Lessons in Leadership and Jazz | Jesse "JTJazz" Thompson

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And how I was raised and taught is that one band, one sound. To know your place, not to outshine or try to outdo one another. Let's go. Yeah. Make it look, make it look, make it look easy.

Hey. The Ryan Hanley Show shares the original ideas, habits, and mindsets of world-class original thinkers you can use to produce extraordinary results in your life and business. This is the way. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the show. We have a tremendous conversation for you today with Jesse "JT Jazz" Thompson, a multi-discipline composer, pianist, keyboardist.

In this episode, we relate working in a jazz band to how we operate as leaders inside of a team, how we manage the flow, and how we integrate different ideas in a kinda real-time nature. We talk about the business of music, and we dissect the differences between Jesse's solo career to being part of a band, what that looks like, and how you take both the, the kinda self-oriented nature of being a solo artist and integrate that into, and how you can use those skills to be a better member, a more productive member, a more integrated member of a band. All of this relates back to how we operate our businesses, how we operate our life, and it is so much fun for me when we're able to bring in individuals who come from disciplines such as the music industry and take their stories, their ideas, their insights, and apply them back to how we improve our business and our life. JT, Jesse is an exceptional guy. I really enjoyed this conversation, and I know you will too.

If this is your first time here, make sure you subscribe to the show wherever you're listening or if you're watching on YouTube. If you have thoughts, comments, if you wanna just give Jesse a shout-out, leave that in the reviews or in the comments if you're on YouTube. Appreciate the hell out of you for listening to this show. I love you for listening to this show. Let's get on to Jesse Thompson.

Jesse, phenomenal to have you on the show, man. Excited for our conversation. What's going on? Thank you, man. I'm blessed to be here.

Thanks for having me. It's an honor. Yeah. So we, you know, my... I mentioned my good buddy, uh, you know, we're friendly competitors, Mick Hunt.

You were on his show, Mick Unplugged, so- Yeah ... um, you know, we gotta find some space in here where we can, uh, we can one-up, one-up your conversation with him and- ... uh, for all the listeners at home, you guys know that, uh, Mick's a buddy of mine, and I highly encourage everyone to listen to Mick Unplugged show too, which Jesse was on. And, um, my, my, my first question for you is why jazz? Like, what was it about that particular genre of music that just grabbed you and said, "You know, this, this inspires me. This is a place that I wanna put some time in"? Well, you know, um, first of all, it started, believe it or not, it started with gospel, um, church, because my mom was a church organist, pianist, and then my dad, by him being a retired, um, uh, professional jazz drummer, he was deeply into the church as well.

Um, so I did a lot in the gospel area there with church. Um, but, uh, my dad, by him being a, a professional jazz drummer, that kinda, like, leaked me into that field, right? Yeah. That playing field. And so we would always listen to, you know, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, uh, uh, Richard Groove Holmes, Jimmy Smith, Charles Earland, all these different type of LPs back then, um, and eight-tracks, believe it or not.

Yeah. So as a kid, we're sitting there listening to stuff, and he's having me study stuff, and, and I just enjoyed it. Um, as well as we had other genres in the house playing. But it was something about jazz. One thing that grabbed me about jazz, one word I can say is freedom, um, liberty.

It, with jazz, you're able to go different places, um, without maybe, for me anyway, without feeling constrained or without feeling like, "Oh, I gotta keep it right here," you know? Uh, it allows me to express myself a little bit more. Um, so that was one thing that really grabbed me. And then also found out that Uh, it also involve a lot of different other types of genres, kind of like a, like, a, a melting pot, uh, full of ingredients- Yeah ... right? That you can, you can trickle into jazz, whether it be some gospel, classical, you know, and then, you know, different forms, maybe some rock, a little R&B, whatever.

So I really, I really like jazz, and I like the way that it allows me to express myself, so it really grabbed me. Well, it, it's the original American art form. I mean- Yeah, sure is ... we invented the, invented the genre. I mean, that's, that's one of the things that I love about it, and I love... You know, the other thing I love about jazz, and I...

So you know, I am es- I have this enormous and wide-ranging appreciation for music, yet I am one of the least musically inclined humans. Oh. And, uh, I, I- You don't sing or nothing? You don't play anything? I mean, I sing, but not well.

Okay. I have a guitar that I have tried to learn how to play many times- Okay ... and just never seem to make it make the sounds, but, uh- Um, but I have this appreciation for it, and, and one of the- Okay ... things that, um, has always, uh... And I enjoy jazz. I won't say that I have as, as deep a knowledge as I wish I did, but I've, I've always been enamored by the blues and, and particularly the Deep South blues. I love it.

And, um, uh, I, I fell in love with, like, Taj Mahal and, and, and some of these other guys, and, and all of them come back to being inspired by and, and spent- spending time in jazz in some way, shape, or form. Right. And, you know, I guess, my... I'm gonna ask you a bunch of esoteric questions because I'm just so interested in this and your creativity. Like, you know, how...

