Bernell Jones II is making moves — here’s everything you need to know about the virtuoso multi-instrumentalist, especially his work on the saxophone
Bernell Jones II, what a guy! His music is exactly what everyone needs at any time of the day, with a style most musicians would kill for. His passion for the craft is evident—from the polish of his work to the engaging discussions on his YouTube channel. We sat down with the instrumentalist to talk everything Jones style!
What attracted you to music?
“It’s always been so present it my life, from growing up in a black southern church in the Bible Belt to hearing all the classic hits in the house on repeat that my parents grew up with. I’ve always been a big music person because I was surrounded by it.”
What was the moment you realised, this is what I want to do?
“I was fortunate enough to have a high school band director that could actually play sax very well. I say this because it’s actually very common for band directors to be some of the worst musicians you’ve ever heard, since college music-ed programs don’t always put emphasis on their graduates being proficient on their instruments.
By this time (10th-11th grade) I was already showing promise on my instrument, and seeing him talk about his gigs he would have to go to after school was so cool to me. He would play sax, clarinet and flute in class at a very high level to set the example. He even had me play in the school pit orchestra for plays which would require me to get familiar with other woodwinds, since musical theatre music requires saxophonist to double on other woodwinds.
What this means is when you get a musical theatre job as a saxophonist, oftentimes the book will say “reed.” And you’d be responsible for covering multiple reed instruments — such as clarinet, soprano sax, or even oboe — depending on the show. Seeing my band director do this type of work and more outside of school made me want to make it my career.”
What drew you to the saxophone?
“The saxophone is so present in funk, jazz, rnb, and soul which is the music my parents always played in the house, and the car. It was very easy for me to pick that as my main instrument my second year in band class after having a horrible experience with clarinet. Interestingly enough, I still play clarinet to this day as a secondary instrument. Sometimes I get called for work that requires sax and clarinet such as when I did a month long run of the musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, or when I performed a couple shows at the legendary 54 Below venue on Broadway.”
How did your personal sound come to be?
“I’ve been composing music for many years, but it was only in the past 5 years that I started focusing on the art of composing music. My sound has always been my own sound, but it has also been shaped by unique influences such as the band Butcher Brown, my former teacher Greg Tardy, the music of Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and a lot of jazz influences as well. All put together, it creates something familiar but not quite heard of simultaneously.”
When you play the saxophone, what signature elements should fans listen out for?
“I’m glad you asked this, because I actually wrote something about this in the liner notes of my lesser known Supernov-a EP that I quietly released on Bandcamp.com in 2022. Oftentimes, when saxophonists write and release music, they put a big emphasis on their virtuosic abilities, meaning they write music with the intention of showing off what they can do. When fans listen to my music, I encourage them to listen to the music as a whole with my saxophone playing being the bow that ties it all together. Each song I compose has no intention of highlighting my ability on the saxophone. Instead, I highlight the culmination of the compositions in a project, the sounds, and the band as one unit. I mean, you hear my newly released song Love Sings. Barry Antoine, the singer, is the show in that song, and he does such a wonderful job. My sax solos are just what ties it all together.”
Who is your biggest influence outside of music?
“My pops, definitely. He’s always been someone who works hard without questioning or complaining. At some point he even had three jobs, and I think he actually enjoyed it. His work ethic rubbed off on me because I tend to get locked in when it comes to working on anything I want to get good at. I spent years practicing saxophone 4-6 hours a day — some days even 8 hours. It felt like it was just something I had to do because I wanted to be really good at it.”
What album can you guarantee will make someone happy?
“Off the Wall by Michael Jackson. You can listen to that album whether you’re sitting down, driving through traffic, or even if you want to have a dance party in your basement. It’s such a well-put-together album and is a classic 20th century staple.”
Recommend a song you’ve made that you feel listeners should study, and why?
“July 25th, which was released back in 2022. It’s such a feel-good song, and one of my OG’s even said it was the best song I ever wrote. What’s interesting about it’s that it is in F# major, but from when the band starts the song, you don’t hear a true F# major chord until 1 minute and 50 seconds.
I was experimenting with finding ways to create tension and release by creating anticipation and making the listener finally feel an arrival point once they’ve listened quite a bit into the song.”
This song is also a prime example of my type of composition style, where even though saxophone is present, it’s not the main focus throughout, and the band is thoroughly highlighted. You can hear this the most at the 2-minute-11-second mark where the only solo is a keyboard solo done by my pianist Miles Lennox. During that whole section, you hear how the band is interacting with one another while also backing up Miles’ solo.”
Film is a powerful influence on music, just as music is on film. What three movies do you feel have shaped your style?
“To be honest, I’m not big into movies, but my favourite soundtracks are from Indiana Jones and Star Wars, which are both composed by John Williams. I also love the soundtracks from the video game Spyro: A New Beginning. All of these are great orchestral works, but none of them have really had an influence on my composing style.”
What backstage rituals do you have?
“I think backstage rituals are for people who are either very superstitious or nervous all the time. I don’t really get nervous anymore, since I’ve been performing most of my life. When the show starts, I just get on stage and get in my natural element. I could be doing anything backstage, from talking my band’s ears off, to scrolling memes, to listening to some of my favorite albums.”
What’s your favourite place in the world?
“New York City, definitely, and not just because I live there. There’s just so much to do in the city, and at all hours of the day. There’s so much food, so many speakeasies — which I am obsessed with, by the way — and so many late-night music and jazz shows to go listen to free of charge. Well, for me it’s free, since a lot of jazz club owners know me personally, but others will have to pay. All of these things outweigh the fact that no one from NYC knows how to drive properly, which brings down my personal rating of the city slightly. Overall, I still love being here.”
How do you know that you’ve truly finished a song?
“You honestly just know. I will say, knowing when a song is finished comes from years of discipline. I find it is easy, especially for young producers who may not be that good at music itself, to over-produce and continuously add elements to an already finished product. Once you feel that there is nothing else to add to a song, you’ve finished it. There’s no need to force yourself to keep going just because it may not have as many elements as other songs you hear on the radio.”
What plans do you have for 2026?
“Hopefully a tour. Fans have been reaching out to me through social media and through my website, asking when I’m coming to their city. I think it’s time I finally do some traveling.”
What music secret are you keeping? Spill the tea!
“A lot of my songs contain almost obvious rip-offs of other songs that I really like, but you wouldn’t be able to tell unless I pointed it out. It is not in a way that would warrant a copyright lawsuit, but it is in an artistic and subtle way, paying homage to the artist I took from.”
Stanisland Magazine 
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