Jaguar Wright

This is the brand new Jaguar…



There are singers, there are musicians, and then there are artists that give those within listening distance an experience that reaches far beyond the realms of music.

With a voice that speaks directly to the soul, Jaguar Wright is a presence in music that can neither be ignored nor denied. Having been in the music business for over 10 years Jaguar has been tearing down stages and offering food for thought nationally and internationally while lending her voice to songs by artists such as The Roots and Hezekiah. But it wasn't until she sang background with The Roots on the poignant “Song Cry” for Jay-Z’s MTV Unplugged album that Jaguar's vocal prowess reached the mainstream.

After listening to one of her songs it is apparent that she is not, as she puts it, "Some kind of corporate machine or commercial personality." In each song lives an intimacy that makes it seem as if she is having a one on one conversation with the listener.

This is on-going and personal discussion with the audience is more than evident in the release of her new 2010 four-song extended play (EP) project, titled Beautiful. The EP contains the single, “Beautiful,” along with three additional tracks: “I’m Not Yours,” “Surely” and “Free.” All of the songs were written by Jaguar and produced by fellow Philadelphians, Ivan Barias & Carvin Haggins -- Dave Kutch (Alicia Keys, John Legend) mastered the EP.

“God decided it was time for me to get back to work,” comments Jaguar. “Maybe it’s that ten year swing since I first got started. But it’s time to give a real woman’s opinion and perspective--to express who I am now. So many of my musical colleagues who have taken extended periods off like Sade, Maxwell, and D’Angelo are all coming back now. It’s just time. I don’t think any of us choose the timing, but we must be ready and prepared when we are called.”

Jaguar’s first album, Denials Delusions Decisions, MCA Records (1999), gave the world a peek into the mind and life of a woman who is just as sweet as she is tough. She endears us to her voice, and offers some lessons in life with songs like "Self Love," which acts as a pep talk that we all may need at some point and in "The What If's," the first single from her debut that made us fall in love with a woman telling her man exactly how it is and what it’s going to be.

The title of her second project Divorcing Neo to Marry Soul (2005) took many fans by surprise—hoping that the songstress that they had come to love and rely on for soul affirming ballads and up tempo grooves was not crossing over to gain mass appeal as some of her counterparts had done. But with the release of her first single from the album "Free," she quickly put all inquiring minds at ease and reassured that upfront in-your-face-real-talk Jaguar had not watered down her art. Quoted as saying, "What I've learned most about myself as an artist is that I don't compromise my artistry for a damn thing. I fight for the integrity as well as its virtue; and hold dear to the very fiber of the true meaning of this extraordinary gift."

Between major projects fans have been granted the opportunity to receive doses of Jaguar with the release of various live underground projects that expose a side of her that is present but not as bold on studio recordings. To see Jaguar Wright perform is to come alive in your seat –that is if she has not already made you rise to her occasion. Wright commands her band with maestro like flare and creates impromptu tunes that display her natural ability to do no wrong to a song. A Jaguar Wright show is sure to leave the audience exhausted and satiated.

Fans can look forward to Wright’s third album, tentatively titled, "3D" set to be released also in 2010. Jaguar provided some insight as to where this attention grabber of an album title came from. When asked what fans can expect from this CD, Wright replied “Just a bunch of cussing like DAMN DAMN DAMN! The purpose of this bold title is to cross my favorite time in music with what’s current in music…to show how we never truly got away from where we started from. This album will be Denials Delusions Decisions Volume 2, marking the revival of that beloved brand name.”

So much so a brand name that Wright has chosen the 3D’s for her first book title. “Denials Delusions Decisions” will be a fictional story based on realistic events. The main character of the book is a woman who has struggled for the better part of 20 years trying to work through the ramifications of her past indiscretions. With a new EP, a forthcoming album and the debut of Jaguar the author, there are many great things in store that will only add to the legacy of this entertainer.