When you're, when you're, when you're taking in, say, another genre, like maybe, maybe you hear a, a blues riff that, that someone plays. You know, it feels to me like the beauty of jazz is that it allows you to have this form and then pull in these other forms as, as they fit and as, and as you're inspired to do so, and that's a very unique quality. Is that, am I describing that properly? Yeah. No.

Yeah, you're right on it. Um, you know, with jazz, like you said, you can, you can pull different pieces, right, from different, um, other elements, if you will, music elements, and you can ma- and you can really make it work. So for example, like, um, the different types of instruments that are out there, you know. I mean, of course, we have the piano. But then we have different type of woodwind instruments that we can incorporate in there, and it's almost, it's really like orchestration, right?

We can orchestrate different things to make it work, to make it have our freedom of expression musically. Um, and, you know, plus we can add in the different syncopated rhythms, uh, which is a lot of fun. Mixed meters, uh, then stuff that's like, wow, that, it doesn't make sense, but it does, you know? Um, and so it's just, yeah, you're right. It's, it's allows you to pull in different things and just do things creative, you know, very in a creative form, and have fun with it too in a way.

Yeah. I was in New Orleans a few years ago, and, uh, you know, one of my favorite things to do, after probably having a few too many cocktails, is finding- ... like, the most, like, back room jazz, you know, live jazz that I can find. You know, I try to stay off of, I mean, there's, there's great stuff on Bourbon Street, but man- Yeah ... you get some really cool stuff if you, you ask the right person, you know, that looks like they've been there for a while. They can usually point you in a good direction. So my, I'm s- I did that and, uh, went with a couple friends, and we sat down and were listening, and w- what someone like me, uh, who is not musically inclined appreciates but struggles to understand is how a group of musicians in a jazz band can play off each other.

Like, as much as you can, I would love for you just to explain how you guys work off of each other because you, you, you'll, you'll, you'll hear, say the, say the, the pianist will, will, bam, he goes off and he's doing his thing, and you can tell he's got the lead and everyone's just kinda following him, and then at some moment that I can't understand but obviously the band can, the trumpeter will take over or then the, the saxophonist, and then now the guitar will take over, and then, and then they'll, then the pattern, it's not like a pattern. Then, then maybe it'll bounce back over to the trump- and you're like, "It's brilliant." I mean, you, you, you appreciate it so much, but I have no understanding of how you're able to do that. Yeah. Um, so, you know, you said the key word, uh, band, and, and, and how I was raised and taught is that one band, one sound, um, meaning to, to know your place, not to outshine or try to outdo one another.

There's a time to step out, and there's a time to step back. Um, and one way of making sure that that's done creatively is, is where, you know, like you were saying, we're bouncing off one another. It's a form of communication. Uh, and one word I love to use is called connection, right? So we're connected.

Um, so musically we can feed off of one another. We communicate, and it's just sometimes it's indescribable because it's such a vibe that, um, you know- Are you tired of endless follow-ups and missed opportunities in your sales process? Chasing leads is a losing game. That's why I created the One Call Close system, a battle-tested sales system that uses behavioral psychology to close deals in just one call. No more, "Let me think about it."

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Visit masteroftheclose.com today. Close twice as many deals this time next week Visit masteroftheclose.com to learn how. If it's a tune, let's say it's a tune I'm leading off playing piano, and we got bass, guitar, you know, and drums and sax, something like that. Um, and so I may be leading it off. Um, and then it's like everyone knows their place.

Uh, so maybe the saxophonist will come up and do a little solo riff off or whatever, and then it, and it goes off, pan off to whoever else. And then it may be a, like a free pool, as I call it, and that's when you really get the vibe going off of each other. Um, it's just amazing. It's, it's really just a norm- another form of communication. Um, and being able to bounce off of one another is so key, and, uh, and listening, you know, part of really listening is key, too.

So I mean, it's, it's, it's a lot of fun, and, uh, it allows you to, to know one another even more. And you know, the funny thing about with music is it's... It, like I tell people, it's a universal language. It's a way of bringing people together. So I may not know you from Adam or from whenever, but if we sit down and we're playing something together, and this has happened quite a bit, automatically we connect.

It's like music is that nucleus. It just attracts, and it just make things cohesive, and it makes it work, and it's, it's amazing. Uh, it's, it's amazing to me. Yeah, I, I joke all the time- Hopefully that answered the question. Well, no, no, you definitely did.

Um- Okay ... so I live, uh, where I live, uh, the greatest horse racing track in the entire world, Saratoga, um, is... And, you know, for anyone who lives in Kentucky, uh, Churchill Downs is a dog track compared to Saratoga. Um, they... No, they- I just joke. But the, I, I make this joke all the time that there's only two, there's only two places that you could see a, a, a woman dressed to the nines in $10,000 worth of clothes, uh, sitting next to a, a guy with a pit-stained wife beater that he's owned for 20 years.

And that's the horse track and a really good live music performance. Like, that, that's the only two places, right? Yeah. Like, it doesn't matter where you're from- That's it ... what you believe in, g- you know, the, the horse track and a live music performance, anybody, everybody's just there to appreciate and share and feel the vibe and the energy and everything. It's, it's, it's so wonderful.

