Biography

Jessi’s whole life has been filled with the soulful music of the greats… Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Carole King…all of who have influenced her own poignant and passionate sound.

Jessi grew up in a loving family in rural New Jersey surrounded by the timeless sounds of jazz and blues. From a very early age, some of Jessi’s earliest memories were her father pleading with her and her sister and brother, “Don’t jump! You’ll skip the record!” Her father’s love of music infused Jessi’s world. She was singing before she could talk and by six she was performing her own original songs. Though her first love was jazz and she wanted to learn to play the vibraphone, a friend of her father’s, well-known jazz performer Andy Bey, convinced her to start with the piano. At age eight she was studying classical piano, learning the fundamentals that would form the foundation for her musical career.

Jessi’s father supported her desire to become a blues and jazz artist. When she was a teenager he began taking her to many New York City bars and venues to see various musicians play.

Jessi always had an innate ability to write poetry, lyrics, and stories. Through her words and her original compositions, Jessi draws people in to the joyful experience of her music.

To further hone her craft, Jessi attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she grew to be an impressive instrumentalist and composer, performing with the Afro-Pop Ensemble and the Tower of Power Ensemble. Jessi also had the extreme honor of performing twice for “Showtime at the Apollo” at Harlem’s own Apollo Theater where she placed second among the many performers.

After moving to Philadelphia, Jessi began teaching music to young children while performing in various local venues. She performed at the former jazz club Ortlieb’s and had the opportunity to sing with Mike Boone, Byron Landham, Tia Fuller and the late Sid Simmons.

A truly talented performer, the fates intervened to change Jessi’s life. She began to experience hoarseness, vocal fatigue, and loss of her upper range. Knowing something was wrong, Jessi saw an ENT who diagnosed her with a cyst on her right vocal fold which was a result of overuse and acid reflux. After a lot of trepidation and not knowing whether she would ever be able to sing again, Jessi decided on surgery. Thankfully the operation was successful and after nine months she was able to release her debut album, “Barely There,” containing 12 of her original songs, in December, 2010.

Jessi’s reputation as a musical artist has continued to grow. She has catapulted into the Philadelphia music scene, playing alongside Trixie Whitley, Daniel Lanois, Don McCloskey, and Misty Boyce.
Pursuing her passion, Jessi raised money through Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects, to successfully complete a month long tour of the southeast.

Jessi will be touring in the future, but you don’t have to wait to hear her beautiful and timeless music. Barely There,” can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon.

For more information on upcoming shows and the latest news on Jessi’s career, check out her calendar or visit www.facebook.com/jessiteichmusic.