L is For Love You Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin is the most celebrated female artist in the history of recorded music.

She had uninhibited expression full of beauty, raw power, expressive character, vitality and hope. She was regarded as a legend in the making by the tender age of 16. She always gave all that she had to give when she was on the stage.

Aretha had the greatest impact on the soul sound because folks who heard her would marvel at the wonder of her voice that just grabbed people by the collar. She transcended all musical boundaries starting out in the church with Gospel, then being acknowledged as the next Billie Holiday and the new Queen of the Blues singing jazz and blues, to later move into the R&B and crossing over into the pop sphere, being reigned the Queen of soul for winning the title of Best Female Vocal Soul Performance for eight years in a row and also was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

I have been listening to her more and more ever since her transition from earth to her new

home in heaven and I am finding more and more reasons to love her voice. The clarity, the rifs, the sheer perfection of what she was able to put out when she sang was nothing short of amazing.

She said, “artists covering her songs was the most sincere form of flattery” (Aretha Franklin). The other night at an event with my band, the JNote Band, I did just that, dedicating her song to her life and everything that she was able to accomplish in this world with the gift that God gave her.

She said that if she could get a young singer to be inspired by her singing then she has done her job. She did just that and more. Job well done Aretha. You have truly inspired a wealth of talented individuals in this world and I truly R-E-S-P-E-C-T who you were as a woman and a vocalist.

The song we covered was “Rocksteady." Please feel free to check it out here: https://youtu.be/AElN-yUFyjo

This cover of her tune was performed at Shrine World Music Venue in Harlem, NY on August 17, 2018. Aretha Franklin died on the 16^th of August. It was only right for us to pay tribute to an artist that we all collectively as a band really loved a lot. The band features me, Stephanie Jeannot on vocals, Richie Johnson on drums, Mark Payne on bass, Prrrl on keys and Phil Smith on guitar. The awesome footage was captured by my good friend, William Rivers.

“Rocksteady” is only one of the many of her songs from her 50-year long career and there are songs I am only now discovering she sang, as I continue to read through a biographical writing about her life by Mark Bego entitled: Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul which features a little under 600 pages about the Queen herself.  

I started reading it a few days ago because I was asked by one of the public libraries, to put on a full-length tribute show dedicated to Aretha that will be about 90 minutes of a tribute to her life and I don’t think it would be appropriate to do something of that magnitude without knowing more in depth about who she was, besides what I already know based on the media and her songs that I like to sing. It is an interesting book so far. I have managed to read about 35% of the book which is good because my song list and everything that happens on the stage for it is going to be based on that and other researched information I come across and though 65% of a book left to read is not that much to read, there is a lot to be done to put on a show like this. But I'm working on it. 

Maybe you are interested in reading this book too. Feel free to check it out here:

All I can say is that I hope I do her justice because she deserves it so please, keep me in your prayers everybody as I embark on this journey that won’t be as easy as it seems. But I was asked, and I am going to do what I was asked to do. 

Thank you for reading my blogpost everybody. Peace and blessings! 

A Heart of Love for Culture and Music

I fall into the arms of love every time music fills the air and I am blessed with the opportunity to enjoy it. I am left with a cheerful disposition and a sunny temperament; especially when I can experience the great reward of performing songs that I wrote.

It is not every day that I am bursting in creativity. There are times when I have writer’s block and it kills me in so many ways. I can make up a cacophony of excuses for the days when trying to put words to the paper does not happen in the manner I would like, but at those moments when a flood of good thoughts just doesn’t seem to push through, there is nothing I can do to change that. It just happens. 

But then in that season of your life, someone comes along and inspires you with an idea and boom, there you go with a feeling of empowerment that allows you to once again, regain control of the writing process and productivity happens. I guess such was the case with the song my mom asked me to write. 

She had this confident expectation that a song would come out of her mere request. I guess the intention and hope that I had of being able to fulfill it was all I needed to be able to write Saut D’eau Song, a song about a region in Haiti where one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world lives. 

