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By Eunice Moseley Paul Jackson, Jr. is as well known - and in demand - in the entertainment industry
as a guitarist as Stevie Wonder is known as a song writer. Jackson, who has played for just about every major player in the
music industry (Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart, Barbara Streisand, Yolanda Adams, Queen Latifah, Dave Koz, and
Ella Fitzgerald and for events such as NAACP Image Awards, Grammy Awards and American Idol), has just released his seventh
album, “Lay it Back.” The CD, release on Branch Records, is literal melting-pot of class A selections of Contemporary
(R&B, Soul, Pop and Urban) Jazz.“The jobs have been high-profile,” Paul Jackson, Jr. said about his busy schedule and
high-demand. “I do American Idol three or four times a week and do sessions or other projects the rest of the time).
I just did the Image Awards” It’s been six years since Paul scored his number one Contemporary Jazz single, the cover
of Motown’s “It’s a Shame.” He is one of the most recorded guitarists who have played on more than
a thousand albums. “This album is number seven, it’s been a while,” Jackson laughs about the last time he released a CD of
his own. “I am launching a label at the same time.” The “Lay It Back” CD has 14 selections and he has the
help of his son, Paul III, 17 and daughter Lindsey, 21. Paul Jackson, Jr. did covers of Stevie Wonders’ “Don’t
You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” and Lionel Richie’s “Easy (Like Sunday Morning) and he had the assistance
of Bobby Lyle on “2 for 10,000,” a finger popping number and he wrote a song for Luther Vandross, “A Ballad
for Uncle Ronnie,” which is a lovely slow-dance selection. Aside from those already mention my other favorite selections on
the “Lay in Back” CD are “Hit It,” a number he did with his son, which has a futuristic track accompanying;
“To Be Like Him,” a sweet love song; “Bay Shore Drive,” which is a must for those long drives on the
highway and “The Workout,” great for, guess what, working out. Others contributing to the project include Patrice Rushen
on piano, Jeff Lober, Rex Rideout, Jeff Carruthers, Cornelious Mims, Alex Al (bassist), James Reese vocalist on “Can
This be Real,” Ray Brown (of Earth, Wind and Fire) and The Rickey Minor Band. For more information on Paul Jackson, Jr. log onto
his website www.PaulJacksonJr.com.
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