Special To The Daily Herald | Posted: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 11:00 pm
When you hear Joslyn, you hear songs set deep in rhythm, a city vibe, a voice that makes the hair on your neck stand on end, and real soul. Along the way, you hear the echoing influences of Marvin Gaye, Jill Scott, Jamiroquai and Prince.
Joslyn, born and raised in Washington, D.C., is the seventh child in a family of eight. She was born into a world of music. Her parents met while performing in resort lounges in the 1960s, so it was no surprise that they would eventually turn out a family full of vocalists, musicians, dee jays, and music business professionals. As a child, Joslyn was exposed to an eclectic range of music that influenced her.
Her mother will never forget one particular performance when Joslyn was 6: Her voice brought an audience to tears. There was something undeniable about her that needed to be set free. Her smooth inflections and incomparable gracing set her apart in the ranks of her fellow music school classmates. Even though she was classically trained at one of the best performing arts schools in suburban Washington, Joslyn was always drawn back to the gritty and soulful sounds of her neighboring urban habitat, defeating any lure from the homogeneous suburban arts school. This girl was ready to bust out.
A family move to Utah at the age of 15 further developed her will to stand out in the crowd. A vibrant music scene in Salt Lake City led to session work, many performances and finally a receptionist job in a local recording studio. It was here that the break she was hoping for occurred. Canadian boys Craig Poole and Rob Wannamaker, who were producing at the studio, overheard Joslyn helping out with a vocal session. The three immediately connected and started to write, produce and perform a number of hit tracks for the artist Kaskade, including the dance floor smashes "What I Say," "It's You, It's Me" and "Sweet Love." In 2005, Joslyn's blazing performance of the song "Everything" propelled it to No. 1 on the Billboard Club Play chart.
After accomplishing so much with Kaskade; Joslyn, Rob and Craig embarked on a project of their own and came up with something that transcended all they had done before. They tapped into a real nostalgia with songs rooted in the healthiest soil of R&B. The new CD, simply titled "joslyn," ranges from soulful to funky with pop crossover appeal.
Joslyn's lifelong dreams of bringing her brand of soul music to the culture are sure to be realized. She will sing from 10- 11:45 p.m. on the main stage at the lower level of JC Penny.