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Sidney Jacobs

Sidney Jacobs is an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, arranger and producer. Born in Harbor City, California, and raised in Los Angeles, Jacobs first began singing in the church choir as a child. As the baby of the family, Jacobs’ musical taste was greatly influenced by those of his teenage brother and sister. His brother - a flutist, favored jazz, and rock and roll, while his sister - a pianist, was a lover of soul and pop music. Additionally, gospel music filled the house as Jacobs’ father, a radio and television news reporter, had once been a gospel radio disc jockey.

At 18, Jacobs became a principle singer with the Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers. He travelled throughout the United Stated, Europe and Central America singing the music of Ellington, Thomas Dorsey and William Dawson. While Jacobs enjoyed singing professionally, as the son of a school principal, failing to attend college was not an option. As such, when he was offered a classical vocal scholarship to attend California Lutheran University, he accepted.

During this period, Jacobs sang pop, r&b and jazz in local bands, while developing the classical and operatic aspects of his voice in school. He sang several roles, and won a number of classical voice competitions; Jacobs was even selected to sing the principal role of King Balthazar in the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors opposite Metropolitan Opera star and American operatic bass, Giorgio Tozzi.

Jacobs continued his education, earning multiple Masters degrees in psychology, while never getting very far away from the music that was always his first love. Jacobs own unique musical taste was awakened when he heard singer Al Jarreau sing Look To The Rainbow. Jacobs had never heard an artist sing with such creativity, control or adventurism- he was hooked! Jacobs then began studying Jazz with a passion and incorporating these new found techniques into his own music while performing in the Southland.

Jacobs musical taste runs the gamut from the American Song Book to Hip Hop. Recently, when asked what type of music he sings and writes, Jacobs responded, “ I am a jazz singer and composer, but I am also a product of my varied musical experiences. Jazz is, and always has been, a living breathing thing. That’s the beauty of it; just when you think that you’ve nailed what it is, it goes in a completely different direction. It’s like a beautiful, lyrical virus.”

With Jacobs album FIRIST MAN, he brings to life many of his musical ideas with the help of some of Los Angeles’ best musicians.

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3
Album Review

Sidney Jacobs: If I Were Your Woman

Read "If I Were Your Woman" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


Take a deep breath. Whether or not Sidney Jacobs came up with the somewhat offbeat title of this album (originally the property of Gladys Knight and the Pips) is irrelevant. What would matter is that there is a clear line of sonic and stylistic descent from Al Jarreau to Jacobs. Fans of Jarreau's style are going to enjoy Jacobs. He operates in a lower register and, all respect to Jarreau, with the same authority and, if anything, more power. Years ...

10
Album Review

Sidney Jacobs: First Man

Read "First Man" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Call this R&B-inflected jazz, jazz-informed soul, or soul-soaked singer-songwriter fare with a chaser of standards and surprises. You can take your pick, as all of those descriptors are basically on the money. But it doesn't really matter how you tag this. It's fine music by any name. Sidney Jacobs' second album, following the under-the-radar Been So Long (Self Produced, 2013), puts this vocalist's fantastically fervent pipes in the proper light. His sound evokes shades of his earliest ...

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WWW.CADENCEJAZZWORLD.COM “A singer with range and power and an original delivery. You can hear some Bobby McFerrin, some Joe Lee Wilson and a little Bill Withers and Lou Rawls but you wouldn’t mistake him for any of those folks. He is an original voice that encompasses so many parts that upon first listening I kept thinking about those parts and where they came from…. Jacobs suggests respect and deserves it. Originality, range and hipness.” - Papatamus by Robert Rusch

“Like Jarreau, Jacobs has a broad concept of the style and covers standards, such as his wonderful version of “My Favorite Things”, Bill Withers’ “Lonely Town Lonely Street”, and James Taylor’s “Secret O’ Life” as well as his own compositions, seven of which are included on this disc. This disc contains some amazing performances and there’s almost something of everyone who likes jazz vocals, especially mixed with polished soul stylings. Anyone who likes the work of Jarreau and Withers will find something to thoroughly enjoy. Jacobs’ own style is distinctive as well.” - Dave Rogers, WTJU 91.1FM

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

If I Were Your Woman

Self-Produced
2022

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First Man

Baby Chubs Records
2017

buy

Last Night

From: First Man
By Sidney Jacobs

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