Featured Artist of the Month        
Cali Jones

With “Scratch,” Cali Jones’ bold new interpretation of a Crusaders classic, and a developing relationship with Woodward Avenue Records, the multi-talented saxophonist is entering an exciting new chapter as a contemporary jazz artist determined to make the music as much fun to experience as it is to play. Blending the sophisticated, late-night atmosphere of the Quiet Storm era with the soulful energy of funk, R&B and contemporary jazz, Jones is shaping an identity built on originality, emotional connection and the sheer exhilaration of a great live performance.

 “Cali Jones has the silky smoothness of Boney James, with the edge and power of Richard Elliot!” says Grammy-winning producer and guitarist Paul Brown, who produced “Scratch” and Jones’ previous single, “Midnight Strut,” and has become an important mentor and creative partner. Yet Jones never set out to sound like either artist. His warm, full-bodied tone and ability to move between restraint and power emerged naturally as he searched for a sound that felt authentically his own. “I was trying to be myself,” he explains. “I just fell into that category by not trying to emulate someone in an exact way.”

 That philosophy is central to the Cali Jones identity. Previously recording and performing under his birth name, Matt Willard, Jones began working with Brown after a difficult period that ultimately changed his perspective on music and his career. Years of playing had led to TMJ and related jaw problems, forcing him to step away from the saxophone for about a year. As difficult as the hiatus was, the time away gave him an opportunity to reconsider the artist he wanted to become. When he returned, he was determined to stop forcing a career and instead make music he genuinely enjoyed, work with people he respected and allow his identity to develop organically.

 The name Cali Jones emerged just as naturally. During a recording session, Brown jokingly called him “Cali,” and Jones immediately liked the sound. The new persona gave him the freedom to pursue the sophisticated, seductive late-night aesthetic he had long envisioned while incorporating the funk, soul, R&B and high-energy elements that come naturally to him.