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"Not only known for the contributions to the industry as an R&B artist, Jon B. has other extroardinary gifts that contribute to his mutifaceted education of music. Jon embarked on a project with two individuals in the late 1990's when he felt that the talent that he possessed was being pigeonholed, and he felt that he had much more to offer as a musician and an artist."

In 1998, Jon began experimenting with an ambitious side project called Jack Herrera. At its core, Jack Herrera consisted of Jon B and his then-background singers, Silky Deluxe and Dominiquinn. Accompanied by a full band (including horn section), Jack Herrera begat Retro Futuristo largely on the back of Jon's tourbus while supporting 1997's Cool Relax. Never commercially released, Retro Futuristo represents the trio's brand of neo-soul before Kedar Massenburg had the wherewithal to trademark the musical movement.

'Who is Jack Herrera' you ask? Well Jack isn't one, but three: namely Silky Deluxe, DominiQuinn {One Word} and Buggati aka Jon B, men with the spirit of Stevie, Roy Ayers and Marvin coursing proudly through their veins, about to take their rightful place among their organically soulful contemporaries such as Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest.

Although Jack Herrera features platinum selling solo artist Jon B. and he played a pivotal role in the band's formation and record deal with Yab Yum/Epic, he's keen to stress that Jack Herrera is totally a group project, with no leaders, Silky Deluxe and DominiQuinn as equally important in the group as himself.

"It's all about the music" he says. "The important thing I want people to know about me is that I'm a musician, so rather than the emphasis being on me and my voice, it's on the band as a whole, the songwriting and production. Piano is my first instrument so when you see Jack Herrera play live I'm more behind the keyboards. Although stylistically it's different, conceptually it's kind of the same as when Phil Collins did his solo things and then he did the albums with Genesis."

Indeed, the vibey jazz-soul/hip-hop of Jack Herrera couldn't be more in contrast with the polished R&B radio formatted appeal of Jon's solo work.

"Jack Herrera is the epitome of what soul music stands for which is originality and depth" he claims proudly. "There's also a lot more hip-hop coming with Jack Herrera than on my own albums."

Jon can take his place behind the keyboards in Jack Herrera, safe in the knowledge that in Deluxe and DominiQuinn, he has two showmen and vocalist of the highest standing. Men, who to him are more than fellow group members but best friends, too, having travelled the world with him as background vocalists on his last solo tour. In fact, the band found it's name while on the road in Amsterdam, Holland.

"The band actually formed on the back of Jon's tour bus, where he had a full studio built" explains DominiQuinn. "After a show we would go back there and start writing. This was before we even thought about a band, then when Jon suggested it, it made perfect sense."

A native of Philadelphia, the charismatic DominiQuinn cut his teeth vocally singing on hip-hop records while hanging out with fellow "Illadelph" artists and friends such as The Roots, Boys to Men and Will Smith.

Spending ample time in L.A. he became a noted fixture on the live circuit through his band Jazzmatix, encompassing some of the city's finest session musicians. It was through the band's trumpet player Tyrone Griffith who also doubled up tour chores with Jon B that the two "cats" met.

Thoughtful and laid back, Silky Deluxe hails from a large musical family in Dallas. He originally moved to L.A. at 18 as part of a male vocal R&B group. However, when the Hollywood shuffle proved too much for the other members, Deluxe diverted his attentions to songwriting, eventually landing a publishing deal and through that a solo deal at Epic Records. Although his album was never released, he had firmly established himself as a gifted singer/songwriter, working in the studio with Jon B and on stage with DominiQuinn. More than just a desire to create good music, Jack Herrera represents three conscious souls yearning to express a unified and heartfelt message.

"The song "Silver and Gold" means a lot to me because of the lyrics" states Deluxe. "It kind of sums up what Jack Herrera is about. It's saying that materialistic things - cars, houses, or whatever shouldn't be the priority. The focus should be on gaining the knowledge to deal with all the ill situations in the world. You should look towards yourself and if the wealth and riches are meant to come they will."

Adds DominiQuinn: "Free To Believe" is simply stating to young people that it's not all about the establishment, it's about understanding 360 degrees of who you are, taking the knowledge of self and manifesting that into who you want to be."

