IMN FEATURE :

Jay Scott Berry: The Elegant Artistry of Song

2011 has been a banner year for Jay Scott Berry. He released his debut single, “Please Come to Boston” in January, which was quickly embraced by radio around the world. Taken from his self-produced album Keepsake, Jay’s heartfelt rendition of the Dave Loggins classic tune, jumped immediately onto the Independent Music Network’s Mainstream Top 10, where it remained for an incredible 26 weeks, holding the #1 spot for 6 of those weeks. 

And the Independent Music Network wasn’t the only place Jay made his mark. “Please Come to Boston” hit # 1 on two other national charts and in the prominent entertainment trade publication, New Music Weekly,  the song stayed for seven weeks in the Top 10 on the highly competitive Hot 100, next to songs by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Steven Tyler. 

 All of this came as a pleasant surprise to Jay. “Let’s be perfectly honest,” states Jay who masterminded the project.  “It’s a labor of love --- love for music, love for show business and love for the stage.” 

Jay also laughs at the references to an “overnight” success story.  “Like so many ‘overnight’ success stories, this one is many years in the making. I grew up in Reno, Nevada and was on stage by the age of three. At eight, I was playing cello in a string orchestra and singing in the Sierra Boys Choir. By the time I was 15, I was acting in local theater and singing in musicals.”

All this experience certainly laid a solid foundation for Jay’s career in show business. He moved to Hollywood straight from High School and, within three years, was living in Paris and performing in Europe, where his heartfelt style took hold and blossomed.

It is his distinct style that permeates Keepsake and is displayed in his second single, “Solitary Man.” Jay’s fresh take on the classic Neil Diamond tune is already drawing high praise from a variety of radio formats not just in the U.S., but around the globe, from Top 40 to Country. “This is all very promising," Jay acknowledges. “We all know that the second single is the tricky one and, ultimately, the key to respect in this business."

Respect is certainly something that Jay Scott Berry is quickly earning. On the surface, his gentle music and romantic style lands somewhere between Bublé and Bocelli. “Not as Jazzy as Bublé but not as operatic as Bocelli," he emphasises. Look a little deeper, however, and one might find that this man is not only a gifted singer and showman but a very focused and driven individual, one who has had his fair share of hard knocks. 

“This is show business, and like any other business it has its ups and downs, challenges, successes and outright failures,” he emphatically states, taking on a serious tone. “I’ve been knocked down and counted out more times than I can remember. But, you know what? Every time I got back up stronger. Every time, I learned from those mistakes. Ultimately, I learned to let adversity and frustration fuel my determination.”

No doubt this talented new star will keep coming back stronger with more great music with each new release. A recent review of the Keepsake CD in Capitol News states: “One listen to the debut single from Jay Scott Berry’s excellent new album Keepsake is the perfect introduction. This collection of timeless songs is brought to life with the combination of Jay’s clear strong vocals and superb production. Captured brilliantly, Keepsake is set to bring the name of Jay Scott Berry to the attention of a growing legion of fans.” 

Clearly, “Please Come to Boston” and all the success it has garnered, is just the beginning for Jay Scott Berry. "Solitary Man" is rapidly moving up charts nationwide and is on its way to surpass the success of  his debut single. It has already hit # 1 on IMN’s Mainstream Chart. Stay tuned. There is so much more to come from Jay Scott Berry.

For more information on Jay Scott Berry, please visit his website at   www.jsbmusic.com

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