Um, you know, another thing I love about conversations like this with, with people like yourself is that you could replace everything you just said with a business context, with, uh, a sports team or a community group context or a not-for-profit or, or any type of thing that that connection, listening, knowing where you fit in, understanding when to take the lead, um, you know, I... What was that like in, uh, like when COVID hit and you guys weren't able to play together? Did you feel that loss of connection? What was that like for you? Yeah, that...

So when COVID hit, um, at that time, that was before, um, that was before I decided to become, uh, a solo artist. So I was playing with a lot of different other artists in different bands, you know, like Eric Darius, Nick Colionne before he passed, um, you know, uh, Jeff Koshwa out there, Renee, just to name a few. And so when that happened, I actually had a show that was scheduled to play with Eric Darius, and it was like, "Yeah, the show was canceled." I'm like, "Okay, canceled. All right."

And then the next one, then the next one, then the next one, and it just, and it was like, oh, wow. And then that's when the announcement came about, you know, COVID. Um, so at that moment, everything was at a standstill. Uh, at that time, I was still working a nine to five, so I really wasn't impacted as much as a lot of my other fellow, uh, musicians and artists were. Um, so I was fortunate.

But however, you know, it still was a major impact. Um, it was just like a ghost town. So at that moment, that's when I was led, you know, um... It was like God was just telling me, and I was saying, "I gotta do something that's like make you happy, make people inspired, kinda get their mind off of this craziness for now." Um, so that's when, um, my first single, Weekend Groove, that's how it was created, and it was just about, about energy, about, you know, promoting, you know, good, good stuff, you know, taking people to another realm, um, and positivity.

So during that time, that allowed me to become more involved with doing things as an artist and doing more online things. So the other thing is, although it was a catastrophe, it wound up birthing or illuminating virtual connection for artists and musicians. So it allowed us to become more interactively involved remotely and virtually. So at that moment it was like, "Hey, um, I need to add this bass. Can you add this bass line?"

"Yeah, send it to me." Right? Email it to him or whatever. They do it, they send it back. We were still able to create and get things done, which was really, really beneficial, without leaving our homes, without paying for a player, a, a plane ticket or, you know, or a transportation company, right?

So that really allowed us to really grow and, and, and to do things that way. Did you see... Was the creative process- Mm-hmm ... different? Did you see any new aspects of creativity coming out of the limitations of not being able to sit in the same room and create together? Um, I think it brought about another, um, level of boldness, of being able to do something that you always wanted to do without feeling restricted, and it also allows you to have more versatility and, uh, and diversity in dealing with, you know, collaboration, right? 'Cause there are some people who may not have been available, but guess what?

"Hey, Ryan's available. I'm gonna hit up Ryan. Ryan said he'll love to do it. I'll have Ryan do this part," right? And then it allowed us to grow.

So it also brought, um... To me, it helped strengthen relationships a lot. Um, so although I may not have been able to hang out with whomever- By us doing the things together as a collaboration, it really, you know, strengthened the relationship and built it even more. Yeah. So, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. The, the availability and access probably, 'cause everyone's looking for something, for some place to play and, and contribute and work on projects is... You know, I, I watched- Yeah ... um, uh, I like, I like Pink Floyd. Probably most people do like that genre.

Oh yeah, Pink Floyd. Yeah, man. And, and I was watching The Dark Side of the Moon documentary. Off the Wall. And what I found- Okay ... so, uh, in Dark Side of the Moon, the, the actual song, uh, there's that, that saxophone part is just, you know, it's like you're going through the song and the build up and they're changing keys and they're, you're, you know, they go, I, I don't, I'm gonna butcher some of this.

I, they go from like a four tempo to an eight, or an eight to a four or something, which is very unique for, for rock and roll. What, and, and then they br- and then this saxophone hits, right? And it's like this epic saxophone. Ever you hear it, you know exactly what song it is, exactly what band it is. The guy that did- Yeah ... that solo for that song was like the sixth guy they called.

The guy they wanted wasn't available, and they started going down this list, and he, it, they just got to the n- next guy who could come into the studio. And you think about that and you're like, "Wow, would that song be different? Would it have sounded different?" Right. "Would it be as epic- Right ... if this particular individual, who they had no intention of being on the record, was just available, showed up, and played it the way he played it, and now it's this epic, you know, one, you know, one of the greatest, uh, albums ever created probably?"

Um- Amazing. Amazing ... and you're just like, man, being available, being open, your word, networking, like these are- Mm-hmm ... core aspects for, for, for everything, not just a business context- Yeah ... where it tends to sit. It's like, man, in your world, just people knowing that, hey, man, if I, if I need, if I need a, a, a, a track on the piano, someone who's really gonna think about it and get me something back, man, man, Jesse's there. I, I can just send this over to him. He's there.

He's available. We can get this done. That's, that's a wonderful thing. Yeah. Yeah, it is.

It's a great thing. And, and, and then it also, uh, like you said, it's networking, um, and collaboration, and you learn off of one another and, you know, and it's, it's like a, another, it's a classroom model. I mean, you know, I used to say it, right? Yeah. You know, you learn off of each other and you learn some things to do and what not to do, and you also learn some new, some new techniques and skills, uh, which is really cool.