The words came like an army of love, marching with intention to tear down the mountain that once blocked the free flow of words and at that particular moment, had a burning need to be released. If you are interested, you can check out the original tune here: https://open.spotify.com/track/6OgJmDcNvmBdnQzoNwOkp7?si=bILPJgF3SiObfMI92URzUw

I will admit that it was a bit different for me to write a song like this and I still can’t say why I had never intentionally written about the Haitian culture that was introduced to me as a child and that I grew up coming to know. But this tune gave me a reason to go deeper into my thoughts, share my own experiences about a place I had seen with my own eyes and confidently share a bit of my identity and story. And so, you can say it was a spirited event to actually perform this song live with my band for the first time. 

To grow up in the margins of cross-culturalization is to know a bit of more than one cultural background, practice the mores and behavioral patterns from a bit of each yet to dance to the beat of where you are, because you are there. But to be able to share a piece of what makes you different with people from all walks of life in the atmosphere of a musical gathering, and without fearing being exactly who you are, feels good. 

All I can say is that if you see a beatific smile across my face, it is because the other evening, under the brilliant sparkle of the moon, I turned the musical focus of interest to Haiti and shared a glamorized view of my ancestor’s home through song and had appreciable results. Drums by Richie Johnson echoed through the room as Kenny Alston plucked his bass with fierceness, Prrrl tickled the ivories with peculiar phraseology and Herb Lewis added a nice shaft of light with his saxophone which made me sing my lyrics with a heart of love. Together we performed this song for the first time at Silvana which is located in the Harlem section of New York and I would so love it if you would check it out here.The song is called Saut D’Eau Song and this is the live version that I was telling you about: https://youtu.be/Lls4VddAe_8

Thank you for allowing me to enthrall your attention to the detailed content of my story for just a bit. I admit that I can be a bit dramatic when reporting the good things that happened to me in my daily life, but such is the art of conversation. 

I hope my words did not meet you with a frozen silence, a blank gaze or find you determined to reach to the end of this post without any interest for what was being discussed but rather, that it reproduced a blossom of joy through your mental boundary in some way or another. Everybody is full of opinions which is something that cannot be avoided, I know. Yet still I hope that yours of me, based on this post was a good one. 

I must thank you for allowing this interlude from your song and dance, to waltz into the seductive tempo that is my life. Much love and respect to you!

My Dad Two Thumbs Upped MY Song

I am a singer and songwriter who loves in Brooklyn, NY. I have been writing songs for a very long time. My writing journey started with poetry and since then, I have found myself dabbling in other genres of writing and songwriting seems to have become one of those things I fully immerse myself into the most.

My father surprised me the other day by telling me that he had been enjoying watching my YouTube Channel and that my original song that I penned, "Wherever You Are" is superb.

http://www.youtube.com/sj1and0

"Wherever You Are" is track number 5 off of my first ever musical release entitled Finally JNote. All lyrics, music, and vocals on the original tune are by Stephanie Jeannot and can be found on CDbaby if you are interested! 

It was so unexpected to hear such a warm compliment that just inspired me in so many ways; especially coming from my dad. What a blessing to have heard it! It is weird but compliments coming from my parents when my music or anything that comes out of my spirit is concerned, still makes me feel like that was the one word of confidence I was waiting to hear to know that I am doing alright! 

As I think about that, I wonder about my younger cousin who a few days after Christmas committed suicide and left us in mourning. Maybe all he needed was a good word of confidence to feel like he was okay. But, one never knows and yet, it is still hard to comprehend what he might have been going through. Wherever you Are cuz, I hope that you have found peace with yourself.

I did not expect people to enjoy "Wherever You Are" as much. This is the first song I have ever performed internationally and wherever I was singing it, I noticed people were singing along and it is always a pleasure to see people reacting to these lyrics. If you are interested in knowing the lyrics, you can check them out here: http://www.songlyrics.com/stephanie-jeannot/wherever-you-are-lyrics/#disqus_thread

I recently had the opportunity to perform this song with my band, The JNote Band, and as usual when performing with them, it was bursting with energy, great sound and a whole lot of fun. 

On bass was my twin brother, Mark Payne; I call him twin because we celebrate our birthdays on the same day. And on drums was Richie Johnson. On keys was Prrrl. On vocals we had Jazz E Matt, Chynnah Doll, Nico and me singing my lyrics to the song. The live music photograph from this performance was taken by Laurence Sparks. Our performance was at Shrine World Music Venue which is located in Harlem, NY.  


