Today we’d like to introduce you to John Covelli.
Hi John, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In 1983, I came to St Louis to attend Webster University, and major in Jazz Music Performance. While working towards my bachelor in Music, I met David Simon and Mike Apirion, and played in their band Blank Space. This association led me to join The Unconscious, which became one of the most popular bands in the region in 1989-90. We traveled to SXSW, New Orleans, New York, and Minneapolis, playing in venues such as Tippitina’s, CBGBs, and First Avenue. Upon the dissolution of that band and playing our last gig on New Year’s Eve in the lobby of The Fox Theater, I started a retail career at Streetside Records.
The next 10 years were blessed by business employment and various stints in local bands, including El Caribe Tropical, with marriage and children being the main focus. In 2003 after finishing my MBA in Finance, and re-connecting with Dave Simon, co-founded the very first Rock ‘n’ Roll school for kids in St. Louis.
Over the last 20 years since, although playing in many local bands, I had not ever produced my own album of recorded music until now.
The background for this musical project starts in 2018 when I formed Hard Bop Messengers, a jazz group seeking to highlight the music of Horace Silver and other Blue Note artists of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in the Hard Bop sub-genre. By 2019 we were playing semi-regularly, when the opportunity for a residency at The Last Hotel came my way.
I wanted to pull together some of our top talent here in St. Louis, and showcase the vitality of Hard Bop. My plan to attract new audiences into jazz really gained traction during our 6-month residency at The Last Hotel. Unfortunately, the pandemic discontinued this residency.
During the following 6 months, I composed the music for what would be a story of a fictional hotel from the viewpoint of the unsung heroes, the hardworking staff. This album, Hard Bop Messengers LIVE At The Last Hotel is the resulting recorded album.
In addition to getting the album ready for release, I was also extremely excited that two selections from Live At The Last Hotel album were choreographed by Cecil Slaughter into a modern dance work and performed by the Washington University Dance Company at Edison Theater. I was so excited about being listed as “guest composer”. Cecil and I hope to continue to collaborate on this and are looking forward to future possibilities!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Playing trombone in St Louis, I can say that I had the good fortune of many wonderful opportunities. There are never enough of these, and always seems like “feast or famine”. When my kids got a little older, I was able to get out more and check out other bands, meet other musicians, sometimes that would result in more playing opportunities.
In order to become more versatile, I honed skills on other instruments such as bass and keyboards.
I played in El Caribe Tropical for 20 years, which was a large group with 4 horns, and regarding jazz, I really get excited by hearing and playing in a jazz quintet. However, this has been economically less feasible than a trio work, so it has been difficult to procure opportunities to present in my preferred format.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am versatile and have played in many different bands over the last 35 years. I pride myself in being a good support to others in a group, and have always encouraged younger talent. In the band The Grooveliner, I contribute by writing the horn melodies and orchestrations, and helping to arrange the overall product. When I step back and listen, I hear the musical styles of the 1970’s being of great influence, which makes sense because I was really soaking that up as a child.
As a bandleader in my jazz group, Hard Bop Messengers, I identify and elevate skills and talents of the musicians and encourage a more shared leadership on the stage. I am also enjoying composing music that I think will be fun for the audience. My purpose in music has been about the collective experience, rather than focus on my individual musicality. Because of this, my projects tend to be highly accessible to a wide variety of audiences.
I have always wanted to be of service to the community, and have taken part in a great many charity music events, along with many other St Louis musicians. One such event that I organized featured myself and Dave Stone at the Sheldon Concert Hall to raise money for the Music For Life organization. Also, The Grooveliner always participates in Phillapalooza in December, an annual event centered on raising money and awareness for ALS.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
My parents were both educators, and so school work was a priority, and our family enjoyed music and other cultural events. I liked jazz and classical music, and on family trips my parents played the car radio, set on AM stations, so Pop music was the usual.
Pricing:
- $9.99 for CD, LIVE At The Last Hotel
- $22.99 for LP, LIVE At The Last Hotel
Contact Info:
- Website: hardbopmessengers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hard_bop_messengers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardBopMessengers
Image Credits
John Schmitt
Will Horton
