There was a time when a musician was able to commit to and
specialize in one specific area of the music industry. But the dramatic
changes that the music industry has gone through over the last decade
have scattered us around such that on almost every gig I find myself
saying to another musician "Wow - you sound GREAT! How come
we've never played together before?" Music on Broadway, in
community theater, with R&B bands, and yes, secular and non-secular
weddings have placed me in musical situations that I may not have
expected to be a part of. But guess what —It's all good. I meet many
great musicians in seemingly odd musical situations. And, while the
particular style is not always my first choice, with an open mind
I can experience some very creative and satisfying musical moments.
But still, the setting is rarely jazz.
Two years ago I was talking with my good friend, Jerry Weldon,
about how there are so many incredibly talented jazz artists in the
NYC area that don't have the opportunity to play and record jazz
together on a regular basis. I asked him, what if we organized a "club" -
a pool of jazz musicians that could play and record with each other
on a regular basis? The next day I began to call the best players
I've met over the years and pitch my idea. I told them my goal was
simple — to produce jazz that would be honest and fun. The response
was overwhelmingly positive and Index Jazz was born.
I started recording jam sessions at my studio to see who
would musically hit it off. We played some jazz, ate some sushi and
had some laughs. It was a thrill to reconnect with some very good
friends from my old "jazz days." And, needless to say,
everyone played great. We came up with combinations of musicians
for various projects, set up a schedule and began recording some
real jazz! The end result is a sound unique to Index Jazz. As we
grow we plan to add online jazz tutorials, artist interviews and
videos of performances. Be sure to check in regularly for free mp3
downloads.
-John Tendy