In an era where the word “jazz” is too often placed in a box, Bernell Jones II is prying it open with a saxophone in one hand and a sense of humour in the other. With the release of his soulful new single 'Love Sings', the Memphis-born, New York-based composer and multi-instrumentalist continues his mission to make jazz deeply felt again.
A lush blend of R&B grooves, soul textures, and alternative jazz flourishes, 'Love Sings' finds Jones collaborating with vocalist Barry Antoine and poetic rapper NORY to tell a story of the ache of a one-sided relationship, where love lingers on one end and evaporates on the other. It’s the first glimpse into his upcoming album 'FOR EVERYONE' (slated for April 2026) and a bold statement of intent from an artist who balances romantic complexity with sonic elegance.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has inspired him most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I definitely fell in love with saxophone first, which makes sense because it is my main instrument. However, most of my fans don’t know that before sax, I actually played two other instruments. My parents put me into piano lessons from age 6 to around 13, but I never truly fell in love with it. In band, I played clarinet at age 10, but immediately switched to sax at age 11 because I thought clarinet was rather lame. The rest is history. Funny enough, I still play both of those instruments to this day. In my band I play piano and sax, and I recently worked a month long musical at Westport Country Playhouse called Ain’t Misbehavin’ where I played both clarinet and sax parts.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I loved and always will love RnB, funk, and soul. I was heavily influenced by the music my parents listened to, so there was a lot of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Usher, and Earth Wind & Fire in the house. This music always resonated with me and never gets old.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I remember when Confessions by Usher came out and we would play that cd in the car all the time when I was a kid. I would always skip to track 6 which was Burn. Now, as far as using my own money, I have a huge vinyl collection, and the first ever album I bought with my own money was Skydive by Freddie Hubbard, the original vinyl. He is my favorite jazz musician of all time.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
Butterflies by Michael Jackson. I mean, what is there not to love about that song. It is truly beautiful in every way, plus it is the best example of how a simple kick-snare groove can go a long way.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
As someone who doesn’t really believe in superstitions or rituals, I have accidentally developed a ritual when writing music. When writing my previous album, Typewriter, and some of the new album I’m working on, I would turn the LEDs in my room to purple and pour myself a glass of wine. That would get me in such a locked in creative state. I’ve lately ditched the wine thing because I don’t want to get too hooked on incorporating alcohol into my writing habits, but the LEDs remain.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Braxton Cook. My top favorite artist right now. He’s known now, but he’s not as well-known as he deserves to be in my opinion. He’s a RnB and jazz-fusion wonderful singer song-writer and saxophonist who’s toured the world and released multiple albums right now. I was put on to his music probably around 10 years ago, so I’ve heard so far every era of his music. One thing I respect about him as an artist is he has always put out real, honest music and has never tried to make watered down, overproduced music to please the algorithm. The industry is lacking that type of art right now.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Willow Smith. That would be a dream. I believe we write similar music, as her music has some jazz-fusion elements as well but with her own unique flavor. I honestly believe my band would be the appropriate opener to prime her fans for her show. I saw her when she opened for Childish Gambino and her set was explosive!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The respect and kind words I receive after a show. Unfortunately, musicians don’t often receive the most respect outside of our shows whether it’s people not thinking it is a real job, or clients wanting to cheap out on paying us for our services. However, after finishing a great set, hearing the kind words from people in the audience when they walk up to me makes me want to keep going. I recently played at the Blue Note in Tokyo with Julius Rodriguez‘s band and so many people after the show were lining up to take pictures with me and get my autograph. Mind you, I’m not famous (yet). Hearing what they had to say as well made what I for a living feel validated.
And what is the most frustrating part?
As I stated previously, I find it frustrating when the same people who rely on music to simply get through their day turn around and invalidate it as a real job. In a way, it feels sort of like a microagression when I tell someone I do music and they ask, “Yeah, but what do you really do?” I’m fortunate enough to be at the point where I can pay my rent just from working in music. Of course, I’m doing this because of my passion and not the validation of others. With that being said, I would like society to be more accepting of the arts as a job, and I would like there to be more funding and money in the arts. Hopefully one day society as a whole can see it as a viable career.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I’ll never forget when my sax teacher Vincent Herring told me, “In the end of the day, we are just entertainment.” That was very deep for me because it reminds me to never take myself too seriously. As a full time musician, I’m surrounded by people with large egos, and I’m appalled because I now realize we really are just entertainment at the end of the day. So always focus on entertaining to your best ability, and everything else outside of that stays at home.
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Bernell Jones II's new single 'Love Sings' is out now. Check it out in the player below.