So, ah, yeah, it's, it's, I think the COVID thing, um, uh, I hate to use the term blessing and a cursing, but I think it was a, a good lesson that helped us all to become, um, stronger, uh, and to persevere through things and to, and to bring us all together, unify us more, um, and, and to let, you know, let things go. You know what I mean? Um, and just say, "Hey, you know what? We're human." And, and unfortunately, that experience with COVID, it kinda dehumanized us as far as the sensitive, emotional touch type of feel.

So that's why now it's, you know, things are coming back, which is good, but it, it, it, but it's, you have some people who are still reserved in, you know, shaking hands, giving a hug, you know, because of that. And really, that's what we were born to do. We were born to interact- Mm-hmm ... with one another. You know, we're born to feel one another, you know, emotionally and say, "Hey, you know, what can I do to help you out?" Right?

Or, "This person's going through something," or, "Hey, I'm so glad to see you." Uplift one another is so key. And, and, you know, to have that kinda shut down for, what, two years or three years or whatever, it's pretty tough on us. It's like, wow, what just happened? Um, but you know, fortunately, things are starting to come back and, you know, we're able to go out more and do more things together, you know, as, as a human, human culture, which is really good.

Talk to me a little bit about the experience of creating your first solo, uh, single, and then, and then- Yeah ... an entire album, right? You created, you, it ended up being an entire album. Like, what was that- Yeah ... like having never gone through it before? You know, did it feel like a grind of filling up the tracks, or were you just, was it just pure inspiration? Or, you know, having never created something like that before, what, what is that process like?

I had already had libraries of tunes that I just didn't do anything with and didn't know what to do. Um, but this project, so the s- the single Weekend Groove was definitely something that was inspired, um, by what was going on, what we were going through. Um, to take somebo- some people, get their minds off of the stuff and just say, "Hey, let's do something that helps to promote a good time," you know, of us, you know, going out, hanging out, doing whatever. So that was definitely an inspiration. Uh, and then the rest of the songs on the album were also inspirations.

Um, I think there was maybe only one song on there that I had in the library. Uh, but the rest of them were really all fresh. So to go through that as an artist was, was kinda different for me at first because I was so used to being the guy behind the scenes or on the sideline, and it's like, wait a minute, all of a sudden now you're the quarterback. You know, in football, right? It's like, oh man, you're the quarterback.

It's like, what? You know? Um, but it, you know, it was, it, it's fun. It's fun. And it also showed something about myself, um, as a leader and as a people person and as someone who loves to orchestrate and put things together, because on my project, I've pretty much collaborated with almost, you know, I think every song was a collaboration with someone.

Um, and I love doing that because to me, I feel like, you know, Ryan, we're in this together, and, um, it allows us to help one another in so many different ways. Um, and so, you know, going through that process was, um- It was, it was different, but it was fun. And I did have a couple challenges, you know, dealing with, you know, limited with the technology or with the s- with the instrument, uh, the virtual instruments. But I was able to overcome it and then, you know, able to, uh, you know, work with other people who were able to help me out, so that worked out really good. But, you know, the, the number one thing for that, I think the cause for that was money, right?

You know, the finances. Uh, as an indie artist, it, it, it can be financially challenging at times. Um, but when you have, you know, y- you know, you just have the love of the people who love music and who support you, uh, I mean, that's a blessing within itself, so that, that goes a long way, so. Um, but yeah, that experience doing with my own project, um, it definitely wasn't anything just to fill up space. It was something to say, "Hey, this is my first coming out, my little inauguration of who I am, The Man Behind the Keys, uh, welcome."

Yeah. So yeah. What, what does the like, like how do you get that out into the market? Like, what, what's the process? How do you market your own album?

Like, what does that even look like? Especially when you're an indie artist. Yeah, yeah. Uh, so internet. Uh, internet is really good.

Uh, you deal with different distribution companies. Um, you know, I don't know if I'm allowed to name some, but there's some distribution companies out there you can look up and research. Um, as well as having, uh, uh, social media is so key. Um, you know, um, very key in having that presence and helping you out, and having a website, and definitely word of mouth. But yeah, getting that out there marketing wise is, is, um, y- you know, it can, it can be a little bit challenging depending on what your funds are like.

But thankfully we have, you know, different tools online now with different social media outlets that can help us do ads, can help us do stories, can help us do, you know, video clips, that sort of thing, uh, which is really good. But once you land into a distribution, um, whoever that might be, they all hit all of the major stores, um, online stores, so that's key. Um, you can still, you know, I still get CDs printed today and, and USBs, um, because a lot of people still want something tangible. Mm. Uh, I am thinking about doing a vinyl of some sort because I love vinyl.

Yeah, I'm with you there. And, and vinyls are still hot over in the UK. I mean, they have, they never left, and so are cassette tapes. Really? I mean, they're...

Yeah. They e- they're even, like cassettes are even coming back more because you can put more on a cassette tape, and it has that little nostalgic type of organic vibe, right? So it's, it's really a cool thing. But yeah, it's, it's amazing how things are, like revolving back to what they used to be. Yeah.

