By Matt Marn
The organizers behind two of Glendale’s best kept secrets are ready to share.
People from all over the valley, musicians and supporters alike, gather in the lounge of Jivemind Cooperative Music Labs to enjoy the Downtown Glendale Jazz Jam. Performers of all ages and skill levels, from seasoned professionals to a grade-school student with a ukulele, take to the stage with their guitars, drumsticks, and voices every Thursday night to share their talents and have fun in a friendly, supportive atmosphere.
But there is more at work in this building than the Jazz Jam, and whether you are a passionate musician, or you just want to try a new hobby, Jivemind Music Labs may become your second home.
Getting the Jazz Jam started
The Downtown Glendale Jazz Jam, which meets at 7:30 every Thursday evening, got its big break when the organizer, Elizabeth Doré, was offered a booth at Glendale’s annual Jazz and Blues Festival through a music organization of which she is a board member, Jazz in AZ.
“We have been after a space to perform for 2 years,” Doré said. “I was working with Glendale, and they gave Jazz in AZ a booth 3 years ago. I met Gabriel Bey, the founder of AZ Culture, and told him we were looking for a venue. When he heard about Jivemind this year, he told the founders about us.”
Doré said she hires a new professional jazz band every month to facilitate the Jazz Jam, and people from all over the community are welcome to play. She said the arrangement with Jivemind is great, since the Jazz Jam satisfies Jivemind’s needs through the city, and it also gives Glendale nightlife business. Doré’s business, ABD Antique appraisers, is the sole sponsor of the event so far, but she hopes to get support from more organizations as the event grows in size and reputation.
“It’s a dream come true, holding a jazz performance in downtown Glendale,” Doré said. “There are so many people on the west side, and they don’t have anywhere to go. And the new performers get to play with professionals. Everybody wins; that’s how we roll.”
Doré wants to use the Jazz Jam to share the west side’s musical talent, and establish relationships with people who are participating in events like this in the community.
“We now have a west side center for live music on a regular basis. With this low cost and high-quality entertainment, we strive to bring young students out to play with seasoned professionals. It is such a wonderful outlet… there are so many well-educated musicians here.”
Jivemind Music Labs: A place to call home
Jivemind Cooperative Music Labs, the home of the Jazz Jam, is also starting its own rise through the valley’s music scene. On the corner of 58th Avenue and Glenn Drive in downtown Glendale, the founders describe Jivemind on their website as “a community workshop where musicians, producers and hobbyists realize their projects, practice their art, and connect with others.”
Jivemind offers rehearsal space and a growing collection of accessible instruments, recording studio space, as well as regular clinics, workshops and performances, including the Jazz Jam. With nearly a dozen varieties and levels of membership plans at Jivemind, Rose and Chaffin believe everyone interested in music should be able find a comfortable environment to enjoy and practice music, and meet others who enjoy doing the same.
“I’d like Jivemind to continue to gain momentum, said Rose. “It’s going to be the happening spot, with lots of events, lots of really awesome equipment. We’ve gotten to funnel performance opportunities to younger performers. I’d like to see musicians playing, learning and networking.”
Jivemind held an open house the weekend leading up to when Rose and Chaffin opened the doors. They got overwhelmingly positive feedback, including a news network affiliate. They are excited about the publicity, but they remain most excited about the good it will do for music enthusiasts in the area.
“Dawell, a drummer and regular here, said it best: ‘Everyone has a voice, however developed, and everyone should have a right to express it,’” Rose said. “And we’re trying to do that. We want to foster a culture that is growing. We want to give all the musicians in town a voice, and we’re here to help them develop those voices.”
Different roads to the same song
Rose said he and co-founder Chaffin arrived at the need for a place like Jivemind separately, knocking on doors, making contact with musicians and organizers in the area.
For Rose, it started when he played his drum set at home, and with the paper-thin walls of his apartment complex, that didn’t go over well.
“It was not a healthy environment to play and practice,” he said. “I got my drums out of home, and I took them to another sketchy place, and soon they were trashed. I just wanted to play my drums…”
Rose said he wanted to also go out and meet musicians, and have a good, safe place to play.
“There ought to be a place in town that can provide you with contacts, instruments, and a place to play, a central location in Phoenix that provides that,” he said.
Rose said when he asked around for who he should talk to in the area to get started in the music industry, Kimber Lanning’s name kept coming up. Rose said Lanning, a “well-connected and approachable player” in the music scene, put him in contact with other active members of the music community, including Nate Anderson.
Meanwhile, Chaffin grew up an hour north of Austin, Texas.
“Any day of the week, you can just walk down the street, and see a show,” Chaffin said. “The music scene is incredible. Plus, I’ve been writing and recording music since I was able to read at all. Anything I did in music, I was very encouraged, coming from a musical family.”
Chaffin said when he looked into the issue; he found most recording studios in the traditional sense weren’t making money. So he formulated the idea for a “lean and mean” studio. He, too, approached Kimber Lanning, who also led him to Nate Anderson. This was when Rose and Chaffin first met.
“Together, we came up with a holistic concept,” Chaffin said. “Venues, recording, and gear usually get expensive, and can stifle you. We provide these resources, and a great chance to meet other musicians.”
Chaffin added with a smile, Jivemind is “like a gym for musicians,” and advised enthusiasts not to buy an expensive elliptical, but to go to the gym.
“And there are people there with you, with a shared interest, a like mindset you can’t get at home,” Rose added. “However serious or recreational it is, there ought to be a place like this.”
Taking it from the top
Now that Jivemind has opened, Rose and Chaffin are amazed, seeing their dreams for what the local music scene deserves turned into a reality.
“I don’t know about Dustin, but it’s better than I had imagined,” Rose said. “We’re happy with where we are, but we know what we have to do to keep improving. It will grow so much greater from here.”
As part of that list, the duo is working more heavily on spreading the word to the community. As they show the community their finished product, Rose said more people will get on board.
Rose said the pair is working now on workshops and activities based around various musicians’ topics. Many are still conceptual ideas, but Rose mentioned a possible drum lab as an example, facilitated by a teacher, where music lovers can jam, practice and socialize.
“For sure, we want to expand our membership base, and the continued growth of what we have to offer musicians, from instruments and performance space to fun, interesting programs,” Rose said. “That’s the kind of stuff we like to do.”
The Start of Something Great
Now Thursday’s Jazz Jam wraps up at Jivemind Music Labs, and everyone in the crowd who wanted to take the stage has gotten the chance to jam with professionals in the valley music scene. The crowd is clapping for great performances, and tapping toes and bopping heads can’t help but keep the rhythm that fills Glendale’s newest spot for live music and music lovers. And off to the side, Jivemind co-founder Jeff Rose works the sound console, and in the back, Rose’s co-founder Dustin Chaffin stands with Jazz Jam organizer Elizabeth Doré, all three nodding and tapping along with the crowd.
Their smiles, however, may be just a bit larger.
Downtown Glendale Jazz Jam
Every Thursday, 7:30-10:00 pm
Held at Jivemind
Jivemind Cooperative Music Labs
5754 West Glenn Drive Glendale, AZ 85301
(408) 475-5483
http://jivemindmusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/JivemindMusic
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