) VIP tickets to attend a performance by Jessy J, dinner for (2), and an exclusive Meet and Greet with Jessy J at Spaghettini Italian Grill & Jazz Club, 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, Seal Beach, California 90740 on December 19, 2010. Winner also receives one (1) night of hotel accommodations (1 room, double occupancy) for use on December 19, 2010 at Ayres Hotel – Seal Beach, 12850 Seal Beach Boulevard, Seal Beach, California 90740. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) for entire prize: $400.00. The Winner and his/her guest must make their own travel arrangements and are responsible for obtaining any and all necessary documents (including but not limited to valid photo identification) prior to departure. Travel to the performance, hotel, gratuities and incidental charges related to the travel, hotel accommodations, etc. are not included as part of the prize. Any other expenses not specifically mentioned as being included as part of the prize are excluded and are the sole responsibility of the Winner. The Winner is required to comply with and is solely responsible for any and all applicable federal, state and local tax that may become due upon the Winner’s receipt of the contest prize. The prize is non-transferable, non-refundable, and cannot be exchanged for cash. No substitution, transfer of the prize or any part of the prize package is permitted, except by the Sponsor due to prize unavailability at the time of awarding the prize. Some restrictions may apply.

Selection and Notification
The Winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries received by the Sponsor and conducted on or about December 6, 2010. The Winner will be notified by email, telephone and/or first-class mail prior to the date of the performance. The dates of performance and the contest dates shall be subject to change at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. All incomplete and inaccurate entries are void. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize of comparable value.

The Sponsors shall not be liable for failed, returned or misdirected notifications or the prizes based on inaccurate information provided by the Winner, entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind.

To receive a copy of the Official Rules or a list of winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Peak Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc., 23307 Commerce Park Road, Cleveland, OH 44122. All requests must be received by December 31, 2010. All requests must specify the Jessy J Contest Winner List or Official Rules of the Jessy J Birthday Bash Contest.

Release
Except where legally prohibited, the acceptance of any prize constitutes permission by the Winner for the Sponsor to use the Winner’s name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state) and testimonials, in printed, broadcast or new media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, in any manner the Sponsor deems appropriate in connection with promoting this or any other contest and/or promotion sponsored by them, without further compensation to the Winner. The Winner must each sign: (a) an affidavit of eligibility and a release of Jessy J, the Sponsor, and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensees, service providers, and agencies, and their respective directors, officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any other person or entity associated with such entities from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action for personal injury and/or damage, theft, or loss suffered in connection with this promotion or the use or acceptance of the prize or any portion thereof to be eligible for the prize; and (b) where permitted, a promotional release granting the right to use the Winner’s name and likeness for advertising and publicity purposes without additional compensation. The Winner must also complete all legal documents and return them to the Sponsor within three (3) working days after receipt of such documents. Noncompliance will result in disqualification and an alternate will be selected by the Sponsors from the remaining eligible entries.

General Conditions
This contest is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. In the event of non-compliance or violation by the Winner of these Official Rules, the Winner will be immediately disqualified and terminated as the Winner of this contest and an alternative winner will be awarded the respective prize.

By participating in this contest, entrants agree that Jessy J, the Sponsor, those involved in the development, production, implementation and distribution of this promotion and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensees, service providers, and agencies, and their respective directors, officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any other person or entity associated with such entities and/or promotion shall not be liable for any and all claims, damages, losses or injuries to entrants, including any third party claims, arising from or relating to, in whole or in part, this contest, including (1) entry and participation in this contest, (2) acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the prize, and (3) traveling to, preparing for, or participating in any prize related activity. Jessy J, the Sponsor, and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, licensees, service providers, and agencies, and their respective directors, officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any other person or entity associated with such entities and this contest are not responsible for (i) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer online system, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, internet service provider, interruption or inability to access any website or online service via the internet due to hardware or software compatibility problems; (ii) any loss of the entry form through the U.S. postal delivery system; and/or (iii) any damage to entrants’ (or any third person’s) computer and/or any lost or delayed data transmissions, omissions, interruptions, defects or any other errors or malfunctions. If this contest is not capable of running for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor, the Sponsor reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this contest. The Sponsor further reserves the right to modify the rules of this contest in any way or at any time, as long as reasonable notice is given. If this contest is terminated prior to the stated expiration date, notice will be posted on the website www.jessyj.com.

Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this contest will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, including criminal prosecution, and the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies (including attorneys’ fees and costs) and damages. By participating in this contest, entrants agree that the California courts shall have sole jurisdiction over any controversy, dispute or litigation arising from or relating to this contest, that this contest shall be governed by California law, and that the venue shall be only in Los Angeles, California.

Sponsor
The Jessy J Birthday Bash contest is sponsored by Peak Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc. (“Sponsor”).