Jarvis Church’s self produced sophomore CD The Long Way Home, the follow up to 2002’s Shake It Off, is an earth-quaking, booty-shaking Jamaican inspired musical love festival. From the opening grooves of the dancehall/reggae influenced “Just Like That” and “I’ll Rock You” through easy pop tunes like “Lover’s Kiss” and “Whole Day Long” to the CD’s slow dance special “Basic Guy”, the Juno Award winning, Grammy-nominated Church drives a rhythmic, sexy pop-soul fusion with a distinct Jamaican accent.

I wanted to make a fun party album, a summery island kind of record. I call it The Long Way Home because I’m Jamaican, I grew up in Toronto and now I live in L.A. so my album reflects that. It’s an international take on reggae, dancehall and all of the music that’s a part of me.

Church was born in and lived in Jamaica until he was 8 when his parents moved the family Toronto, Ontario. At the age of 7 he had a pivotal experience seeing the great Bob Marley at the now legendary One Love concert. Even after moving to Canada, Jarvis returned to Jamaica frequently throughout his adolescence and early adulthood to visit his extended family. But it was a recent experience, writing the score for the Canadian television series “Da Kink In My Hair” that took him back to Jamaica right into the heart of the incredibly fertile music scene.

It’s such an artistic, musical place. If you think of that tiny island, there are only a million people on it and the impact it’s had on the world is enormous. There are tons of talented musicians there”, comments Jarvis. His birth name is Gerald Eaton and that’s how he started his career as a founding member of Toronto band The Philosopher Kings. The band formed in the post-grunge era and distinguished itself with a sound that was a mix of smooth grooves, R&B and soul music.

The Philosopher Kings had a series of hits including Charms, It Hurts to Love You, If I Ever Lose This Heaven and “Castles In The Sand”. The band toured from one corner of the country to the other earning the title of “Canada’s Favourite Live Band.

Eventually, each member of the Philosopher Kings went forward with their own creative projects. Along with fellow Philosopher King Brian West, Church formed Track and Field Productions and Track and Field Records. Church discovered a young singer named Nelly Furtado, and Track and Field developed and produced her acclaimed debut CD Whoa Nelly. Whoa Nelly sold more than 7 million copies around the world, earned several Juno awards, as well as a number of Grammy nominations, including Producer of the Year.

The Church-West-Furtado collaboration continued on her second album, 2003’s Folklore. Track and Field has also worked with established superstars including Tina Turner and Ricky Martin as well as new and independent artists like Esthero, Stacie Orrico, and K’Naan.

With his career going strong in so many directions, it was the groove of the Jamaican music scene that pulled Jarvis back into the studio to create a much anticipated follow up to his solo debut CD Shake It Off, which was nominated for Pop Album of the Year at the 2003 Juno Awards. Spending time in Jamaica lit a spark in Church and fueled his desire to head back in the studio to explore his musical roots.

Even for a musical polyglot like Jarvis Church, synthesizing influences is not necessarily a simple thing: “I’m not a dancehall DJ, I’m a singer. But, I was able to find this middle ground, a zone that felt comfortable for me between the Jamaican music and the other music that I love.

Nothing felt forced. I was able to find this world with me singing how I always sing.” The result, a mix of the dancehall, reggae and one-drop with his pop, soul and R&B is so natural that it’s like it was in his DNA waiting to be tapped. Church wrote and recorded most of the CD in his home studio in Los Angeles, but he traveled back to Kingston, Jamaica to include some of the talent that impressed him including Rock Supreme, Mr. Peppa, and DJ C4.

There are lots of songs about the confusion, heartbreak and sometimes joy of being in love on this album: “I think because I’m a soul singer at heart and that’s the stuff that brings the most out of me so that’s what I like to explore. I find that relationships are endless and I like getting into the real tiny nuances of relationships.” But, there’s plenty of free spirited appreciation of the opposite sex in the lyrics, too.

Writing for this collection of songs was something that came naturally and easily. I remember when I was young, songwriting was the most painful thing”, says Church, “It was like writing an essay. As a writer, I remind myself that they’re little songs, they’re little ditties. If a song turns into something bigger, then that’s up to the audience. I’m just an entertainer and I believe the importance and the sanctity and the weight of songs is something that the listener instills in them, not the artist.

Even when Bob Marley was writing songs he wasn’t “Bob Marley”. He was just an artist writing a song. Even the greatest songs that can stop war and change the world, they were just songs, just little ditties when they were first written. So I like to let it flow and be natural and simple.

Church has also spent a lot of time behind the glass producing records for other artists. When he decided to go back into the studio to do a solo album there was no question that he was going to do both roles. I can’t imagine ever just doing one of those things anymore.

I’ll always be producing and singing and being an artist. I would feel really incomplete if I did just one. In the case of The Long Way Home, Church says it was the producer in him that took the lead in the studio. “I do think that the production on this album is really distinctive. It’s probably fair to say that I approached it as a producer first and a singer second. With a lot of tracks I was starting with the music. The most important thing to me was how the music was going to make me feel and once I had that I would put a voice to that feeling.

Jarvis had found his groove. And so when it came time to do the videos, Church decided he was going to go back to Jamaica to produce and direct the videos himself. The first one for Just Like That was shot in Portland, an area blessed with natural ports, blue lagoons and a beautiful beach. The second video for Whole Day Long showcases the easy-living, out-going atmosphere that exists in Jamaica. “I love that this is all in nature by the ocean, the plants, and the sky.

Even the girls that are featured in the videos are examples of Jamaica’s most beautiful natural resources. I wanted these videos to be extroverted and fun, to have the same celebratory feel as the album. With so much already accomplished Church is still charged up about making music. And with every project he’s upping the ante for himself. “I want to win a Grammy. It’s the first time I’ve thought of a specific goal to work towards. I think a Grammy to me sums up the whole thing and it pushes me to keep raising the bar. Success is important, but a Grammy win comes from your peers and your industry. That means a lot to me right now.