Above / J J & Dre are set to take the Navistar Main Stage at 6:30PM Sat., June 2, at 2016 Ribfest.
Jason Paradise, a 2000 graduate of Naperville Central High School, is coming home for Ribfest.
Paradise is one of the “Js” in J J & Dre, the Chicago-based rock and soul band slated to perform at the Exchange Club of Naperville 2016 Ribfest from 6:30 to 8PM Sat., July 2, on the Navistar Main Stage in Knoch Park.
“The band is just as comfortable performing upbeat original material as it is seamlessly honoring the classics …Often times weaving the two without stopping.” said Paradise on Tuesday when he was providing information for the Ribfest marketing team to give to the producers of ABC7 Roz Live show.
From 4:30AM to 7AM this Fri., July 1, ABC7-Chicago will be in Knoch Park for “Festival Friday with Roz Varon,” a look at fun activities and events to fill the holiday weekend. And several members of J J & Dre are scheduled for an interview and some music.
“Six members, five vocalists and four songwriters… J J & Dre can cover a lot of musical ground,” said Paradise. “I’m thinking 5:30 in the morning is awfully early for musicians, but we’ll be there.”
J J & Dre first formed as a trio in 2010 when Paradise met up with husband and wife duo Andrea and Justin Dotoli at the city’s Vic Theater.
The guitarist now lives in Chicago where he writes original songs that he performs in original style with his six-member band—and then some.
“J J & Dre is an original rock & soul band that strangely enough has been called a ‘modern throwback,'” said Paradise.
Paradise recalls meeting Justin and Andrea and how their strong chemistry worked to create original material, leading to many performance gigs in and around the greater Chicagoland area. Over the next few years, their talents attracted a full lineup of Eric Allen on keyboards and Mike Schroeder on drums and Janis Wallin on bass.
The potent combinations of songwriters, vocalists and styles quickly created a musical mélange, evidenced by a full length recording, two extended play recordings and a busy schedule of live play.
The band has become a musical amalgamation of rock, blues, funk and soul and now boasts as many as nine members, including vocalists, keyboard, guitar, harmonica and bass.
According to Paradise, they do their very best performances LIVE!
On a final note about Paradise in Naperville. Jason said his family moved to Naperville from North Carolina in 1996, just prior to his beginning Naperville Central High School were he played baseball. By contrast, he said his family is entrenched in basketball. His father and two brothers run Basketball Paradise, a player development center in Naperville. After high school, Jason went to Columbia College Chicago for music “and just never really stopped.”
For more info about all the music, food and fun stuff happening for all ages at the four-day festival, visit www.ribfest.net.
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