Jon B concurs: "The lyrics on the album are very spiritual and relate to our philosophies about freedom to express yourself the way you want to. The new millenium's here and a lot of kid's out there are lost."

Musically Jack Herrera more than matches it's worthy words, and that's word! Whether it be the mellifluous "U&I" that comes over like classic Stevie Wonder at his most mellow, the gentle, reggae infused "Say U Gotta Man" or the ruffn'rugged basement jam, "Jack Herrera For President", this band has flava for days.

"The live show comes first for us" emphasises DominiQuinn. "We all come from a live music background, soldiers on the front line of organix. The video and things of that nature are cool but secondary. there's no substitute for seeing Jack Herrera in a live performance."

Listen to radio interviews from April of '05 with UK's premier radio stations 1Xtra and ChoiceFM! Get the latest on the recent LP,  the future of Jack Herrera, and all that good stuff. Also, peep the acoustic version of Lately, They Don't Know,  and Someone to Love performed live on the radio station!

Click here (right click, save as) to download the Choicefm2 radio interview. (Interview and acoustic set) Minutes: 15.22

Click here (right click, save as) to download the 1Xtra radio interview. Minutes: 18:26

Click here (right click, save as) to download the ChoiceFM interview Minutes: 19:04

Sister 2 Sister Magazine interview

It's been 10 years since Babyface introduced Jon B. to the world with "Someone To Love," a heartfelt ballad that had people saying, "That White Boy's got talent!"The Rhode Island- born, California-bred, singing son of a music professor and a concert pianist scored with Bonafide, his debut album. Cool Relax and Pleasures You Like soon followed. But Jon's next single didn't drop untill nearly 4 years later, prompting him to ask his fans, "Have you thought about me lately?" Listeners eager for a breath of fresh R&B answered yes with their dollars and "lately" pushed Stronger Everyday to open in the top 20 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. I caught with Jon as he looked back on his divorce, the fire that threatened to burn down his home, his fight to come back, and the life lessons that make him Stronger Everyday.

Ericka: How's your album doing?

Jon B: It's doing very well. I've always had a lot of support through the years from my fans. They've stuck with me the whole time- almost 10 years now in the game- and I feel very blessed to have another chance. I had a lot of turmoil with the past label that I was signed to, and now I'm on a new label. I'm on Sanctuary records and Mathew Knowles is the president. The people he's signing are people I admire, so I'm in a good company. I feel like it's just good to be back out. (the album) came out October 5 and it's just really, really a huge weight off my back. So this is just the beginning.

So why did it take so long for the album to come out? Why were you gone?

Jon B: Well it's like what I was saying before, all the drama with the label and politics- the business. It's like they don't want to put certain records out. They feel like they have other priorities in other areas. They just didn't value my artistry and our goals weren't the same. I felt like I wanted to get out of there, so I got out of Epic Records and into a new deal with Dreamworks, but the whole merger of the labels changed. Literally every person that was working for the label was fired and all new people were hired. I went through all that transition and waited and waited and waited. They never put the record out. So Sanctuary came to my aid and gave me the rope out the hole. I feel good now; just to be able to get the record out is the hardest thing to accomplish.

You said that they never got the album out. Was that Everyday Struggles? Was that what this one was oringinally entitled?

Yeah, that's what this one was oringinally entitled.

Why did you change the name?

Jon B: I just felt like as you struggle through your life, you get stronger. Whatever doesn't kill you is gonna make you stronger. So I felt like the name itself kind of leans a little more towards where my philosophy is right now. Not so much struggling right now; I'm stronger, so it is getting easier. I went through a divorce, my studio burning up over the last 4 years, losing allmy equipment and having to start from scratch... That was a heavy time in my life. I had a lot of inspiration behind the album.

What caused that fire?

The electrical in my studio. I would leave my equipment on for days and days and the circuit breaker just couldn't handle it.

Wow. The studio wasn't in your house, was it?

Jon B: Yeah, it was actually in the basement of my house. I didn't have any damage to the rest of the house but it came close.

You said that you and your wife got a divorce. You guys had been together since high school. Is that correct?

Jon B: Uh-huh

How long were you together?

