Young crooner Javier may go by one name only, but he draws inspiration from such two-named legends as Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke. On his self-titled Capitol Records debut, the 25-year-old handles several different instruments and tackled a number of styles, taking him beyond the "neo-soul" tag, including jazz, Latin, and even rock.
While Javier has proven to be multi-talented, his debut was no mere one-man show. To assist him, he signed on such noted producers as the Underdogs (B2K, Brandy, and Brian McKnight), songwriter-producers Syndicated Rhythm (*NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears), and executive producer Kevin Could. Those lending instrumental support include members of the Roots, as well as jazz artists Roy Hargrove and Mulgrew Miller.
Javier first gained notice as a student at the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music. At the school, the aspiring star launched an a cappella fivesome that landed a gig at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. After graduation, he had a stint as a frontman in a funk group before landing a gig as the singer in the Derek Trucks Band, whose namesake is the guitarist in the Allman Brothers.
However, Javier never abandoned his dream of playing his own songs. After more than a year touring with Trucks and company, he cut a three-song demo. Capitol won the ensuing bidding war, and issued Javier's self-titled debut in the summer of 2003.
