Chris Jasper
Encyclopedia
Chris Jasper is a former member of both the Isley Brothers and Isley-Jasper-Isley
. He is also a successful solo
artist
and record producer
, recording a number of his own solo album
s, and producing artists, for his New York
based record label
, Gold City Records. His keyboard
and Moog synthesizer
work was a primary ingredient of the Isley Brothers sound of the 1970s and 1980s.
trained musician and composer
. He studied at the Juilliard School
of Music in New York City and received a degree in music composition from C.W. Post, Long Island University
, New York, where he studied with the jazz
pianist and composer, Billy Taylor
.
After having jammed with neighborhood teenagers
Ernie
and Marvin Isley
, and being added on as a brother-in-law after Isley Brothers member Rudolph
married Jasper's sister Elaine, he was added to Ernie and Marvin's older brothers' band, The Isley Brothers, in 1969.
Jasper's first appearance on an Isley Brothers album was 1969's It's Our Thing
. In 1973, Jasper, plus Ernie and Marvin Isley were officially added to the group. Jasper's keyboard work played a pivotal role in Isley Brothers hits such as "Fight the Power Pts. 1 & 2," "For the Love of You Pts. 1 & 2," and "Between the Sheets
."
In 1984, Jasper and the younger Isleys left the Isley Brothers to form the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley
. Jasper sang lead on the group's biggest hit
, "Caravan of Love
." But their tenure ended in 1987 with Jasper and Ernie Isley going into solo careers and Marvin rejoining brother Ronald
in his touring band. Jasper's solo career spawned the #3 R&B
hit, "Super Bad", in 1988.
Jasper has also produced, performed and written music for other artists, including Liz Hogue's debut album, and "Make It Last" for Chaka Khan
's C.K.
album.
After becoming a born-again Christian
, Jasper released a succession of gospel
albums and occasionally returned to R&B. Since the 1980s, he has recorded
for Gold City Records, a record label he formed, and which is distributed by CBS Records
.
In 1992 Jasper was inducted, along with the rest of the Isley Brothers, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
.
Jasper resides in New York with his wife of 26 years, Margie, an attorney and writer, and their three sons, Michael, Nick and Christopher.
Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group....
. He is also a successful solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording a number of his own solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, and producing artists, for his New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Gold City Records. His keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and Moog synthesizer
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
work was a primary ingredient of the Isley Brothers sound of the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography
Jasper is a classicallyClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
trained musician and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He studied at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
of Music in New York City and received a degree in music composition from C.W. Post, Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, New York, where he studied with the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist and composer, Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
.
After having jammed with neighborhood teenagers
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
Ernie
Ernie Isley
Ernest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
and Marvin Isley
Marvin Isley
Marvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
, and being added on as a brother-in-law after Isley Brothers member Rudolph
Rudolph Isley
Rudolph Bernard Isley , better known as Rudy Isley, is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
married Jasper's sister Elaine, he was added to Ernie and Marvin's older brothers' band, The Isley Brothers, in 1969.
Jasper's first appearance on an Isley Brothers album was 1969's It's Our Thing
It's Our Thing
It's Our Thing is a 1969 album released by The Isley Brothers on their own T-Neck imprint. Fully emancipated from three and a half years in Motown Records and encouraged by their international success in England, the Isleys composed this album in the style of Sly & the Family Stone/James Brown funk...
. In 1973, Jasper, plus Ernie and Marvin Isley were officially added to the group. Jasper's keyboard work played a pivotal role in Isley Brothers hits such as "Fight the Power Pts. 1 & 2," "For the Love of You Pts. 1 & 2," and "Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets (song)
"Between the Sheets" is a quiet storm funk song released by American R&B/soul/funk band The Isley Brothers in 1983 off their album of the same name on the T-Neck imprint.-History:...
."
In 1984, Jasper and the younger Isleys left the Isley Brothers to form the splinter group Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley-Jasper-Isley
Isley/Jasper/Isley was a splinter group of the Isley Brothers formed in 1984 by brother-in-law Chris Jasper , Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley , due to creative differences that arose among the group....
. Jasper sang lead on the group's biggest hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Caravan of Love
Caravan of Love
"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...
." But their tenure ended in 1987 with Jasper and Ernie Isley going into solo careers and Marvin rejoining brother Ronald
Ronald Isley
Ronald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
in his touring band. Jasper's solo career spawned the #3 R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hit, "Super Bad", in 1988.
Jasper has also produced, performed and written music for other artists, including Liz Hogue's debut album, and "Make It Last" for Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
's C.K.
C.K. (Chaka Khan album)
CK is the seventh studio album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1988.CK was Khan's first album not to be recorded with Arif Mardin, instead it had with the exception of two tracks Russ Titelman at the helm as producer, with whom she had...
album.
After becoming a born-again Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, Jasper released a succession of gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
albums and occasionally returned to R&B. Since the 1980s, he has recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
for Gold City Records, a record label he formed, and which is distributed by CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
.
In 1992 Jasper was inducted, along with the rest of the Isley Brothers, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
.
Jasper resides in New York with his wife of 26 years, Margie, an attorney and writer, and their three sons, Michael, Nick and Christopher.