The Jazz Soul of Jazmina!

This is an article that I wrote on one of my favorite dance music vocalists, who, at the time was going by the name of Jazmina.   Unfortunately the magazine that I was writing for, The Underground News  never published it.  It was written back in 1994.

The Jazz Soul of Jazmina!
by Christopher Flowers

Blessed with the Creator's gift of lyrical beatitudes, the tepid, spiritual essence of this songbird emanates from her sleek frame and steel-lined lungs.  Just listen to her "R&B-downtempo-jazz-hip-hop-with-a-house-twist" KULT Records (a Hourglass Records original pressing) smash hit, "Good Time", or her mood-soaked classic on AceBeat Records, "I See You" topped with the Shelter Records release of the gospel strong "High On Hope", and you'll know why Jazmina is known in underground dance music circles as the prolific "Duchess of Downbeat House Soul".

Leslie Oliver was just a blossoming teen upon discovering her vocal skills, inter-fused with her innate ability to scribe insightful proverbs of self confidence and perseverance born during her tender "crayola" years; Leslie, then later Jazmina, developed into a talented master lyricist and percussionist.  An alumni of the famed Newark's Arts High School that produced many future Jersey dance music vocalists, she later became a graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in English; Jazmina persists in her vision-quest to become a college professor and novelist.

Snuggled in an extremely humble warm coat that offers her prophylactic protection from the consumptive "I'm-A-Diva" disease that afflicts a few (if not many) of her underground dance music female (and male) contemporaries, she sheepishly accepts her accolades, says Jazmina. "I'm not really moved about the money and where my place should be in this business.  I've done more than I thought I would in five years.  "High On Hope" reached the number one spot in the UK...I don't need the tour or whatever...It's about using those gifts that God has given you...if nothing else happens...I'll be satisfied," says Jazmina.

This Garden State, Newark exclusive, glucose shrill queen was born into an ancestry of gospel singers and musicians, peeled her shyness away after being mesmerized by the then teen sensation Desiree Coleman in the Broadway production of "Mama, I Want To Sing".  Within two weeks of a tearful catharsis behind her, in praise of Desiree's showstopping performance; Jazmina, this sepia twigling, stood in front of the pulpit on one of those santified, God-fearing Sunday afternoons wailing the gospel classic, "God Has Smiled On Me" as a stunned church gazed in awe!  That echoing, fervent femme falsetto made her devotional leader mother to drop the microphone!  "The whole congregation turned around and the pastor looked out of his office and gagged!," Jazmina remembers.

Her "rites of passage" into R&B dance underground took root at AceBeat's legendary Campsite Studios on North 6th Street.   AceBeat's campsite and label launched the careers of such dance music stars as Jomana, Charvoni, Joey Washington, The Voices of 6th Avenue and Brothers Of Peace (BOP).  It was Bill Watkins who caught a whiff of Jazmina's feathery vocal texture while she was rehearsing with her university's choir and later set up an audition with his cousin, producer/musician Tyrone Payton and his empirical con-flux, Intense.  Also sitting in at the audition was the cashmere-throat "Intense" imminent lead vocalist Khison, and AceBeat Records President/Founder, Ace Munchin.  After the audition, although Ace was wary of her style; with Tyrone's insistence, Jazmina joined Intense completing the musical triad.   

She was given a rough draft of "Can't Treat Me This Way" to demo that would later be her first recorded lead song as a member of Intense.  This tune was actually a part of an EP entitled the Garage Movement released on AceBeat Records in 1989.  However, the initial breakout cut championed by DJ Tony Humphries at Club Zanzibar was a lead song by Khison called "Let The Rain Come Down".   It was their first smash hit song off the EP that grasped dance floors from the US to the UK to Tokyo, reaching worldwide underground cult status when Movin' Records re-released a remixed version by Tony Humphries whose foresight included an ample solo breakdown by Jazmina.  That cameo performance was monumental making her the capstone of the trio. 

As Intense ascended the ladder of underground musical prominence, irreconcilable differences sent Khison to debut an uncertain solo career reducing the trio to a duo, Jazmina and Tyrone were left to wing on their own.  Though they had a Chester draw full of quality material, the releases weren't forthcoming.  Taking advantage of this release dry spell, Jazmina took a stab at producing, thus birthing the 1991 AceBeat house jam, "Lock It Up" by the CRJ Project (Charvoni, Ruby and Jazmina).  She continued to "keep up her skills" doing cameo appearances on songs for other AceBeat campsite producers on cuts such as "Call Him Up" by the Voices of 6th Ave and the unreleased, explosive Tony Humphries tribute, "What's On His Mind".  Both tunes featured 18 of the Jersey's reigning underground dance music celebrities. 

A lack of solid distribution and major promotion plagued Intense's follow up, The Movement Soul EP containing three powerful contenders for worldwide success, "Holding On" feat Khison on lead vocals, "Mighty Love" and the strongest of them all, the emotion drenched, "I See You" penned by Eddie Stockley and Kenny Bobien featuring them on backing vocals along with Charvoni both songs led by Jazmina.  "I See You", her "pet tune" she says, "It'll have it's time...I'm going to put it out again". 

"I See You", and the Hourglass (later licensed to KULT Reords) original pressing of "Good Time" produced by left field DJ/Producer guru, Johnny Dangerous are two jazz, hip-hop soul dance cuts that managed to squeeze through the major/indie label's bobbed wire of predetermined 120 beats per minute House tracks.  Jazmina parades in those downtempo, swingbeat R&B hip-hop slippers with a Jersey swagger, tearing a small opening in that "fence" for others with BALLS to follow suit.   Ultimately, she sees herself extending beyond the realm of underground R&B 4/4 dance music, but the rhythm of her heart beats incessantly for the down reaching, deep house material, "I don't think I'll leave dance music...I love it too death!

Slated for their second release on the Shelter label around mid September or October is the socially relevant battle cry, "Life Is Special", produced by Tyrone Payton.  About the lyric, Jazmina says, "You have these young boys and girls thinking that they have to do all of this craziness to survive...it's not necessary.  I like to speak the truth.  It's alright to dance, get sweaty and have fun...but I want the dancer/listener to go home with something in their head...to learn something."

Jazmina Live @ The ThinkSoul Experience Show 2008

DISCOGRAPHY

Garage Movement EP - AceBeat Records (1989)

Let The Rain Come Down (Remix) - Movin' Records (1990)

Movement Soul EP - AceBeat Records (1991)

High On Hope  - Intense feat. Jazmina - Shelter Records (1993)

Good Time - Johnny Dangerous feat. Jazmina - Hourglass/KULT (1994)

Love Me For A Day - Jazmina - KULT Records (1995)

Stormy Weather (I Don't Mind) - Johnny Dangerous feat. Jazmina - Nervous Records (1998)

Soul Of The Music - Jazmina Oliver - Imani Records (1998)

Rescue Me (Y Don't You) - Willy Washington - Dance Tracks (2000)

I'll Be Watchin' - Catalan FC/Sven Love feat. Jazmina - What's Up Records (2002)

It Ain't Easy - Willy Washington feat. Jazmina- Defected Records (2004)

I'm Happy/I Won't Complain - Blaze feat. Jazmina - AceBeat Records (2004)