Two time San Diego Music Award-winning soul/pop/R&B artist Rebecca Jade can trace the origins of her music career to growing up in an extremely musical home — her mother, was a professional jazz singer in Puerto Rico and her family can claim several generations of artists and musicians. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Jade has followed in her mother’s footsteps as a vocalist herself; however, interestingly enough, Jade’s music career started in earnest once she finished up her undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley where she earned a degree in Theatre and Performance Studies, her graduate studies through the University of Phoenix, where she earned her MBA in Marketing andstudied Jazz Theory and Classical Voice at Grossmont College.
And although it’s relatively early in her career, Rebecca Jade can claim some impressive early highlights — she was the member of the house band at Anthology, one of San Diego‘s most popular and highly regarded music venues until it’s closing in 2013; a member of Siren’s Crush, a live event dance band that has opened for renowned acts including Boyz II Men, Erykah Badu, Teena Marie, and others. And with her own music, she has opened for Grammy-nominated artists Musiq Soulchild and El DeBarge. Adding to a growing local and regional profile, the San Diego, CA-based artist has played at the Joshua Tree Music Festival.
Jade also has a lengthy history as a recording artist singing background vocals and demos for a number of projects including pianist, Kevin Flournoy, who has worked with Chaka Khan and Babyface; musical director, Kevin Dorsey, who has worked with Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and others; and pianist, Todd Carlon, who has worked with Paul Anka. She’s also has upcoming projects with Detroit-based pianist/arranger/composer Kamau Kenyatta, who has worked with Grammy Award-winning artist Gregory Porter and San Diego-based producer Jaz “Hookmaster” Williams. And naturally, as a result, the up-and-coming singer/songwriter has developed a reputation for being an artistic chameleon — while delivering a unique interpretation and feeling to each song she works on.
Her latest single “Weather The Storm,” is an old school soul song that focuses on the narrator’s most recent heartache, how she’s desperately trying to keep it going and move forward, and her recognizing that eventually all things pass — but just not at the time that anyone would expect. By far, the MVP of the song is Jade, whose vocals are effortlessly soulful and manages to balance heartache, resilience and hope within a turn of a phrase.