Jon B: We were together for 3 years.

Did you have children?

Jon B: No children

Was it hard being married so young?

Jon B: Yeah, it was because I was always gone. You know, the life of the road and all that. We were both traveling musicians, so she was doing her thing and I was doing mine. She's a singer as well.

So are you guys still cool? Any plans maybe to collaborate on anything?

Jon B: No, we haven't spoken in a really long time, but we're cool. We don't actually have a relationship right now, but it is what it is.

Are you dating anyone?

Jon B: Nope! Single man. I'm not looking to get married. I'm just focused right now. Trying to get me together and trying to figure out what it is that I want out of life. I took a whole lot on at an early age. I tried to grow up real, real fast and I didn't give myself time to become a man. At 23 I was trying to be 30. Now I'm 30 and I'm realizing it was important to be 23 when I was 23.

How old were you when dropped your first album?

Jon B: I was 19, 20.

With this new album you have a lot of beat-heavy songs, but you're mainly known for your ballads. Why did you put on so many club songs?

Jon B: If you listen to the album I think it's pretty well balanced. It's beat heavy but that's where music is right now. People like what sounds good in their ride, what sounds good in the club, what sounds good on the way to the club. So I try to make music that fits into people's lives. I'm a DJ as well, so I try to stay up with the times and I buy records myself. I feel like people stereotype me and they categorize me, but I'm always evolving as a person. I mean, my albums have always been hip-hop oriented. I've always collaborated with some of my favorite MC's and other vocalists and producers, so every Jon B. album is going to have that beat element to it. The ballads are still on the album and we definately have that sexy vibe. I was just trying to create an atmosphere. Driving to work or on your way out somewhere, it's music to live your life to. And at the same time, I wanted to include some emotions on there that are straight from the gut - straight from someone who's suffered a little bit and lived to tell about it.

It's kind of mandatory now that singers work with rappers or incorporate rap beats, but you've been doing that all along. Why did you decide to work with Tupac or to work with Nas and Cuban Link back in the day?

Jon B: Actually, that whole Tupac situation came about back in the day from his curiosity about me as an artist. He had my CD and a mutual friend heard that he was banging my music or whatever - my first album. He called me up and he was like, "Man come out to my video shoot for 'How Do You Want It.' I'm shooting it tommorow." I was like, "Wow! Cool, I'll come down." So I came down, met 'Pac and he was a really, really just a cool, funny cat - humble and real. He was free-styling to my tracks I was playing right there and he was really personable. He took to me. He already had admiration for the work I had done and he was biggin' me up, and likewise for me. Two weeks later we linked up and made that whole thing happen. I feel like that was really innovative for the time. You weren't seeing two cats from totally different backgrounds- totally different- be able to respect each other for their differences. It makes'em find something new out of that and that's what we did.

Same thing goes for me and Nas and AZ and Guru and some of my favorite MC's. I did the song on the Hav Plenty soundtrack with Jay-Z and CoCo. It's like I worked with some of my favorite MC's and I do the beats for the songs. But in the case of "Are U Still Down?" Johnny J is one of the really amazing producers on the west coast. He doesn't get his props but he did most of the Tupac work. He was Tupac's right-hand man. He's the one that did the beat for "Are U Still Down?" And we got together again and did the beat for the Part 2 on this album with Pac's vocals from an old song called "Happy Home" that we updated and made into something new. Just to kind of big him up and let him know that he's not forgotten and that record was kind of a pinnacle for me in my career.

So you did it as kind of a tribute?

Jon B: Yeah, fa sho, fa sho.

Now you also have Scarface and ODB on this album, and you have Beenie Man. Was this your first collaboration with a dancehall artist?

No, actually back in '99 I went to Kingston for the first time to go collaborate with Beenie Man on a remix for "Pride and Joy," which was on my second album, Cool Relax.

I found an article that was very detailed about Everyday Struggles and it named soe of the tracks, like "I Miss Us" and "She Keeps Calling," but those didn't make their way on to this album. Why not?

Jon B: Those songs were under the Dreamworks deal and there's political stuff holding those songs from being used, and money and all that type of stuff. We recorded 7 new songs as soon as I got on Sanctuary so literally like half the album redone.