Um, yeah, so I mean, but it al- it's also good for us artists because streaming, streaming is okay, it gets you a presence, but you get better pay when someone actually purchases- Yeah ... the actual material, you know? That makes sense. So that helps out a lot. Yeah, yeah. You know, I was, uh, some, obviously my, my kids being 10 and 8, they've grown up with Spotify, and they've built their own- Yeah ...

Spotify playlists, and they add songs to it, and they, all this kinda stuff. Um- Yep ... but I was explaining to them the other day about how we used to make mixes when I was growing up in the '80s, where like- Yeah ... I was like, "You used to sit- Them all, yep ... by the radio with a cassette tape- That's it ... and you were like waiting for the- ... you know, trying to figure out what the song was as the host is bringing it in, and then you'd like press the button real quick, and every song had like- ... was like kinda cut off at the front, kinda cut off at the end, and you'd always have like the DJ's voice on it in between songs. I was like, and then you'd have like these mixtapes that you created and so hopefully one of your friends had one of the dual cassette players that you could then transfer the mixtape and copy. I was, like, trying to explain that, and they're looking at me like- That's it ... they're like, "What are you talking about?"

Like, "That sounds awful." They're like, "I can just press my finger on this little piece of glass here and play any song that I want." It was funny. Well, see, that's what, that's, that's what... That was one of the things that made our generation so unique and, and able to do multiple things at once, and able to look forward to building something with- Yeah ... our hands because we were, we were mixing this, putting this here, putting that there, and flipping this, and then, uh, like you said, um, it, it's, I think it was a part of engineering.

It was another level of engineering, right? I mean, we were able, you, you listen to the radio, you got a cassette, cassette tape, you hit record, you record that, and you, and then you try to hit pause or stop it before the radio commercial comes on, and then the next song comes on, you hit that, and then like you said, you make a mixtape and you kinda... And then we used to splice our own stuff back in the day. Um, and then it's just, it's just, it was a lot of fun. Yeah.

And it, and it, and it kept your mind going and thinking, "What can you do next?" Yeah. Or, "How can you do it differently?" So I, it was, it was really cool. It may seem like busy work to our generation today, but, but man, in our day, that was the way to do it.

I mean- Yeah, I remember- ... phew, that was fun. Um, so we didn't have, like, when I was growing up, which kinda sucks, I, I love, I loved, I loved hip hop even from, you know, like even the- Yeah ... early, early stuff, but, uh, obviously the '90s- Yeah ... hip hop is epic. Um, and I remember- Yeah, yeah ... someone, uh, had a cousin who lived in New York City, so they had Hot 97 and they got, um, uh, Juicy from Notorious BIG, B-I-G on their cassette tape, and then dubbed, you know, copied it and got it to my friend. Yeah. And he walks into h- I remember I was like, I can't remember what grade I was in, I don't even think it was high school, it was like middle school or whatever, and he walks in with this cassette tape over his head going, "I got B-I-G on cassette."

Like, you would think he was like the king. Like, people just, like, swarmed him. Like, everyone, like, wanted the c- want, "Hey, can I get a copy of that?" Yeah. Like, 'cause he had this one song- Yep ... on this cassette tape that his buddy had dubbed off of Hot 97.

And it's just like those type of experiences, like they'll just never understand what it means to, like, you know this song exists, you've heard of it, but, like, y- you can't get it on the radio where you live, and oh my God, it's amazing. And- And they, they were, they were talking shit one day, and, uh, and I have a, uh ... My dad gave me his record collection, and then I've kinda, I, I've built my own over time. And, um, I remember one day they were, like, talking ... They always like to bust my chops like I'm old and I don't understand.

And, um, and I was like, "All right. I'm gonna play you..." I go, "You..." So parenting decisions aside, I decided to introduce my kids- Yep ... to what I would consider good music very early. And the first, uh, band that- Okay ...

I introduced them to, um, really the first three bands that I introduced them to were Pink Floyd, Taj Mahal, and Wu-Tang. Ooh. So those are the first three- Wow ... disc- you know, first three sets that I went through. So I wanted blues, so, and I love Taj- Yeah ... so I went with Taj Mahal, and then, uh, uh- Yep ... Pink Floyd for rock, and then Wu-Tang for hip-hop.

So they're talking shit one day, and I said, "Okay. Put, put your favorite Wu-Tang song on, on Spotify. Play it, play it right now." So they play it and, you know, whatever. It's g- great.

And then they didn't know that I had Wu-Tang vinyls. So I go and I put the, the gold Wu-Tang Forever on vinyl, and I turn it up and I hit play, and they're like, "Holy shit!" Literally, my 10-year-old, that's what he s- and, and again, I, I, I give into that. I'm kinda ... I'm a single dad, so I let my children, they're boys- ...

I let them swear a little bit. My 10-year-old goes, it was nighttime. He goes- The vinyls ... "Holy shit." He goes, "That sounds so much better."

And I was like, "What have I been telling you?" I was like, I was like, "This is the closest that you get to being with, with the artist," you know? Yeah. And, uh, and then I played him- That's it. That's it ... you know, all the rest and stuff.

