Javier

Link:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/58534/javiers_javier_great_voice_and_ballads.html

Singer/songwriters are a rare commodity in R&B music these days. True, many artists do write their own lyrics. But there’s a big difference between constructing the concept, melody, arrangement and lyrics for a song and putting words to a beat. So when Javier Colon, simply known as Javier, breezed onto the urban music scene in 2003, he intrigued many by being the anti-norm of current R&B crooners.

His ability to build a record from scratch and then execute it in such a urbane manner, evidenced by the brisk swing of his infectious yet simple minor hit single, Crazy, was such a welcome change of pace from the innumerable club-banger and sensitive/R&B thug musings that had then fully saturated R&B, as was his solid, self-titled debut album.

But just because something is solid doesn’t mean it’s necessarily great, as evidenced by much of the material on the album. With one listen, there’s no doubting Javier’s genuine lyricism, catchy melodies, lush arrangements, and impressively strong vocals. But most of the material fails to grab your attention and make a lasting impression.

Ample parts up-tempo, mid-tempo, and slow, 2/3’s of the record is perfect atmosphere music; the kind of smooth, unobtrusive background noise ideal for low-key social settings or for an evening of relaxation. While still good music, much of Javier’s material found here is nothing more than simple, smooth guitar-based R&B tunes, occasionally spliced with light touches of soul (Beautiful U R; She’ll Never Know), funk (Hey Little Sister) jazz (Slow Motion; Biggest Mistake), and Latin (Can’t Have My Heart; She Spoke To Me) for good measure.
- Justin Lewis-Associated Content

Link:http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1480418/11142003/javier_r_b_.jhtml

It seems like a lot happened to Javier Colon when he was in seventh grade. He fell in love, for starters, and discovered that with the help of a guitar and a sentiment like “Lost Without Your Love,” he could win over the class tease. That same year he worked at his dad’s radio station, putting 45s by the Coasters and the Platters on tape for his mom, a summer job that turned into a musical education.

Both might explain why Javier is so far the only great R&B hope to ever come from Bridgeport, Connecticut, the ever-struggling seaside city that once had P.T. Barnum as its mayor. Even after he moved on to high school, Javier took a circuitous route towards soul. He sang in musicals like Show Boat, joined an a cappella group, and played with Derek Trucks’ jam band.

On his self-titled solo debut, however, his patchwork heritage makes for sweet sounds. The snappy single “Crazy” earmarks him as a disciple of India.Arie’s neo-soul, but his breadth recalls the young George Michael. “October Sky,” a jazzy tune whose after-hours feel comes courtesy of trumpeter Roy Hargrove, could be his “Kissing a Fool.” With a Dominican dad and Puerto Rican mom, Javier has soaked up plenty of Caribbean grooves, too, which boost songs like “She Spoke to Me.” And there’s a bit of Broadway in the air when he brings down the house on wrenching ballads like “In Your Hands.”

With looks that have the kids swooning and an urbane air that’s equally appealing to their moms, the singer and his tunes are out to win over more than just old girlfriends. He told VH1 how Jose Feliciano, Otis Redding, and puppy love have helped get him this far.

VH1: What was the music like around your house growing up?

Javier: I heard Latin music on the radio constantly, being that my father was in the [radio business]. Then my mom had all these 45s, from The Temptations and Chubby Checker, Bill Haley & the Comets, Elvis records - all kinds of stuff. My older brother loved early hip-hop and R&B stuff, and my sister was into anything from rock to N.W.A [laughs] so, it was a little bit of everything. [Watch Clip]

VH1: When the parents put on the oldies, would you moan, “Oh, turn it off!”

J: I liked it. I had an affinity for doo-wop. I would walk around and try to sing those low bass notes. When I was going into the seventh grade, my father took over what used to be an oldies radio station. He had all these cart tapes of oldies that needed to be erased, so they’d be ready for Spanish music. I had to tape [the oldies for] my mom, because she wanted all of these great songs. I got to listen to all this great stuff - from The Coasters and The Platters to everyone. It was the best learning experience that I could ever have.

VH1: Which performer made you realize, “That’s what I want to do?”

J: Jose Feliciano. He’s an amazing songwriter, guitarist, and singer. He’s blind, also. He would play the guitar and sing these beautiful songs with these beautiful melodies and I would just be lost. He happened to be a friend of my dad’s, so I was able to go to some shows around the time I was starting to play the guitar a little bit more seriously. I was in awe of him. [Watch Clip]

VH1: “Crazy” is the first single. Who is this girl that drove you so nuts?

J: To me, that song’s about that feeling you get when you have this new love and your heart starts to race, like when you realize on your caller ID that she’s calling you. You’re like, “Should I answer? What am I gonna say? How cool am I gonna sound?” It’s that feeling that somebody makes you that crazy, just by talking to you. I’ve definitely been there, in like seventh and eighth grade when love was new …

VH1: What were your first songs like?

J: My first writing experience was in seventh grade, for a girlfriend of mine. Actually, she wasn’t a girlfriend yet - I wanted her to be. So I sat down with my guitar and worked really hard on this little song I wrote called “Lost Without Your Love.” Basically, it said, “I would do all these things for you and I feel lost not having you.” And it worked! For a little while … Things in seventh grade never last.

