New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Jess Wayne just released his debut album "Ride The River." A comfortable fusion of contemporary folk, chill blues, easy jazz and Americana music with "storytelling, wisdom and naked honesty," the album was co-produced with John Matthew Rosenberg, a Los Angeles arranger and composer. The CD Release Party is at the famous Genghis Cohen on Friday, June 24, 2016, at 9:00 pm. On July 20, the band starts its debut tour through Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
Jess Wayne (previously better known as
Douglas Jessop) is a poet, writer, singer-songwriter and guitar player. He is living in Los Angeles and making music with a groove for adults who have lived and know that life is complex, messy, muddy, simple and beautiful - all at the same time.
Flashback to 2009, a successful corporate bankruptcy lawyer at the top of his game with his own law firm in Denver, Colorado, clients all over the world, a custom designed house on 20 acres in the country, and an Audi A8L. He had it made, right? No. The tsunami wave of the economy failure was ripping toward his firm and while other bankruptcy lawyers were out there saying "cowabunga dude" and waxing their surfboards for the ultimate ride - he took one long look and realized that his heart was Just Not That In To It. He was not going to explain bankruptcy reorganization for the zillionth time. He was not going to ride that wave. He had enough. His spouse, children, friends and colleagues thought he was crazy but he walked away. To where or what, he had no idea - something that resonated with the heart. He gave the house and its stuff to his wife and the car to his father. The start of freedom.
On how he got here or, at least, what took him so long, Jess still wonders. "I've played music and written poetry all my life but I did not recognize my heart's desire. I had lived so long with my true self buried that I was like the little fish that upon hearing that the Ocean was all around him, blurts out 'This? This is just water!' Well, I'm in the water now, and it's a wild ride."
About the Jess Wayne Band:
The band was formed in Los Angeles in 2015 when he reached out to three world-class players for a recording and performing project. They loved the music and decided to stay. The band includes John Matthew Rosenberg on piano, keys and vocals (Cab Calloway,
Carlos Santana, Jerry Garcia, Bonnie Raitt, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis), Jimmy Ledezma on percussion (Arco Iris, Los Pinguos, Wild Colonials) and
Jesse Holsapple on bass and backup vocals (Dale Okerman, Tiran Porter - both of
Doobie Brothers fame).