That's it. Like, uh, I was like Bohemian Rhapsody, like, you haven't heard it until you've heard it on vinyl. No. Like, you haven't heard these guys, you haven't heard Muddy Waters until you've heard him on vinyl. Like, you haven't heard these guys- On vinyl ... unless it's per- in person, you have not heard them until you've heard them on vinyl.

It's just so much different. So I'm completely with you there. Oh. Plus it's cool, and they like flipping the albums, and they think that's cool too. Yep.

They get bored of it after a little while- Yep ... but they like that too, so, um- Man, it's a cool look, man. I mean, that's what's going on now. I mean, vinyls, man. And it's ... You get ...

You know, with the vinyl is you capture the true authentic sound. Yeah. Analog, you know? It's like, it's like that sine wave. You're getting everything on the sine wave on the rise and fall, you know?

And, you know, digital is super clean, but digital's square. So, you know, what you normally get in that curve has been squared off, right, by ones and zeros. But, but you get, you know ... That's why I love, like, the, the tube mics and stuff like that. You know, tube microphones and tube amps and some of the tube keyboards and definitely, uh, well, behind me, Hammond B3 organ, right?

Tube, I mean, it's like I love that because it has that warm, sensitive feeling and you can ... And, and it bends, it bends that sound in a certain way. It's like, oh man, it's, it's just great. So you get that on the a- on the vinyls- Yeah ... man, I love it. I- I love it.

I was watching a documentary on, um, rock and roll in general and, uh- Yeah ... and there was a section on- Yeah ... amps. And, and the, and the- Okay ... uh, I'm, I don't remember the lead ... I, if I told you the band name you would know it, but I can't remember it. Doesn't matter. Then the, the lead singer, lead guitarist is, is talking on this documentary and they're talking about how, uh, the question was really, like, why does music sound different today?

And one of the things that he said was, "We do not make, uh, amps the way that they used to be made." And he said, he said, "I don't even know if we can make them the same way. Like, I don't know that the tech- like the ma- manufacturers are set up to even do it." He's like ... So this dude, and it's crazy, he, he now doesn't do big shows anymore.

He only does small shows. And he said he brings his own amp gear with him because he's got all these old, like, '60s and '70s amps. He's like, "Because I don't like the sound out of the new amps." And I was like, that's, it's wild to me. And it makes sense, but it's wild that, like, the era that you're pro- producing music in is not just the culture or, you know, whatever in the moment, which, and obviously that impacts it, but al- literally the technology- Right ... available to you at the time impacts what you're able to create so much as well.

Absolutely. Absolutely. The technology and then the materials. So now the manufacturers may not even have access to some of those different types of materials that we used to have access to back in the '50s, '60s- Yep ... '70s or '80s, right? Because you gotta remember, now we're living in an age where they're trying to cut down on certain metals.

They want certain plastic things that are cheaper to make, um, and, and maybe easier- Yeah ... to break. You know what I mean? So it's like, you know, so it's, it's a total different mindset now and, and then people wanna make things super fast, fast, fast. It's about, you know, quantity versus quality. Um, so they wanna get a huge stuff, you know, rushed out for production.

But I mean, you're absolutely correct. I, I don't think ... I don't even know if we really have the true capability of recreating what we did back then because the times are different. The material, the, the, the availability of the materials are totally different. Um, and, you know, processing is different now.

So I get what, where they're coming from. Um, there are some things that are still somewhat available, but it's kind of also like, you know, think about, like, one of these historical classic cars, a collect- Mm-hmm ... like a collector's item, right? They really can't get a lot of the original parts anymore. Uh, they come close, um, and it looks good, but it may not be the actual original part that it was, that really it was designed for from back in the day. So it's kinda like that with the music and material, um, and, and speakers and instruments and everything now.

Yeah. It's totally different. So- What was it like- C- so you spend, uh, we'll call it this, this period of time where you're forced to create on your own and you, you do your own solo album, and now, um, you said you're, you're starting to, to play again and, and play in groups and bands and stuff. W- w- did, did your style change at all? Did your...

Did anything change going from having that period of solo time to coming back in and working with a group again? Yeah. Um, it changed a little bit. Um, with- when working with groups there's a certain style or puzzle piece, um, that has to fit for that group. Um, or even if you're backing up another artist, there's a certain style you have to, you know, because you're accompanying the artist or, or the lead of that group, right?

So there's... it's a little different. The, the genres may be very similar, but the actual seasoning of that genre- Hmm ... is different. Um, so then with me, with what I do, you know, like I said, my household, we had everything from gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, you know, the Sugar Hill- Mm-hmm ... you know, hip hop stuff, right? All that stuff was going on in my house, plus my brother, who played keys for one of the Dayton, some of Dayton's hottest groups like Slave, and then he went on to play for Parliament and stuff like that. So I'm getting all these different sounds in my head.

So those things that I have in my head, I, I like to somehow put them out as a solo artist. Now, it may not sound exactly like those things I just named, but it's a part of me, um, and it's a part of what I want to express. So that's, that's where it's different. That's where the seasoning is different on that genre for me versus me playing with someone else. Um, so it, it, it was different and, and it's still different, you know, 'cause even today when I get called to play with other artists as an MD or whatever, uh, I have to make sure that I adapt to their sound and to their, to what they want, their product- Yeah ... 'cause that's their brand, right?