VH1: What is it that you’re looking for in a girl?

J: The perfect woman, to me, is someone with who I can be myself, and [she] can be herself. There are no facades; there’s no guards put up; so you can always be honest with each other. Honesty is big for me, so…an honest person who is independent and strong [and] can be herself in front of me.

VH1: Do you become someone different as a performer?

J: I don’t think I do. A lot of the songs line up with my thoughts, my morals and the person that I am. When I get on stage, it comes through in the songs. I think what I’m saying is I'm still the same person.

VH1: What was your biggest musical role in high school?

J: In high school, I was Jim in Big River, which is the Huckleberry Finn story. That’s probably my favorite role. He was a runaway slave, and he was just a good person inside. He wanted to make a life for himself so he could buy back his wife and children out of slavery, so he was running away, and Huckleberry Finn helped him do that. It was such a beautiful role.

VH1: Did you get the jitters when you first performed at the Apollo?

J: I went there with an a cappella group when I was a freshman in college. We sang Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye,” and we actually got like third or fourth place [in the amateur night contest]. I had to step out in front of the other three guys and start the song off. So if I was bad, the house was gonna come down on us. They started freaking out - it was great! It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. [Watch Clip]

VH1: What do you take from gritty singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke that helps you as a vocalist?

J: They used space very well. They weren’t big riffers - they didn’t try and go for all these crazy notes, because the song lent itself to a certain style of singing. They picked what they sang very well, and they sang it very well. They didn’t overdo anything. They picked the most beautiful melodies they could think of, and gave it to you, with some character. That’s what I try to do in some songs.

VH1: You’ve been singing Bill Withers’ “Use Me” in concert. What do you like about his music?

J: Man, Bill could do anything. When he’d get on stage, he’d have you in the palm of his hand. “Use Me’s” got an acoustic guitar in it; it’s very bare boned, but it’s still so gritty and funky. I love that he was able to just break it down like that and still make people dance, and still make people feel like, “Wow.” There’s a pocket there and you can really feel it with such a minimal amount of instruments.

VH1: Ever had a moment when you opened your mouth and nothing comes out?

J: Yeah. I was with the Derek Trucks Band in Mobile, Ala. I gave everything I could in sound-check -then we had something to do for a local radio station. By nine o’clock, my voice was squeaking. As we’re walking to the show, I realized I couldn’t sing. I tried to sing and nothing was there! It scared me because it was the first time that I had lost my voice completely, and it didn’t come back that night. - VH1- C. Bottomley

Link:http://www.vnuemedia.com/bb/feature/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1943223

Following Capitol Records' success with Chingy's "Right Thurr," the label is banking on another newcomer, Javier, to help it reclaim a sizable share of the black music market.

Under the direction of Priority/Capitol VP/urban promotion Geo Bivins, the label's newly relaunched urban division has found a hit with "Right Thurr." The Disturbing Tha Peace/Capitol single is No. 3 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100.

Javier's self-titled debut arrives Aug. 5 and marks the division's first R&B project. Mellow midtempo lead single "Crazy" is No. 55 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks tally. The track's Chris Robinson-directed video has also been added to BET's rotation.

In the late '90s, Capitol generated some buzz with such R&B acts as Tracie Spencer and Sammie. The label's current roster includes rap groups Slum Village and Dilated Peoples. The difference this time around, Bivins says, "is that A&R has improved. We're really picking artists, not records. We're looking for longevity."

The label thinks it has this in Javier. The singer/songwriter is also a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, keyboards, percussion) who graduated from Hartford, Conn.'s Hartt School of Music with a degree in music education.

His earlier stints with a neo-funk group and the rocking Derek Trucks Band, led by group's namesake, who is also guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, opened the door to the variety of styles found on Javier's debut.

Veering from R&B to pop to Latin (his dad operates Spanish-formatted AM station WCUM Bridgeport, Conn.), Javier worked with producers the Underdogs (Brandy, Tyrese), Syndicated Rhythm (Christina Aguilera, Amy Grant) and executive producer Kevin Cloud. Guest players include the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, jazz masters Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller and Philadelphia strings maestro Larry Gold.

Javier possesses a voice reminiscent of a young Kenny Lattimore. He co-wrote every song for his debut.

"In this day and age, new artists don't get that kind of creative control," says Javier, who writes about everything from love to spirituality.

"There are a lot of male singers coming out now. I have my work cut out for me, trying to be different," he says. "But I'm looking forward to helping bring back R&B to the charts."

Javier's voice is what caught the ear of Capitol senior VP of A&R Wendy Goldstein. "He's a real musician with perfect pitch. That's why it was important to us for the record to have his own flavor. Javier is a lot different from what's out there now." - Gail Mitchell- Billboard.com

Link:http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=163266

R&B singer Javier will release his second album, Left Of Center, on March 7. The lead single from the new CD will be called “Indecent Proposal.” "I think for a minute R&B had kind of lost its way,” Javier says. “The title Left Of Center is just my way of saying to the listeners, ‘This is not just straight ahead R&B.’ I think there is more to it than what you’d hear on the average R&B album." - fmqb.com