The first time I heard Jay Nemor was his on still recent solo album Just Sayin . I instantly felt like a little kid again (sans seatbelt/car seat) sitting in the back of my Auntie’s big blue boat of a vehicle rolling slowly around town for no apparent reason to me, with that deep heartfelt 70’s soul sound pouring through the speakers, and it instantly transported me to sitting up in bed late at night, straining to hear the adult conversation in the next room, where my mother and her friends were having drinks, playing cards and grooving to that same soulful sound.
Jay Nemor, also known as Jason Nemor Harden is a singer, songwriter, producer, saxophonist, writer and actor. Born in Houston, Texas, Jay was playing instruments and performing at a young age. Jay was sidetracked from music for years as he pursued a career in basketball, which led him to traveling Europe and the Middle East, eventually making Iceland home. It was there that he studied and became influenced by jazz, which shows in his music style. In 2003 Jay was pulled back into music and performing with intent to write and sing, bringing back old school R&B soul, adding in his sultry saxophone playing and a bit of a modern twist.
His first work was a beautifully put together duet album, with talented Kenya Emil, titled Kenya & Nemor, which has since been rereleased in Japan. His first solo album Just Sayin is a heavily jazz influenced 70’s style Soul/R&B album, and perfect for kicking back on a relaxed weekend at home or a long drive. Between his smooth deep bass-baritone voice and saxophone playing it is hard not to just go into instant chill mode when listening to his tunes.
Jay also does theater work with the Norwegian theater company Nordic Black Theatre, in which he has done some amazing work, including co-scripting “Ol Man River: the Lives and Times of Paul Robeson”, with director Cliff A. Moustache. He has performed the main role in a dance drama titled “Great as I am”, the story of Muhammad Ali. This performance by the Nordic Black Theatre will be showing in February 2016 at the Den Norske Opera and Ballet. He also landed a role in the upcoming US film “Jessica Frost”, which begins shoot in 2016.
Check out this video of “Music (Suite Soul) ”, which was also recently remixed by Cyberjamz Records by DJ Sound Science (Capitol Soul), Addvibe and DJ Quad (Brandon Dee), making it a dance version. And like the quote Nemor re-shares in his song “Sunday Morning” from the album Just Sayin, “Music soothes the savage beast”—we certainly agree and we are looking forward to be soothed by hearing and seeing more of Nemor on the screen, stage and in concert.
Photo by Kasia Jakubowska (Recording Warsaw Poland)
By Stephanie Hodgson
Link to “Music (Suite Soul)”, Jay Nemor
