Possessing a fusion of progressive musical thought, classical inspiration, lyrical intricacy, and expansive emotional veracity, the sound of SolÅce is one that is destined to be enjoyed by all who hear it for years to come.
SolÅce is the quintessential signer/ song-writer, with a passion for musical composition and an overwhelming zeal for instrumental, vocal, and dance performance.
Under the genre of Progressive Pop, with R&B, Jazz, Latin, Classical, and Hip-hop influences, SolÅce's latest 12-song, self-entitled project is one of his greatest artistic accomplishments within a life of extensive musical inspiration.
SolÅce, born Jefford Humes, was conceived on February 24, 1978 within the capitol city of a small Central American country named Belize.
Two years after immigrating to the United States and residing within Chicago, IL SolÅce knew that piano would be the instrument he was to play and, a year later, initiated classical training with Sue Sigal of Hyde Park in 1985.
Since starting lessons, SolÅce excelled in classical piano and has been awarded three gold, two silver, and one bronze medal from the Chicago Sonata/ Sonatina Competition/ Festival, is a four-time Gold Level Award Winner at the Regional Worldwide Church of God Talent Showcase, and has performed twice at the Chicago Students Jazz Show and three times for the Hyde Park Food Kitchen Recital/ Fund Raiser between 1987 and 1996.
SolÅce was also the full-time piano accompanist for the Hyde Park Youth Sinfonia during high school and accompanied numerous choirs and vocal soloists at varied events throughout the city of Chicago and suburban area.
At the age of 14, SolÅce began to realize his passion for vocal performance and recording.
He became the youth audio-visual assistant for the local and traveling Southside Worldwide Church of God sound and video department from 1992-1997.
Enjoying dance, he even won the "Dancer of the Session" Award at the Summer Educational Program in Orr, Minnesota in 1994.
SolÅce then became a lead vocalist for his church's youth choir and, soon thereafter, began arranging vocals and instrumentation for recording numerous cover songs for male vocal solo, duet, and group.
With an interest in arrangement and a desire to expand his instrumental diversity, SolÅce joined the Whitney Young Magnet High School Orchestra from his 1992 Freshman year and became a first clarinetist and oboist by 1995.
Playing in the pit orchestra for the musical productions encouraged SolÅce to audition for a musical role and was cast as Dr.
Craven and Soldier #1 in the Whitney Young Magnet High School musical production of The Secret Garden during 1995 and 1996.
The production was well-received and catalyzed a studio-created CD recording, of which SolÅce was involved.
Since high school, SolÅce went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA after receiving the Presidential Scholarship in 1996.
It was within college that SolÅce found his passion for song-writing that has catalyzed the creation of 158 compositions with a repertoire consisting of songs having Classical, Pop, Latin, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Reggae, Hip-hop, New Age, Drum and Bass, and Ambient influences.
While within college, SolÅce honed his song-writing ability, won second place in 1998 for the "Spelman College Pride Week Talent Showcase" and third place in the Annual "Showtime at the House" talent competition (of which he was stage-director) through performing self-written compositions.
Focusing primarily upon song-creation and recording, SolÅce performed only intermittently but still played various classical pieces and self-accompanied songs at formal meetings, receptions, and church gatherings.
SolÅce has even appeared as an extra for "Fools Rush In," starring David Schwimmer in the Summer of 1998 and "Remembering the Titans," starring Denzel Washington in the Spring of 2000.
Even though SolÅce has spent most of his life within Chicago, he is no stranger to international travel and received the Merrill Study Abroad Scholarship in the Spring of 1998, which enabled him to study at the University of Leeds, in England, for a year.
There, he continued to compose, performed at various Taverns in London and Leeds, was the Revelation Choir solo vocalist and Winter season rehearsal pianist, and was the musical entertainment for all International Student Association dinners and meetings.
Since returning to the United States in 1999, SolÅce became a member of the Morehouse College Glee Club as a second tenor and vocal practice assistant, performing throughout various locations within Atlanta.
He even performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus on two occasions in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
During the latter part of his senior year, SolÅce was casted as a dancer for the Super Bowl XXXIV Half-Time Show alongside Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, and Christina Aguilera.
After graduating in 2000 with Chemistry Departmental Honors and Cum Laude recognition with a major in Chemistry and a Mathematics minor, SolÅce returned to Chicago, intent upon working while pursuing his ever-growing musical aspirations.
He has worked at Lucent Technologies since the Fall of 2000 as a Field Engineer but has completed three musical projects since beginning there.
The song "What Do You See?" from the first 10-song project, entitled The Matador, has been played on WKKC 97.3's "New Music Review," and the Latin-flavored "Before the Night is Over" from the second 15-track untitled project has even made it to position 29 on the World Music charts of Sound Click.
Desiring musical credibility and noticing compositional growth, SolÅce decided to create a professionally recorded, 12-song, self-entitled project in 2001.
He recorded the project at Planet Sound Studios in Chicago, with Rick Hinojosa as the Engineer and had the project mastered at Studio Chicago by Al Ursini and Brian Jensen, respectively.
CD portraits, graphic design, and promotional images were then photographed and created by Chris Rose of Fusion Photographies.
At the completion of the project, Jefford co-founded and became the President/ Legal Proprietor of Bezaleel Entertainment and then acquired the rights to www.Sol-A-ce.net.
The project was then submitted to Oasis CD and Cassette Duplication and made available for sale through electronic vendors such as Amazon.com, CD Baby, CD Now, The Orchard, Valley Media, MP3.com, Zeebox, CD Street, and Ampcast.
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