I can't go up there and be like, "Oh no, I'm Jesse. I'm JT. I'm doing my way, you know. I'm..." You know, no, no, no, that's...

You know, for one, you're out of order. For two, you're not being a team member or band member, and for three, that's not a leader. That's just, it's not possible. So what you do is you have to make sure that you understand who you're playing for and understand their concept, their brand, their style, and do everything, uh, that you're supposed to do to help keep that and even polish it even more so that, you know, you're helping them, and at the same time it's helping you as well because it's helping you to be more versatile. And also it's a good look because they'll say, you know, "Hey," you know, "if we're on keyboards we got, you know, Jesse JT Jazz Thompson who has a project out," and blah blah blah.

Oh, you know. Some people may not have heard of me. "Oh, he does. Oh, okay, cool." Right?

So it goes a long way. So it, it, it's kinda like, um, it's a two-way- No, that's phenomenal ... street. That's phenomenal. I, I- Yeah ... appreciate this conversation so much. Uh, I have just a couple more questions.

Oh, yeah. Um, one, answer- Yeah ... however you want. I'm just intrigued. Um, so many, like, rich artists, and I don't mean rich in wealth, I mean rich in music, have come out of gospel. Mm-hmm.

W- w- why do you think that is? You know what? I hate to sound biased. You can. Go right ahead.

But you know, when you go through different hardships and you realize there's a spiritual connection, and you realize that within that connection you're, you're, you, you know, you're feeling something, there's a spirit there. Um, first of all, in music, if I played a C7 chord right now, it doesn't matter if it's a C7 chord in jazz, classical, or blues, or gospel. The, the question is what is the intent behind the C7? So what kind of spirit w- am I pushing behind that C7? Am I pushing something that's, you know, telling people to go crazy and bang their heads on the wall?

Or am I pushing something, that C7, that says, "Hey, peace, love, harmony," uh, uplifting, right? Positivity. Um, so that there is a spiritual connection, you know, regardless. And a lot of, a lot of, um, musicians and artists, I mean, they were born and raised in the church, it started there. I- and then I also think it has a, a lot to do with our culture.

Um, it has a lot to do with, um, mainly, um, some hardships, some struggles, some overcoming, some blessings. Um, things that just impacted people so, um, closely and, again, because of that connection, and then there and they're able to really elaborate. And, and then there's also a thing where when you play in a church, it's kinda like your first- ... audition. 'Cause, 'cause now, you know, you got some people in the church that may say, "Oh yeah, it's okay, baby. You did a good job. You can do better next time," and although you're like, "I really sucked."

But it encourages you to go ahead and keep going, right? And then eventually, boom, you know, you get there. But, um, I think, you know, it's, it's, it's a lot more than what I'm saying, but just to get the nuts and bolts of it, I think it has a lot to do with a spiritual connection and a lot to do with the fact that when you're in there, you're ex- you're exposed or you're able to expose yourself musically, um, in an emotional kinda way, that sometimes it's, it's taken from an all level of... or I should say it's received in all areas. Um, and, and it also helps you and encourages you to keep going and, and keep going. And then at that moment, you may connect with other musicians or other singers in there, and then it just becomes harmonious, and then it just gets greater and greater and greater.

Um, um, so, you know, I think that's where it starts. Now, as far as when musicians, um, if they leave the church and they never come back or if they're still there but partially, you know, that's some kind of personal thing. But a lot of times it may be because they wanna do something- ... outside something different. They may feel like they're being restrict- restricted in, in being able to express something differently. Oftentimes it may be where they may feel like, "I need to say something else, but because of maybe the, quote-unquote, walls or the borders that are put up or the standards that are in place, I'm not able to," right?

Um, 'cause, you know, you have some situations- Yeah ... it's just like that. So I, I think, I think it's, uh, I think it has a lot to do with those variations and, uh, um, and it just, man, it's, it's really amazing. I see young kids that are, like, five and six years old that are sitting on a Hammond B-3 organ killing it, um, on the piano, on drums, on bass, killing it, and it's like, wow. And I think church also gives you the opportunity, again, it's an audition. It gives you opportunity to, to feel, uh, invited, um, and to be able to, uh, feel a part.

Um, and uh, you know, you may be clunking along and clunking along, but eventually if you keep at it, something will come out of it, right? Um, and I do have a friend of mine that, uh, he was part of a, a group of kids when they were growing up, and they had they trumpets and they had they congas and, or bongos, and they would sit on the front pew and, bom-gonk, donk-gonk, donk-gonk, you know, just making noises while the real musicians are playing, doing services. But now these guys are, like, phenomenal. They're playing all over the place. One of them is Sean Jones.

He's one of the best trumpet players out there. He's played with Marcus Miller. He played with Wynton Marsalis Orchestra. He's... And he's one of the ones, he was the ones that's sitting on the front pew, ra-na-na-na, and then now he's just, he's a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, a music, uh, conservatory.