I noticed in your CD liner you're just wearing normal clothes - nothing flashy, no bling, no ice. Why not?

Jon B: I gotta do me to the fullest. This is me, so this is how I get down. I mean, I'm in my house and that picture that you see on my album cover is me in my studio, me in my house in my backyard, by my pool. So this is my life. And I feel that lifestyles are extremely important. You know, to be able to expose my lifestyle and who I really am. So it's like, the clothes I'm wearing on the album are the same clothes I pack in my suit-case to take with me on the road.

Are you still producing and writing for other artists?

Jon B: Yeah, my main job right now is producing, and my main goal in this industry is to be more recognized as a producer and more established as a producer. The artistry kind of is a tool for that. I did a lot of production for this album, too, and the writing. I worked with After 7, I worked with New Edition, Toni Braxton, Jay-Z, Nas... I'm remixing a Micheal Jackson tune, worked with Luther Vandross on his last album.

What happended with Jack Herrera? First tell our readers what Jack Herrera is.

Jon B: Jack Herrera is a side group that I had that was a live soul/hip hop band, and it was just 3 lead vocalists - myself, Dominique Quinn, and Sun. The three of us make Jack Herrera but there's also a live band. There's a bass player, a guitar player, horns. I'm playing keys. There's a drummer and a percussionist. Basiclly, I funded that whole thing out of my pocket to come on tour with me on my second album. They were background singers for me on my second album. They were background singers for me on my second album but we kind of like really just put my Jon B. thing to the side and just started pumping Jack Herrera pretty heavy. It's kind of like a act that loves to go against the grain and just kind of be a rebel to the industry. I didn't really care what the label was trying to tell me. A lot of times I just do what I want and that cost me because that's kind of like where I got into my beef with the last label and why they were hesitant to continue putting my records out.

Because you were putting so much time into Jack Herrera?

Jon B: Putting so much time into Jack Herrera. People really responded well to it. I mean, we still have a very serious following - people that are waiting. So as soon as I can get myself re-established on a level I feel like is gonna be significant to helping us get more exposure, I feel like we can go ahead and do that. Meanwhile, it's very talented cats. Sun is a Grammy-award winner for the JoJo record, he wrote some songs on Usher's album... so he's doing his thing. Dominique Quinn is doing an independent film. I'm working on my solo album, trying to get re-established. When it's time for us to get together and do our thing we're gonna do it.

So is that just live performances? Would you like to record an album?

Jon B: Oh we have like two albums, acutually recorded. Collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, The Roots, Bob Powers. We really did a lot so it's alot to look forward to.

All of your albums have gone at least gold and I know Cool Relax went platinum. Were you ever surprised by your success?

Jon B: Actually Cool Relax was a double platinum record.

Make sure you get that one in there.

Jon B: (Laughing) Just wanna clarify that, right? Bonafide is now platinum and we had a double platinum with Cool Relax and then the last album, Pleasures You Like, went gold off of one single. So we've had a very successful run and I didn't even expect to sell that much. This whole thing started off for me to get my music out first. It's like, I wanna get my songs out there, get my writing out there. I don't know about this whole artistry thing and singing on stage in front of people and all that. That was all new to me, so it took some years to kind of get it right -my identity, everything.

Why were you more interested in getting out there as a writer? Did you think that you could sing?

Jon B: I could sing but I just didn't have that mentality of, like, I wanna be a star, I wanna be an entertainer, I wanna be on a pedestal. Or I want to be in front of people and I wanna be hammin' it up. That's not me. Me? I'm in the studio. I got to produce New Edition for their reunion album. The next project I did after that was TLC, working with Lefteye. Personally we actually did a record together. It was like one of the first songs she ever did all herself for TLC it didn't make it on the CrazySexyCool album, but the reels are out there somwhere and I'm gonna find that song and that's gonna be released 'cause that's an amazing thing that I got to work with her, too, before she passed. Those are the first two people. After that it was like - After 7 I worked with. You know, I was really blessed to get with Babyface so young. He put me on with alot of hot projects and he belived in my production. He just kind of sent me in the studio and let me do my thing.

