Web: jarrodlawson.com
Contact: fiona@thebloomeffect.com
Players: Jarrod Lawson, vocals, piano; Mark Novelich, trumpet; Raul Anguiniga, tenor saxophone; Adrian Carillo, trombone; Samir Moulay, guitar; Phil Chuah, bass; Gorden Campbell, drums
Thrilling a packed house in West Hollywood, with a six-piece band in tow, R&B/soul phenom Jarrod Lawson played his first headliner show in Los Angeles and, with fans including Gilles Peterson, Trevor Nelson, Louie Vega, and Michelle Obama, the long-awaited California premiere did not disappoint.
With a phenomenal sound, passionate room, and great overall vibe, the evening kicked off with a delicious scat intro on “Music & Its Magical Way,” with instant band gel and a fabulous laidback groove. Showcasing Lawson’s undeniable falsetto talent, it included a great tenor sax solo from Raul Anguiniga. Continuing with “I’ll Be Your Radio” (written with Moonchild), the taffy guitar licks, delicious bass intro, and blanket of a horn soli were divine. A gorgeous cover of The Isley Brothers “Footsteps In the Dark,” including kickdrum and keyboard intro and dynamite guitar solo, was perfection.
Switching gears to acoustic piano, Lawson shared “Do Whatchu Gotta” (from new album Just Let It), with tight cutoffs and hanging vocal notes, bringing just enough tension to leave you constantly wanting more. Shifting gears to Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U,” the fantastic horn and bass lines, funky breakdown bridge, and incredible drum fills—alongside Lawson’s mesmerizing vocals—brought the song everything it deserved.
Guest vocalist Raquel Rodriguez joined the group on “Next Move” (a cowrite that charted at No. 1 in the U.K. in 2025). Stunning vocals joined absolute badass bass-ery on this tune (shoutout to Phil Chuah). Shifting into head-boppin’, booty-shakin’, falsetto-storied bliss, including an extraordinary guitar solo and driving high-hat/kickdrum/bass outro, gospel-reggae-soul blending “I Got Your Back” was absolutely mesmerizing.
Beautiful heartfelt musical proposition, “Evalee,” was written for Lawson’s wife when he first met her, and Michelle Obama’s pick—“Be The Change” (from 2020’s album of the same name)—delivered tasty bossa, building to calypso. Elegant soul, delicious bass lines, and breathtaking unison vocals grew to a crowd sing-along on “Love Isn’t Always Enough.”
Stefan Mahendra joined Lawson for “Can’t Hide Love,” with perfectly blended vocals and stellar drumkit sound (Gorden Campbell) before encore “Smoke Me Out.” Thick fat bass sound, syrupy guitar stylings, and a mind-blowing drum solo outro unleashed on the song Lawson originally penned for Nigel Hall. Rounding out the evening with clap-along crowd interaction, Lawson delivered a solo rendition of gospel-tinged “Everything I Need.”
With humble-giant vibes, Lawson brings just enough sass to his sound, while always leaving room for more. The room was wrapped around his little finger. A fresh take on everything good about old school sound. Just Let It is out now. Watch Lawson's music video for "If We Pretend (Where Is The Love)" below.
Photo by Jacob Alexander
