Born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and raised in Waldo, Maine, Jason grew up listening to everything from eighties Rap to Classic Rock, Blues, Jazz and Country. He joined the school choir in fifth grade, and co-founded a rap duo called “Def Poet Society." At ten years old, Jason began writing songs and performing for school events. As a teenager he gained local celebrity status while performing with his family band “Hemmens,” and "The Mount View Chamber Singers," an elite high school choir. At the age of fifteen Jason began playing the harmonica. A year later he picked up alto and tenor saxophone. He gained experience jamming with various Blues Artists who passed through town including Shemekia Copeland, Bernard Allison Jr. and Phillip Walker.
Shortly after graduating high school, Hemmens moved to Louisiana, and enrolled in the Jazz Studies Program at the University of New Orleans. It was at this time that he really began to develop his skills as a multi instrumentalist/vocalist. He studied with Jazz legends Terrance Blanchard and Harold Battiste during the day and performed at clubs on Bourbon Street through the night.
After graduating from UNO, Jason moved to Los Angeles, California where he currently resides. He is making a name for himself as an in-demand performer and studio musician. Hemmens has performed with Stevie Wonder, Tevin Campbell, and members of Guns N’ Roses and Poison, just to name a few. Jason is a true multi-instrumentalist, fluent on Saxophone, Harmonica, Piano, and Bass as well as being an accomplished Vocalist. In February, 2007, Hemmens performed at the Java Jazz Festival with Indonesian Legend Dwiki Dharmawan, and Los Angeles based group “Shapes."
In April, 2009, Jason began producing his debut album “Welcome to Reality,” for release on his indie label, Fan2C Records, with executive producer Sassy Outwater. The project was recorded at Studio City Sound, with Grammy-award-winning engineer Tom Weir, and features some of the best studio musicians in Los Angeles, including Keyboardist Herman Jackson (Stevie Wonder, American Idol); Guitarist Tim Pierce (Michael Jackson, Santana Madonna); and drummer Ronald Bruner Jr. (Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Marcus Miller). The CD consists of ten songs, eight of which are Self-Penned. The album is a mix of pop, rock, and jazz. It show-cases Jason on alto, tenor and soprano sax, piano, keyboards,, vocals and harmonica.
Thanks so much for the AD , you totally rock.. if you could, check out my songs and leave a comment and let me know what you think. It really helps out... also if you "like" you can take it home... I'm on iTunes.. Talk soon, :) Jon
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