Jay Si Proof and Whalien (Live Funk Music at The Shakedown)

Meet Jay Si Proof, the “silly and euphoric funk party” (Portland Mercury) creation of NY born, Portland, OR based freelance trombonist Jeff Chilton (performed with Broken Social Scene, The Diamonds, The Platters, Las Vegas Tenors, Bodhi Mojo, Family Mystic, and Super Secret Band). Described as “earth jazz alchemists” by Vortex Magazine, Jay Si Proof has been featured twice on PDX Pop Now, ranked in the Mercury’s top music videos of 2024, and performed at countless PNW music festivals.

Jay Si Proof’s latest single, ‘Animals’, begins with a soundscape of horns and vocals mimicking the barn yard before delving into a poetic spoke word verse depicting the complexities of human emotions as restricted by a civilized world. This new track is a reflection of the artist’s observations of both the animalistic nature within humanity and the external pressures that shape individual behavior. With a blend of catchy melodies and poignant spoken lyrics, ‘Animals’ bemoans the impossibility of conforming to a typical life at the cost of one’s art, stating that “you can’t run, you can’t hide, you can’t fight, we’ve all tried” and that we have no choice but to “get high” in order to temporarily escape.

The track is the latest drop after last year’s debut full length album “Care About It” which featured a retro soundscape influenced by Earth Wind and Fire blended with a modern R&B and Jazz sensibility (a la Tom Misch). “Care About It” received praise at home from the Portland Mercury which selected IRL for its top 5 music videos of 2024, and PDX Pop Now which chose “Don’t Stop” for its 2024 compilation.

Building off of these achievements the band has just announced its “Animals Tour,” a grassroots effort expanding Jay Si Proof’s reach from Seattle to San Diego and beyond. Jay Si Proof’s live show is an explosion of funk with unhinged, audacious, and joyous energy. There are no walls between performer and audience here, there are no boundaries between acquaintances, friends and strangers. Teetering between funk anthems, entirely improvised disco bangers, and sentimental lo-fi grooves, Jay Si Proof is as much an experience as it is a concert.