I invite you to please check out out this performance. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/OCw3KDKnguU 

I would love to hear what you think! Please leave me a comment, a good word, or even a song that you think might suit my voice that you think I should try. I always appreciate the idea of enhancing my awareness and knowledge about music. It was a pleasure convening with you today. Hope that we can do it again soon. God bless and thank you for stopping by my blog! 

Despite your Circumstances, Smile And Enjoy Life

“Do what you’re made for, yes, but then get better and better;

eradicate weakness, yes, but only within strength”

– Jim Collins

I am infamous for allowing vivid memories of the past, be the thicket of briers that I keep falling into and getting bruised all over again for something that is way beyond the current time restraint that I am in. Imagine being someone who is keeled over exhaustion from running backwards into sobering reminders of yesterday.

So what? I was tattered and torn. Darn scars! So what? I fell victim of my own mistakes. Darn detours! So what? The events of the moment that don’t seem so great stimulate thoughts that can mask a smile. Darn Debby downers! So What? Finances are climbing. Darn bills! So What? The driver next to me just cut me off two seconds off of getting snipped. Darn Road Rage! It has become alarmingly obvious to me that these things are a part of life and you just have to deal with it; plus there have been more good days than bad and the good needs to be acknowledged just as much as the bad! Maybe celebrated even more. 

“Today’s clouds can never deny yesterday’s beautiful sunset.

The inconvenience of today’s storms can never turn us from tomorrow’s harvest”

– Nikki Giovanni

I had the opportunity to perform my original tune, “Enjoy Life” live with the JNote Band and it was a great experience to come before the masses and to do it for the first time and share my story in a song. Sometime it takes encouraging yourself to come to the reality of a situation. Check It out here: https://youtu.be/yW9t5G82i68

I have found out that it is more important to thrive and to grow from these things. I have discovered that falling allows you the wings to fly higher than any bird in the sky. I have come to realize that your thoughts about your own self hold magnitude. It is better to think good about who you are and the possibilities than to stack your plate at the negativity buffet. 

Better to set out with confidence and greet each new day with a welcoming smile. The sun itself is pleasing to the eye and it is easier to take on the world with a measure of confidence and to enjoy life. For what is life without a little spice? A smile might just be that pinch of spice to make your life that much sweeter. 

S is for Singing My Song

I had an opportunity to get on the stage with JNote Band at Shrine World Music Venue to do a concert featuring all original music. 

It is not often that I get to do something like this and so when the opportunity arose, it felt really good to focus on lyrics that I brought to life in a song. One of the many songs I sang was "I Am The One" which is the first of seven tracks on the album Finally JNote with lyrics by Stephanie Jeannot and music by Mike LeShore. 

I hope that you will take the time to check out the live performance of the song here: https://youtu.be/7PV_yItyIZA

Hope you enjoyed watching the live rendition of the song with JNote Band. It was a fun night of music and just being able to express myself and to share my songwriting with people willing to listen makes a difference for me and I am grateful for it. 

NYIAS

Ironically, it was an eventful day the whole entire day. I had just left Girls Night Out at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center and that event set the tone for my drive on the stage.

Anything to keep the wheels turning and to put my energy into full gear. If you liked the song, check out the original song on CDBaby, and maybe it will resonate with you enough to want to download it. 

Thank you for checking out my blogpost!

Wordless Wednesdays: J is for JNote Band at Shrine NYC on April 13, 2017

 Here is a sample of what you will see at this cool, 

live event with JNote Band

https://youtu.be/hkM6ZIcnETo

Hope to See You There!

Tickle Me Blizzard

I have been grappling with something that doesn’t seem to part ways with my heart. 

Perhaps you can say that I have been under construction trying to figure it all out. But, this dire feeling has lived with me from the beginning of this year until this day. I’m howling with laughter at the idea of getting up to two feet of snow from a March blizzard in New York. 

Flowers are already blooming. Green grass has already started to let its vapors out into the atmosphere. I have already enjoyed the tenderness of seventy degrees weather and was growing comfortable with not wearing a heavy jacket and gloves and here we are; mid-March after the time has lept forward and a few days away from the new season of spring, getting ready to dive deep into another bad winter storm that has already caused the city to close schools for the day.

Now with everyone about to be home for a day due to this oncoming wintry mess that is

about to embrace us, and hopefully off the roads driving like race car drivers on the slippery pavements, here are a few things we can do inside to keep us stoked for the rest of the journey.

