Heavily influenced by
David Sanborn, instrumentalist
Jaared is a Washington, D.C.-based alto and soprano saxophonist who has focused primarily on smooth jazz and crossover jazz in the ‘90s and the new millennium; other saxophonists (alto, tenor, soprano, or otherwise) who have had a direct or indirect impact on
Jaared's playing include
Grover Washington, Jr.,
Nelson Rangell,
Ronnie Laws, and
George Howard.
Jaared is capable of playing other types of instrumental music, including fusion, soul-jazz, and post-bop -- and he is no stranger to R&B. But slick, polished, and easygoing smooth jazz is the style that he is best known for, especially in jazz circles.
Jaared was born Jaared Arosemena in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1967, although he grew up in Bedford, VA. That was where
Jaared began studying the saxophone at the age of seven.
Jaared, who suffered from childhood asthma, took up the sax at the recommendation of his doctor. Playing a wind instrument might seem like the last thing that an asthmatic would want to do, but in fact,
Jaared's doctor urged him to do exactly that in order to strengthen his lungs. The D.C. native was still a pre-adolescent when he first heard the popular
Sanborn, who became his primary influence. There were many other sax players he listened to while he was growing up, and they ranged from
Grover Washington, Jr.,
Boots Randolph, and
Ace Cannon to the
Lester Young-minded tenor man
Stan Getz. But
Sanborn's alto affected him more than anything, and that strong
Sanborn influence remained after
Jaared reached adulthood in the mid-‘80s and became active on the Washington, D.C. music scene (where he has played with artists ranging from go-go funk band E.U.'s Ju Ju House to
Mary Ann Redmond, an excellent soul/rock singer along the lines of
Tina Turner and
Etta James).
Although
Jaared has had his share of R&B gigs, the East Coast musician chose to concentrate on smooth jazz when he began recording albums of his own in the early 2000s (a time that also found him touring the United States extensively as a sideman and featured soloist for smooth jazz guitarist
Peter White). Foreward,
Jaared's debut album, was released on Marimelj/Lightyear in 2001. Each one of his following releases -- Hangtime (2002),
Addiction (2008), and
Manhattan Nights (2010) -- was commercially successful. ~ Alex Henderson