Happy Birthday to singer-songwriter, musician and producer Chris Jasper (center) of soul/funk groups THE ISLEY BROTHERS and ISLEY JASPER ISLEY! Christopher H. Chris Jasper (born December 30, 1951, Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley and is responsible for writing and producing the majority of the Isley Brothers music (1973–1983) and Isley-Jasper-Isley music (1984–1987). He is also a successful solo musician and record producer, recording over 10 of his own solo albums, including 4 urban contemporary gospel albums, all written, produced and performed, both vocally and instrumentally, by Jasper. Jasper also produces artists for his New York based record label, Gold City Records. Jaspers keyboard and Moog synthesizer work was a primary ingredient of the Isley Brothers sound of the 1970s and 1980s (the gold and platinum years) when the Isley Brothers were a self-contained band. Chris Jasper is a classically trained musician and composer. The youngest of 7 siblings, Jasper started studying classical music at the age of 7. After graduating from high school in Cincinnati, he moved to New York to study music composition at the esteemed Juilliard School of Music in New York City. He continued his studies at C.W. Post, Long Island University, New York, where he studied with noted jazz pianist and composer, Billy Taylor and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in music composition. He subsequently earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Concord University School of Law. The Jasper and Isley families lived in the same apartment complex in Cincinnati. While still living in Cincinnati, Jaspers older sister, Elaine, married Rudolph Isley and the vocal trio formed by the three older brothers, Rudolph, Ronald and OKelly, subsequently relocated to Teaneck, New Jersey. While living temporarily in New Jersey with his sister as a young teenager, Jasper and the two younger Isleys, Marvin and Ernie, formed a band, The Jazzman Trio with Jasper on keyboards, Ernie on drums, and Marvin on bass. The band played local gigs in the New Jersey area. Along with Jasper, Marvin and Ernie also attended C.W. Post College in New York. While still in college, Jasper, Ernie and Marvin toured with the older Isley Brothers and played on the earlier recordings, including Its Your Thing. Jaspers first of many songs written for the Isley Brothers was Love Put Me On a Corner released on the Isleys Brother, Brother, Brother album in 1972. In 1973, Jasper, Marvin and Ernie brought the songwriting and musical component to the older Isley Brothers vocal trio, transitioning the Isley Brothers into a self-produced, self-contained six-member R&B/Funk band. Their debut release during this time was the 3+3 album. Although the album liner notes generally credited all six members of the group as the songwriters, Jasper was the primary songwriter, producer and arranger of the Isley Brothers music during this time period from the 3+3 album to the Between The Sheets album, their final album as a six-member group. Jaspers arrangements, instrumentation and unique chord structures as a classically trained musician have been credited as the foundation of the legendary Isley Brothers sound which Jasper has continued in his own solo recordings. In 1984, the six member group disbanded, primarily due to tax and other financial problems that did not involve the younger members of the group. Jasper, Marvin and Ernie decided to remain with CBS and record as Isley-Jasper-Isley while the older Brothers departed the label and unsuccessfully sued the younger brothers and CBS Records in an attempt to prevent the younger brothers from recording for CBS. Isley-Jasper-Isley was a self-contained, self-produced trio with Jasper as lead singer and primary songwriter, producer and arranger. The trio released three albums on CBS Records. Jasper wrote and sang lead on the groups biggest hit, Caravan of Love, which was covered by English recording artist the Housemartins, who made the song a #1 international hit. In 1987, Isley-Jasper-Isley disbanded when Ernie Isley resigned from the group, left CBS, and released a solo album on another label. Marvin Isley rejoined The Isley Brothers and toured with the band. Ernie Isley later rejoined the older Brothers and currently tours with brother Ronald billing themselves as The Isley Brothers. Jasper continued on as a solo artist and released two albums on his CBS-Associated label, Gold City Records, including the #1 R&B hit Superbad in 1988, a song which emphasized the importance of education, a theme Jasper continues to emphasize in many of the songs he has written on the 10 solo albums he has released since his days with the Isleys. Jaspers last release in January 2013 entitled Inspired: By Love, By Life, By The Spirit was a compilation of love songs as well as socially conscious and spiritual tracks. His recent release, The One is a love song that is receiving international acclaim, and is the title track from his upcoming summer 2014 release. Jasper has also produced, performed and written music for other artists, including label artists Liz Hogue, Brothaz By Choice, and Out Front. The most recent addition to the Gold City label is Jaspers son, Michael Jasper, an up-and-coming songwriter and recording artist. Jasper also co-produced and wrote Make It Last for Chaka Khans C.K. album. The music Jasper wrote for the Isley Brothers has been covered and sampled by numerous new and established recording artists, including Whitney Houston, Aaliyah, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, Gwen Stefanie, Fantasia, Will Smith, Jaheim, and the list goes on and on. Jasper has received numerous gold and platinum albums and music industry awards. In 1992, Jasper, along with the other members of the Isley Brothers, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Most recently, in January 2014, Jasper and the Isley Brothers were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:00:50 +0000
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