1. Use a big pot or slow cooker to make some hot soup that can be enjoyed by everyone all day. It is  cold outside. After shoveling, the soup is perfect for bringing the temperature

in our bodies back up.

2. Pray for the homeless, that they might find a warm place to stay and be safe from the freezing temperatures.

3. Check on the elderly. Call them and make sure that they are alright and safe.

4. Keep your mind engaged by checking and responding to overdue emails, reading a good book, watching a nice family movie, check out some great documentaries on Youtube, crochet or do a nice puzzle that will intrigue your mind and keep you busy.

5. Don’t spend your entire day on your computer or with your face in your phone. Since everybody is home, what a great time to have some meaningful, heartfelt conversations and to enjoy spending time together as a team.

6. Start that spring cleaning by decluttering and putting away things that are no longer useful to you and donate them to a swap meet or to someone else who might you’re your junk useful.

7. Exercise at home. 

Put some dance music on and just let the good feeling take over your body and work it out. 

Here is a song that might work. It is called All Night Long by Stephanie Jeannot and Derrick Smith and was performed live by the JNote Band at Silvanas in Harlem, NY.  https://youtu.be/hkM6ZIcnETo

March Madness might pertain to sports but I think it applies with this winter. 

Whatever it is that you do, please be safe! God bless you and your loved ones! 

Unlimited Love for Singing My Originals

As artists, we sometimes default to singing cover tunes because we have grown accustomed to loving the artists who we look up to so much, that their songs linger in our hearts and we want to sing them. 

It becomes second nature to get knocked into a groove of a familiar tune rather than to splash our own color into the singing experience and to sing something that came from our own pen. I will admit, it is still an ocean of fun for me and very inspiring at that, whenever I get on stage and share a song with an engaging audience, whether it is a cover tune or an original; and I have had many inspiring moments.

I flashback to exactly three years ago today when a fellow musician, Lenny Underwood, blessed me with the opportunity to join him on stage with the legendary Jennifer Holliday, and I was asked to perform a duet with her before the Jackie Robinson Foundation award recipients at the Waldorf Astoria.  That moment was unforgettable and still bedazzles me every time a Facebook “on this date” shows up and reminds me that this event actually took place in my life.  

Other inspiring moments include, performing live at the Great Adventures Theme Park, releasing my musical project Finally JNote, traveling to Russia and singing at a music festival in Krasnodar, creating original video content for a visual component to my lyrics, 

and just recently something generated the most positive emotion in me that I have ever had. 

For the first time ever in my life, I performed before my peers, a concert of all original music and it felt as good as being a shoe-aholic in a shoe store on a shopping spree.  I was able to share the tone of my existence with a live audience. I shared the frame of my culture through sound and vision. I shared a piece of who I am like I never had in my experience and it felt great to finally do it with the personalized touch of my own lyrics and melodies.

I have sung my original tunes live prior to that moment, but always wedged in between a cover tune. I was able to grab the attention of my entire audience with my own, creative works. I had been building up for a moment like that all my life and finally, that moment came. All I can say is, I cannot wait to do it again with the JNote Band. Looking forward to the next time.   

My favorite moment of the night was for the first time ever,  performing my song Love No Limit,  written about the experience of seeing the world with your own eyes to separate myth from facts when it comes to loving a people. It was mostly inspired by research I conducted when first starting my college thesis and seeking information on language and different dialects  of so-called "bastardized languages," Latin American Literature (more so the concepts of magical realism), and my most recent international trip which was to Russia. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/Ehbsut02E_g

The lyrics are by me, Stephanie Jeannot and the music is by Paul Garrod. Singing this song mostly felt great because I was able to do it on a platform with the JNote Band, in a flow of all original music and that is what made the night memorable for me. Only God!  

JNote Band at Moda Grill in Jamaica, NY on Saturday May 14, 2016 from 7:30PM to 11

So excited that tomorrow night, Saturday, May 14th, 2016 from 


7:30pm to 11pm,  JNote Band will be performing live at 


Moda Grill located at 8914 Parsons Blvd (Off of Jamaica Avenue) 


in Queens, NY and  we will do a mixture of original  and cover 


tunes and hope you will be there to join us. 

Not only will there be music but great food and drinks in a really

amazing atmosphere. Admission is free and there is street parking 


all around. 



Hope to see you there on May 14, 2016.