Jessica Arellano (born December 20, 1982) known professionally as Jessy J, is an American saxophonist.
Biography
Jessy J was born Jessica Arellano on December 20, 1982, in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Hemet, California.[1][2][3] Of Mexican-American descent, her father is from Mexico and her mother is a native Texan. She began playing piano at the age of four.[4] At the age of 15, at the Béla Bartók Festival,[5] she won the Piano State Championship.[4] She also played saxophone in state honored bands, such as the Grammy Band, and played internationally in festivals like the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. After earning a scholarship from the University of Southern California,[6] she obtained a degree in jazz studies and was named the "Most Outstanding Jazz Student".
While attending USC, Jessy auditioned and was selected to join Disney as a member of the All American College Band two consecutive years in a row. As a band member she attended workshops learning critical skills, such as leadership, teamwork, and communication which gave her the confidence needed for creative song writing and organizing a band as a leader. In 2010 Jessy was inducted into Disney's Magic Music Days Hall of Fame.[7]
Jessy J performed on the twice Grammy nominated[17] album Elevation as a member of the Henry Mancini Jazz Orchestra.[4][8] Jessy has performed on the hit television competition shows American Idol, The Voice and Dancing With the Stars. The year Steven Tyler was a judge on Idol, he was so impressed with her performances that he invited her to play on Aerosmith's 2012 album Music From Another Dimension.[18]
Prior to being a studio musician and touring as a jazz artist, Jessy J performed in the casts of Mason Entertainment Group's Off-Broadway shows Shockwave, Cyberjam, and M.I.X. She performed not only as a saxophonist and singer but also as an actress and dancer. Touring with Mason Entertainment led her across the US, the United Kingdom, and Japan.[19]
Jessy J's recording career began after producer/guitarist Paul Brown listened to her demo and gave her a spot on his tour. She soon began making solo appearances. Her first major solo performance was at the Catalina JazzTrax Festival in 2006.[20] Soon afterward, she and Paul Brown were in the studio recording her first album, Tequila Moon.
Jessy was carefully selected along with a handful of talented young jazz artists by Selmer Saxophones to be part of a team of Master educators at schools to help advance music programs. Giving back to the community is something she had been doing while an undergraduate going to inner city schools.[27] Leadership and teamwork was second nature.
Her song "Tequila Moon" hit the #1 spot on the Billboard chart for Jazz.[33] Her song "Tropical Rain", from her 2009 release, reached the top of the Groove Jazz Music[34] chart and also took the #1 spot on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown,[35] as well as the R&R and Billboard Jazz charts.
In 2008, Jessy J was named Radio & Records "Debut Artist of the Year". She also received the "Contemporary Jazz Song of the Year" award from R&R and Billboard for her song "Tequila Moon". Also that year, she was featured on the cover of the May issue of Jazziz Magazine.[36] In 2009, she was on the October cover of Saxophone Journal and Latina Style Magazine.[37]