In the 10 years since Bonafide, what is the most important lesson that you've learned?

Jon B: The most important lesson that I've learned learned in the past 10 years is that god loves us and he forgives us. We have to forgive ourselves for the mistakes that we've made and the only thing that can bring us out of the darkness is change. When things aren't going right and I keep hitting the wall - whatever it is that I'm trying to accomplish - if something ain't working out, then you need to change it. The only thing that's going to help is change. A lot of people don't have the sense to think that they need to change, so they keep on the same route. That's basically what I've learned: When things aren't working, change.

How do you want to be remembered?

Jon B: I want to be remembered as a real cat. Just somebody that was a real cat - is a real dude. Even beyond music - just when cats meet me in the street or whatever- "Oh, he was cool. He was a real dude. He wasn't hollywood. He wasn't trippin' on some star sh*t." It's just music. I'd do it for free.

UK Urban Music Magazine Interview

http://www.rwdmag.com - I’ll B. BACK

 It seemed like a bad year for Jon B, he got divorced, his studio burnt down, he was pissed. But you shouldn’t be, cos as a result he’s made one of the freshest albums of his career. RWD spoke to him about ACTUALLY working with Tupac and ODB and found out if his strength really is in his beard…? Words By Emmy Perry

Congrats on a great album, you’ve been missed man!

It’s good to be missed!

A lot of people surprised that you’ve done 4 albums…

It is quite an accomplishment and a weight off my shoulders, the industry has been through so many changes and mergers, so much money has been spent to get this record out, it is what it is.

Where were you when you wrote most of the album?

I was actually at home, about a year and a half ago I had a fire at my studio and lost everything, all my songs, my sounds, everything. I was booking studios and using studios at friend’s houses, going anywhere I could to do sessions. I did songs with Scarface, Just Blaze and producers like Michelangelo and Jonny Jay. A lot of my work was out of house, collaborations with other producers. When I got my studio rebuilt, things really started to look up and that’s when I put the icing on the cake.

You’ve been through some rough things; the world has been through some things since the last album. Does tragedy make for a better artist?

Yes. Definitely. It makes you more dynamic, there’s more emotion, there is more reality and more of a sense of who I am from this album. I’m not saying other albums aren’t who I am, but I was in a better place. Being married and settled down was a beautiful thing and I’m never going to complain about that again. That was a gorgeous experience, but this is about what I’ve been through since then.

You’ve got Tupac on the album. I’m assuming that was written at the time you recorded the last track with him?

Actually, we got together again, we wanted to let people know we knew how much that track affected the world and it effected us too y’know? I knew Tupac, we got all these people putting out records with him now, that didn’t even know him.

It seems like every five minutes there’s a new Tupac collab. How many of those songs do you think he’d have actually wanted to put out?

Em never knew Tupac, but he could put a record out with ‘Pac on there and everyone’s like ‘yeah, he’s an innovative cat’... I knew ‘Pac. He told me “Don’t waste your talent. If you’ve got an idea, do it. Don’t listen to what these people say who diss your record.” But these people don’t know what it was like to work with him. For him to call you and say “Jon B! Come work in the studio with me!” For you to be planning a video together and two weeks later he’s murdered. I went to his Mom’s house. I held his ashes in the urn. I have that cat in my heart. I represent ‘Pac to the fullest and I’ll keep on putting him on my records. The track ‘Happy Home’ is about my ex-wife, but it’s about ‘Pac as well…

That’s mad deep. You got ODB on there too…

I grew up loving both these cats. I grew up banging ODB when I first got my licence to drink, I have mad memories of ODB, Wu Tang, that was my childhood, it was only right that I get him on this. I was working with Just Blaze and I said I’d love to get ODB and he just called him up. Next thing you know we had him in the studio. To hear him saying my name still gives me chills. People can say what they want now, but the bottom line is we made that track together and respect was given.

Cool. So anyway, when are you gonna cut off that beard?

Ha! I don’t know man; I’ve had this beard since my senior year. It’s just me. I don’t know though, at the same time I might shave it all off. I don’t care!

We just thought you might be like Samson or something. Like the power was there…?

I don’t know man…

'Stronger Everyday' is out now on Sanctuary Urban.