Sax in the Stacks

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, tenor saxophone player Jessy J held a free concert at Borders in Carmel Mountain. The event was presented by smooth jazz station 98.1 in support of the L.A. artist’s sophomore album, True Love.

On-air personality Jay Weidenheimer served as emcee, providing family-friendly humor to the mostly middle-aged audience. The turnout was strong, with the majority of fans standing due to limited seating. I sat on the floor.

Jessy J pleased her fans by weaving and dancing through the crowd as she played her sensual songs, including breakthrough hit "Tequila Moon" and her current single, "Tropical Rain." Without a full band, she was backed by prerecorded tracks.

She charmed her listeners during a Q&A session, revealing tales of naming her first saxophone “Henry” when she was a kid, her USC days, diligently getting the attention of producer Paul Brown, and her previous saxophone getting split in half on the plane while on tour with Michael Bolton.

When asked if she came from a musical family, she replied, "My father is a great whistler!" Being a good sport, her father then whistled his rendition of "Tequila Moon."

• Concert: Jessy J
• Show date: February 8
• Venue: Borders in Carmel Mountain
• Seats: Front, seated on the floor