Singer and songwriter Chris Jasper, 73, died of cancer on Feb. 23. The Juilliard grad studied classical, jazz, and music composition, and formed a jazz trio with two of his brothers. Jasper was a songwriter, producer, and arranger for The Isley Brothers music from 1973-83, working on 12 of their albums (his sister Elaine was married Rudolph Isley). In the mid-80s he split with the group, forming Isley-Jasper-Isley, with himself (keyboards), Ernie Isley (lead guitar), and Marvin Isley (bass). Their biggest hit was “Caravan of Love” (“The song is based on a principle in the Bible when Christ returns and it will be a time of peace on earth, but it is also a universal theme in that we are supposed to love each other and strive to live in peace and brotherhood.”). Jasper went solo after that, also forming his own record label (releasing through CBS), Gold City Records. Of his hit song “Superbad,” Jasper told interviewer Bill Buckley (no, not that one!), “I couldn’t help but notice what was going on in the schools, the dropout rate, etc. The lyrics to ‘Superbad’ are about growing up with some disadvantages, but the way out is through education and self-empowerment, staying away from drugs and bad influences, etc. During that time, I toured some schools and spoke to the students, which was a rewarding experience.”
