- Bryon Harris
Jess Novak Band - Counting On Love
The Jess Novak Band, is a pop-rock, soul-infused group who possess a full range of instrumental, vocal and songwriting ability. The band is renowned for their live performances where Jess and the Band pour out boundless energy, putting heart and soul into every drop of music they sing and play. Having touched audiences up and down the East Coast and throughout the Midwest – from Burlington, VT to Key West, FL to St. Louis, MO – and with Novak playing more than 250 dates annually, their sound has the professional polish you would expect of national touring band. Off their EP, ‘Fireworks & Fairytales’, their single "Counting on Love", is a song for our times that will have you counting all the ways you love this band.
“Counting on Love” opens with a soft, melodic piano introduction. Jess enters singing, “There's blood in the streets / everyone says it's not my fault / there’s hate here for keeps /Think we'll keep it out with a wall.” What is lovely about this opening is Jess’s interpretation. Yes, there is political content here, but Jess sings the lyrics with a certain sweetness and depth that draws the listener in with open ears from the start. The arrangement builds beautifully to the chorus where Jess's vocal intensity builds as she sings the chorus' lyrics, “But I'm counting on love, I'm counting on faith, I'm counting on us, To change today And I'm just a little girl, In a great big world, But I believe, That people are better than they seem.”
After the first chorus, it is clear - both musically and lyrically - that this is a positive song to lift of us and inspire us to be better, not with anger but with love. Musically, everything fills in nicely. The full band enters creating a nice, feel-good vibe and groove. Textures are introduced. Tastefull solos are laced in. Background vocals and harmonies add a nice contrast. The band is Mark Nanni: keys, Anthony Saturno: electric guitar, Jon Novak: bass, Byron Cage: drums, Ashley Cos: vocals, Jessica Brown: vocals, and Jess Novak: piano and lead vocals. Together, they create one seamless voice.
Take a moment to check out Jess's intimate video performance:
Ending with a touch of acapella, yielding a certain gospel and soul feel, then kicking the music back in, the energy stays high throughout. The message is that we can be better and we can change the world, one person at a time – “Wait and see. Cause I’m starring with me.”
The Jess Novak Band comes together and brings us together as one voice with passion, purpose and polish to give us the song “Counting on Love” which is more than a song, it’s a gift for our times.
To learn more about the Jess Novak Band, visit their website.