Singer/Percussionist Jon Otis Signs w/Indie Label SRI Jazz | To Release 3 Albums Over Next 3 Years

Jon Otis Signs Contract With SRI Jazz

Singer/songwriter/percussionist Jon Otis, the son of the legendary band leader Johnny Otis, has signed with Los Angeles based indie label SRI Jazz and will be recording and releasing three albums over the next three years.

LOS ANGELES – Feb. 17, 2016 Multi-talented musical artist, Jon Otis has signed with SRI Jazz. Following in the footsteps of his famous father, Johnny Otis, who is best known for his big hit “Willie & The Hand Jive,” Jon is also a terrific singer/songwriter in his own right, plus an exceptional vocalist and percussionist.

“Sometimes, but not always, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. That’s the case with Jon Otis (son of the great Johnny Otis) as it is with his label mate Ray Brown Jr. (son of Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Brown). We are very excited to have Jon Otis on the SRI Jazz roster. He is a top quality singer/songwriter who has a distinctive musical fusion blending jazz, blues and R&B. His smooth vocal styling is reminiscent of Marvin Gaye and Al Green blended with a touch of Al Jarreau. Otis’ unique songs are percussion driven and evoke the sensuous feelings of Latin and Afro-jazz with a pop and R&B sound. Jon Otis has worked extensively in Europe over the past 25 years and I know that his debut SRI Jazz album will be a big international hit. This album is filled with radio friendly, hit singles,” said label president Shelly Liebowitz.

Jon has worked with an outstanding list of who’s who in music including working with his late father in The Johnny Otis Show. He has also recorded or performed live with Solomon Burke, Foreigner, James Cotton, George Duke, Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, Roy Hargrove, Sheila E, Les McCann, Pharaoh Saunders, Lou Rawls and many others. Jon Otis is one of those classic entertainers who, starting when he was only 15, has had the never-ending need to constantly perform for audiences worldwide.

Recently Jon toured Europe with his brothers Nick and Shuggie and his nephews Lucky and Eric including an appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Jon’s parents were able to attend his sold out shows at the Los Angeles and Berkeley Greek Theaters. Jon has fans from the San Francisco Bay area to Switzerland and aside from being a well-known musical artist, in the 60’s Jon acted in the film “Billy Jack”.

SRI Jazz will be releasing Jon’s debut album for the label, “A Friend” to radio early in February with the lead single “Freedom Is Slavery”, which we know will be a big hit. Initially the album release will be strictly digital to iTunes, Amazon and all other digital stores as well as to streaming services including Spotify. The album will premiere on the label’s website, srirecords.com that week and fans can hear it before they buy a download followed by being available at major retailers on CD and vinyl.

Plans for the Jon Otis tour are currently being formalized and will be announced in the next few weeks.

SRI Jazz, SRI Records and Flamingo Jazz are all part of SRI Label Group providing quality, collectible Blues, Jazz, Country and Rock & Roll from major artists past and present. As one of the first websites on the internet to offer collectible music, srirecords.com established itself as a pioneer on the web since 1998. With industry veteran Shelly Liebowitz at the helm, SRI has strived to provide a standard of excellence in the world of music.