Jarred was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. Growing up he was influenced heavily by soul legends Erykah Badu and D’Angelo, swaying his musical interest further in r&b/soul, jazz artists, and styles.
At 16 Jarred started his music career playing the National Anthem for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Falcons. His first performance leading his band was the 2010 Clearwater Jazz Holiday which led him to perform at Jazz Festivals and many other events around the country, drawing comparisons to the artist: Prince, D’Angelo, John Legend, Maceo Parker, and more. While in high school he recorded his first album Bring It. Later Jarred would play keyboards and serve as musical director for Cuba Gooding Sr. & The Main Ingredient, after that he would join jazz quartet The Seth Burkhart Four on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, as a vocalist and saxophonist. The group would later record and release the album Revelation as Ja-Funk.
He has shared the stage and opened up for artists such as Lalah Hathaway, Sting, Stephanie Mills, Dr. John, Kenny Lattimore, Raheem Devaughn, Musiq Soulchild and many more. Armstrong has made TV Appearances on Studio 10 Live News broadcasts, ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney Magic Holiday Celebration, and Zyrtec’s Alway’s On spring commercial. In 2022 Jarred won 1st place at Amateur Night at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. Currently Jarred resides in Orlando, FL where you can find him performing all over.
Learn more about Jarred by visiting his website. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Music Business Expert Blog, By Greta Pope 