“It is my mission to show people that flute that can be just as soulful and
down-and-dirty as sax.

My music sheds a whole new light on RnB music and the flute’s place in it.

It’s flute for people who think they don’t like flute.
You’ve never heard it like this before.”

— Jef Kearns

Jef Kearns has been blowing the flute world wide open since he first grabbed the instrument at age 10.

While other kids were dreaming of drums or electric guitars when Jef’s parents asked him what instrument he wanted to learn seemingly out of thin air and destiny, he said, “Flute.” And as he jammed to R&B, he glanced at a Lionel Richie cassette on his bedroom floor. Thinking about the sax dominated solos in the R&B genre said to himself, “It’s my mission to make the flute the star.” It wasn’t just about being a background player; he wanted the flute to be front and center, to speak like a vocalist. “No endless noodling,” he declares. “Just powerful, punchy statements.”

For over thirty years, he’s poured every ounce of his being into creating a unique signature sound that is impossible to ignore. One look at his YouTube channel and you can see his music doesn’t just play; it resonates. The comments are a frenzy of excitement ranging from: “I didn’t know you could breathe fire through a flute… this is lit!” to“You had my 8-year-old granddaughter dancing like a whirlwind around the kitchen!”

WCLK Atlanta’s Jamal Ahmed (host of syndicated program “The S.O.U.L. of Jazz”) dubbed him one of “the dopest flautists in the game right now.”

His cover of Warren G‘s “Regulate” was featured in XXL Magazine’s “20 Covers of Hip-Hop Songs Using Instruments.”   And his cover of Kanye West‘s “Slow Jamz” in Mashable’s “14 Bizzarely Awesome Rap Cover Videos.”

Jef’s boundary breaking appeal is apparent; he’s proudly breathing in the success and exhaling it into every note on stage and in studio.

Jef’s 2020 EP of original music, Jazzy AF, was touted as “a blend of sounds that creates a soundscape that listeners can easily get lost in. Not merely an instrumental album, Jazzy AF sees the artist mixing genres and creating a new sound. Kearns’ command of the instrument is unmistakable.” The release also hit #1 chart position on renowned Jazziz Magazine‘s listener-voted new release chart “Inside Track.”

His follow-up single Hazy hit #77 in the Top 100 RnB and Soul charts on iTunes Norway in 2021.

Jef’s newest album Deep Cover 1970s was released in 2024 and he describes it as his “proudest moment and most cohesive sounding project to date. The goal was to modernize and revitalize 1970s classics in a creative yet highly respectful way.
The project also allowed me to spotlight some of Toronto’s top female vocalists alongside my signature flute sound. I am thrilled to present these songs and artists for current and future generations to discover.”

The release also hit #1 chart position on Jazziz Magazine‘s “Inside Track.”