Javier 'Javier' album

"When I think of the people who have most influenced me as a singer I think of Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke-the absolute greats," says Javier, the new R&B singer/songwriter with a musical vision as classic as it is unique.

"There's just so much I wanted to write and sing about on my first album," he says. Indeed, on his Capitol debut (title tk), this 25-year-old musical prodigy (who showcases his multi-instrument virtuosity on the album) proves he's not beholden to pop trends and radio formats, taking classic soul vibes to new places. But don't peg him neo-soul. (title tk) simmers with an abundance of musical twists, its stirring R&B ballads and mid-tempo funk enlivened by classic jazz and Latin grooves, even rock. "I wanted to include so many different styles of music on this album because variety is what I'm all about. "

The album's rich tapestry of sounds is further brought to life by its coalition of production talent -- including urban legends the Underdogs (B2K, Brandy, Tyrese, Brian McKnight), versatile pop songwriting-producing team duo Syndicated Rhythm (?N Sync, Christina Aguilera, 98 Degrees, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Amy Grant), and Executive Producer Kevin Cloud.

On the lead single, "Crazy," Javier indulges in utter romantic abandon while displaying his knack for indelible hooks (just try getting the chorus out of your head). "I've always been a love song kind of guy," says Javier. "I've gotta admit that when I first picked up the guitar, my real goal was to write songs and sing ?em to my girlfriends."

But the diversity of the album's songs proves him to be more than mere romantic. "We wrote about whatever sparked us at the moment-we weren't afraid to let our minds roam freely," says Javier. "In Your Hands," is a lilting, acoustic guitar-driven track that reveals a pure but ambiguous spirituality. "This song was intended to mean different things to different people, to evoke different emotions depending on who's listening," he explains. "Basically, it's about giving yourself up to someone important in your life, whether that someone is your girlfriend, your mom, your child, or God." There's also the intimate, socially conscious "She'll Never Know." "It about loving and being loved while dealing with what I call social obstacles" he explains. "We've come a long way as a society but we still have a long way to go."

Javier's expansive approach is inherent on the album's instrumental tracks, which feature some inspired collaborators. Ahmir (D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Common) and his Roots rhythm masters add groove innovation to "Hey Little Sister," while jazz icons Roy Hargrove, Peter Washington, Mulgrew Miller and Karriem Riggins bring genuine swing to the smoky, haunting "October Sky," coming off like an instant standard worthy of Nina Simone's repertoire. "Song For Your Tears", defines Javier's ambitious musical vision, combining Superfly wah-wah guitars and classical piano with Philly soul orchestration-thanks in no small part to the City of Brotherly Love's longtime strings guru Larry Gold. "This song needed that old-school Philly strings sound, and that's why we went to Larry," says Javier.

Authentic Latin flourish spices tracks like "Can't Have My Heart" and "She Spoke To Me," no doubt influenced by the Spanish-language radio station owned by Javier's father and the constant presence of Latin music in Javier's family household growing up. "There were many pieces of me I wanted to incorporate in the album, and the Spanish influence was a very deep one," he says. But all of these disparate elements are united by Javier's sensual, soulful and powerful voice.

A musical prodigy in his formative years, Javier's musical gifts took him to the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, where he founded an R&B based a-cappella quintet that performed at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater. He graduated from Hartt with a degree in Music Education but Javier started on his path as a world-class performer as the lead singer for a neo-funk group dedicated to the legacy of Bill Withers, Maceo Parker and Tower of Power among others. "Being in that band really helped me grow vocally. I had never done anything like that. I found another gear that I could kick into when I wanted to, turning me into a funk singer I didn't know I could be," he says.

When that band opened for neo-funk luminaries Soulive, Javier's performance drew the attention of Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, who recommended Javier to be the lead singer for jam-band heroes the Derek Trucks Band, led by Allman Brothers guitarist Derek Trucks. Javier spent a year and a half touring with Trucks, exploring onstage everything from rock and soul to blues and jazz and beyond. But while he found the experience illuminating, ultimately Javier had to go it alone. A subsequent three-song solo demo started a bidding war, landing him with Capitol Records.

"The music swirling around in my head has finally found an outlet in this album," says Javier. "It's a really honest chronicle of me as a singer, a musician, and a person with a lot of ideas who feels confident to speak them freely."

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Javier - Javier