I mean, he's... You know, so you just never know, and I think it's a way of- Yeah ... just encouraging, so. I love that. Yeah. It's crazy.

Um, I'd like to close actually with a, with a personal anecdote that you shared, uh, before we went live, and I'm just- Yeah ... I'm just interested. I, I now kinda can see how it all ties together, but, um, you said you, you recently sponsored a student and that it was a, uh, an experience that you've found tremendous joy in and that you, you wanna expand as part of your life. I'd love to know what, what maybe the impetus was to, to take on something like that, uh, 'cause not many people are willing to do that- Yeah ... and it's a wonderful thing. And maybe how, um, how, how that died your soul.

Hmm, good question. Yeah, man. So, you know, I was, I was blessed, man, to be able to mentor, uh, this student and, uh... So for one, you know, they're getting rid of music, getting rid of music, excuse me, uh, from schools. They're trying to close the programs out.

They're, they're firing the music teachers or making music teachers become teachers of some other subject. Um, and music is everywhere. Sound is everywhere. Frequencies are everywhere. Uh, even for those who are deaf, they can go off of the frequencies, um, or they can just feel the vibes, right?

Um, and it's like getting rid of music is, is like saying we're getting rid of a language to me, and this is a universal language. So there are a lot of students who, uh, for myself when I was crumming up, coming up in Dayton, music helped, was one of the things that helped save my life, kept me off of the streets. It kept me off from being involved in trouble, gangs or stuff like that. It kept me away from maybe even being beat up by gangs. Um, and so those times back then helped me, and I want to like restore and to extend those times, uh, for today and for tomorrow.

And so, you know, I, I've noticed where there are a lot of students who are discouraged in school, um, and they're discouraged in doing anything like music. And so I was very blessed and fortunate to team up with the, um, Charwood-Madison, uh, City Schools and the, uh, virtual academy there, uh, around country, which is right there by my home city in Dayton. Um, and we were able to partner and, um, we came up with, uh, the mentoring program, and so I was able to mentor, um, a student. Um, they were having some difficulties in school, some challenges, uh, academically. Um, and so what we wanna do is we wanna make sure that we are there for the students to help them, um, with tutoring, with learning for academic stuff, um, any, um, any, uh, financial assistance is needed for the school program because it costs to graduate.

You gotta pay for your robe. You gotta pay for the graduation fee. You gotta pay for this fee and, and some families just are not in a financial position to do that. So my goal, our goal is to be able to help out with that as much as possible. That, being able to do that, man, it really, um, it really allowed me to, to see things a whole new different level, a different platform for our, our, our kids, our youth, and that's what it's all about.

Um, you know, one of my purpose here on Earth is to, is to help, and especially help young people. Um, I love helping young people. I love and talking to them, doing clinics, um, and then I also love this mentorship program, um, that we just launched off, and it's, it's, it's really, it's inspiring to me. Hopefully it's inspiring to others, and what we wanna do is we wanna be able to at some point be able to get as many, as many students as possible to impact their lives and their family lives and to let them know that, um, it's, it's, it's okay. You're not alone.

Um, you know, don't stop. Don't quit. You may have to pause, right? And pausing is okay. That's allowed.

But don't quit. Don't hit the stop button. You're allowed to pause, but you cannot stop. You gotta keep going. And as long as we can get that message into the kids and to help them understand that they are the future, they are tomorrow, that they can do it, um, and to stay positive, then I think we're going to be on the right track.

So that was a, a good drive for me in getting this thing going, is to be able to reach out to students and just be an impact to them and help them out as much as possible, man. And, um, you know, if we- if I'm, you know, if we're not helping one another out, man, I don't know, what are we really doing? You know, that's the question. You know, if I'm, I'm not able to inspire, what am I here for? You know what I mean?

It's just ... So I, I have to- Amen to that, brother ... I, I- I, I'm, I'm right there with you. I love it. I absolutely love it.

Yeah. Uh, this has been such a pleasure. I am so glad that we had a chance to hang out. Uh, and- Yeah, man ... so, so you have your album. We'll make sure that's all linked up in the show notes and everyone can check that out.

I know you're working on- Okay ... a new single that's gonna be coming out soon. Where can people, uh, maybe get on a waiting list for that, uh, get more of what you do, maybe buy your album? Yeah. Where, where do you wanna send them? Absolutely.

They can go to my website, jtjazz.com. Um, and, uh, I'm on social media as well. Facebook is JT Jazz. Uh, I also have a fan club, so you can go out there and sign up and we'll get you on all the secrets and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that you can get as well. And I'm on, uh, Instagram as well.

Um, but to buy my product and to get autographed copies, and I'm sending different stuff in addition to what they buy as a thank you gift, just go to jtjazz.com. And, uh, man, sign up there. Sign up on the email list there, and I look forward to seeing you all there. Wow. Appreciate you so much, man.

Thank you. Let's go. Yeah. Make it look, make it look, make it look easy. Ice stack up.

Thank you for listening to The Ryan Hanley Show. Be sure to subscribe and leave us a comment or review wherever you listen to podcasts. Game ain't a thing for me. I never switched up, no changing me. The only thing changing is me.

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