Currently touring around the country in promotion of his new CD project, Jarez has not stopped there. Fans can find him cooking alongside his partner and cousin, rap icon,
Coolio on the hilarious new show,
"Cooking with Coolio" on
MyDamnChannel.com (
www.MyDamnChannel.com ). In true jazz man form, Jarez sometimes straps his saxophone to his back, and may occasionally break into a cool rift to accompany the delights being cooked up in the kitchen. Jarez will also be co-staring in a new reality show in October with Coolio, when
"Coolio's Rules" debuts on the
Oxygen Channel. The talented musician produced the theme songs for both shows.
Jarez's tour dates are not the normal jazz venues and haunts you would expect either. He tours regularly with his hip hop peers, incorporating the smooth sounds of jazz into hip hop beats. Jarez is perhaps one of the few jazz artists able to successfully blend the two diverse musical genres. In fact, for several years, Jarez toured with Coolio around the world, dazzling audiences unfamiliar with jazz with his playing skills and showmanship.
"Touring in over 30 countries, the experience was an unforgettable one", explains Jarez, "Performing is one of the most satisfying experiences because I have a spiritual connection with the audience when I'm playing. To have them feel what I feel - well, it's a divine connection. It is a double blessing and joy to be able to bring the gift of jazz to an audience not typically familiar with it, and yet have them embrace and welcome it."
Impacting college students on yet another level, Jarez recently became one of the spokespersons for the
Environmental Justice and Climate Change's (EJCC) campaign to educate students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) about the global warming crisis. The opportunity lends him a chance to develop his fan base even further as selections from "To the Top" provide the musical signature for the accompanying radio show,
"Just Environment" which broadcasts weekly on from Atlanta's
Clark University's WCLK 91.9, "The Jazz of the City," and live online at
www.wclk.com .
Even Jarez's CD "To The Top" defies the norm, with a wonderfully ambitious hybrid of jazz, hip-hop and R&B. The roots in Jarez's love and appreciation for classic jazz branches off in bold new directions. His version of "Sunshine," recorded with soul crooner Howard Hewitt simply radiates light while "Let's Get It On Tonight," a collaboration with Coolio, pumps the volume!
Jarez's future is an ambitious one. Firmly committed to taking jazz to places it hasn't been, he declares that his greatest desire is to be the "Tiger Woods of jazz." To explain, he says, "Tiger made an old man's game exciting and real for kids. I want to do the same for jazz, make it cool again."
Jarez is definitely taking his vision "To the Top." Check out his sax magic at
www.JarezMusic.com .
