Album Notes

For native Washingtonian Jean-Jacques Têtu (pronounced Zhan-Zhock Taytoo), music has long pumped through his veins. Born in the small town of Twisp, Washington to an American mother and Québecois father, Jean-Jacques grew up dancing to the tunes of Marvin Gaye, Prince, and Stevie Wonder.
His new debut CD, titled The Lopez Sessions, mixes elements of soul, blues, country, and rock and roll to create a unique and evolutionary sound. Original songs like "When You Come Back" and "Maybe It's You" will satisfy the hardest rocker, while the melodious and heart-felt tune "I Don't Want a World I'm Afraid to Live In" is a social comment. "Summer Love" and "Sunshine" are catchy love songs you will find yourself humming throughout the day. The full-length album is packed with a diverse range of material that has appeal for a wide audience.

Although Jean-Jacques always felt a strong connection with music and held an intense desire to become a professional musician, he only recently decided to "throw caution to the wind". He postponed a masters degree in teaching, and started to pursue his life-long dream. In May 2006, he won a community-wide music competition on the small island of Lopez, located in the San Juan Islands. The contest, Lopez Artist Advance, was hosted by Artist Advance, a project of Lenedra Carroll (mother and former manager of the singer/songwriter Jewel) and supported locally by Steve and Michele Heller. Among other things, Jean-Jacques won recording time with producer and Grammy-nominated musician Ralf Illenberger and managerial guidance from Carroll.

"This last year has been both tumultuous and wonderful at the same time,” said Têtu. “There are times I want to give up and settle for something more stable, but I can't seem to get away from music. It feels like what I have to do with my life. It's hard to take a leap of faith to pursue a passion, but I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity I've been given and I'm going to work my hardest to realize my dream."