J-Star
Aug. 27, 2021
Jarez is a contemporary saxophonist with a ear for what is hot. In a few short years, he has gone from being known as “Mr. Sexy Saxy’ to the mayor of J FUNK CITY, a CD full of all-star guests and ultra funky goodness. Featured artists include Julian Vaughn, Vandell Andrew, Willie Bradley, Ragan Whiteside and Gerald Albright.
J Funk City has made a sizzling impact of the music citizens of the world. With the release of the CD, Jarez became the indie saxophonist to have number 1’s on all SmoothJazz.com charts at one time with this release. Additionally, the J Funk City mayor made #1 on the Groove Jazz Music Charts and Radio Wave Monitor Charts for the single “24 Hours” (featuring Julian Vaughn), as well as the Top 10 on the Smooth Jazz Network Charts and the Smooth Jazz Billbord charts for the same single. J Funk City features the well-known steamy side of the mayor’s saxophone, but lends itself overall to a more muscular and athletic approach for summertime grooving.
Jarez’s ability to extend his musical outreach to fans of all ages included multiple appearances on “Cooking with Coolio”, as well as world tours with the famous rapper. He also assisted in the production of Coolio’s cookbook of the same name, along with ongoing management of various aspects of Coolio’s business operations. This intense work ethic would be pivotal to the development of Jarez’s solo career. A whirlwind of single releases began for the saxophonist in 2013. Jarez gained notoriety as a soloist with his 2013 release of “On Top of the World” with radio charting success, which led to the album rated as #16 on the 2014 year-end top 100 albums chart on SmoothJazz.com. Additionally, the “Make it Better” and “Can’t Let Go” singles would be in the top 100 songs chart for 2014 on GrooveJazzMusic.com. The “Hold on Tight” single featuring Vandell Andrew from Jarez’s “Sexy Saxy” Vol. 1 EP would make the World Jazz top 20 singles chart. Releasing seven singles in two years, Jarez also made it to the most added and most increased spins list on Billboard’s smooth jazz chart. In September 2017 Mr. Sexy Saxy (AKA Jarez) returned with the release of his “Blow Your Mind” CD. The eargasmic collection of songs features an appearance on the “You Said” by Selina Albright, the daughter of the legendary saxophonist Gerald Albright. Complementing seductively driving rhythms and an inviting sax line, Selina expresses an impressive vocal range that purrs in low and mellows on the higher end. The resulting arrangement at the hands of Jarez is an emotionally charged masterpiece.
In addition to his musical career, Jarez used his knowledge to serve as a spokesperson for Environmental Justice and Climate Change’s (EJCC) campaign, which facilitates Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in educational initiatives regarding global warming. This opportunity also lent him a chance to develop his fan base even further with selections from his “Saxoholic” CD becoming the musical signature for the “Just Environment” radio show, which broadcasted weekly on from Atlanta’s Clark University’s WCLK 91.9, “The Jazz of the City.
