Becoming Cali Jones: Contemporary jazz saxophonist Matt Willard embraces a new artistic identity under the guidance of two-time GRAMMY? winner Paul Brown
When contemporary jazz saxophonist Matt Willard landed at LAX last month to work with two-time GRAMMY?-winning producer Paul Brown, he arrived as the artist he had always been. A week later, he flew home with two finished tracks — and a new name: Cali Jones.
Becoming Cali Jones isn’t a marketing ploy or a rebrand. It’s an identity shift years in the making. Growing up in Virginia, Willard was captivated by the smooth, soulful West Coast sound — the music of Boney James, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Rick Braun, and other California greats who shaped his imagination.
“I always dreamed of California — not just the place, but the sound. That smooth West Coast jazz vibe felt like sunset drives, palm trees, and late-night studio sessions. It wasn’t just music to me; it was a vision,” said 27-year-old Jones, whose 2022 debut album Soul Assassin produced the Groove Jazz/Radiowave Top 5 single “Electric Shock,” also added to SiriusXM Watercolors.
Since releasing his debut, Jones has issued several singles that earned national and international airplay, building momentum while searching for the next step in his artistic evolution. Last month, as Willard, his single, “Oh Baby Baby,” went No. 1 on the Urban Influencer chart where it outranked singles by Elliot, Randy Brecker, Herb Alpert, and Samara Joy.
Encouraged and eager to break through to the next level, Willard reached out to Brown — the producer behind more than 80 Billboard No. 1 hits, many from the very California artists who inspired him. Brown agreed, and Willard booked his first trip to Los Angeles to collaborate. What he didn’t expect was a transformation that went far beyond the music.
As the two worked together, Brown began calling him “Cali,” casually at first. “It felt natural. It felt right,” Jones recalled. A few days later, Brown posed a question that shifted everything: “Why don’t we start from scratch? Not just your sound — your whole persona.”
Willard sat with it. “I thought about the doors I wanted to walk through. The stages I wanted to stand on. The artist I was becoming — not just the one I had been. So, I made a choice. In that moment, I didn’t just change a name; I claimed an identity. From that moment on, I was no longer just dreaming of the West Coast sound — I was it. I became Cali Jones.”
Jones returned home with two fully produced tracks produced by Brown, including “Midnight Strut,” his debut single as Cali Jones, slated for release March 30 via MW Records. Brown played guitar on “Midnight Strut,” which he co-wrote with Buddy Jordan (bass, keyboards, and drum programming). Ron King guests on flugelhorn.
“Cali Jones has the silky smoothness of Boney James with the edge of Richard Elliot,” said Brown, who will start work on Jones’ next album this year.
Back home in Hampton Roads, Jones’s family and friends were receptive to the identity change.
“My family and friends have always been extremely supportive when it comes to my music. I certainly have one of the best support systems, and I am extremely grateful to have them on this journey with me. Not using my biological name has been an adjustment, but like everything, in time, it will become more natural.”
For more information, please visit www.calijonesmusic.com.
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