Johnaye Kendrick is a vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has lived in Tacoma for almost a decade. She is a member of the Grammy-nominated vocal group säje, which recently released their debut album.
Kendrick has been a featured vocalist with the Nicholas Payton Sextet, the Ellis Marsalis Quartet and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. She launched her own record label and is a professor of music at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
KNKX host Abe Beeson spoke with Kendrick about Tacoma's blossoming jazz scene, embracing the introspection Pacific Northwest weather provides and the next music venue she'll be checking out in Tacoma.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
How do you differentiate the Tacoma jazz scene from the region, or do you?
I see Tacoma jazz scene is something that's really blossoming right now, it's on the up swing. When I moved there I didn't feel that way. So I've been there for about nine years almost. There are more and more spaces to hear live music. So I don't know that I differentiate it.
I feel like with Seattle, it kind of goes up and down with venues and the ability to see live music, but then there’s Earshot Jazz Festival, which does some work and bringing things in. But we've lost some venues in Seattle, which has been really difficult and the jazz scene has struggled. It feels like for Seattle, we're kind of trying to find the way and in a different way, it feels like Tacoma is trying to rise up and fulfill some of those voids, which is really special.
How does the environment of the Pacific Northwest, play into your compositions?
Well, I get seasonal depression! I'm a Cali girl, born and raised in San Diego. The sun charges me up. And so the way that I experience the world in the Pacific Northwest is a little more space for introspection, I would say.
I make the time to sit down and journal and meditate and turn within and take a beat. Whereas in a place like San Diego I'm outside running around, getting as much sun as I can. So, the benefits of living in the area is that, I'm more inclined to slow down and take time, create that space to generate new works, which is really important to me. And so the Pacific Northwest kind of helps support that.
Would you consider yourself only a jazz musician? Or do you play with other South Sound people and in other bands or even other genres of music?
No, I would not consider myself exclusively a jazz musician. I love all kinds of music. And I know people say that and they'll be like, 'Oh, I love everything but country.' I love country. I love metal. I love everything. I think that there's beauty. And I think that my music is informed by all of those things that I love.
One of my favorite singers was Mariah Carey for a really long time. And so I started out transcribing Mariah Carey music and then listening to other pop artists. I actually went through a really wild, oldies phase when I was 11 where I was listening to a lot of Elvis. My parents were kind of like, 'are you all right? You're an old soul.' All those things are a part of me and totally inform the music that I make.
All of my degrees are in jazz studies, but I've set the intention to just write whatever feels good to me. And I'm not convinced that everything I'm writing is jazz music right now, I just call it 'music' at this point...I don't believe in the borders and boundaries.
So it's fun. There's room, there's so much room and I don't want the box.
Who from the Tacoma area has been a mentor, or inspiration to you as a player or as a person?
I think one of the hardest working folks in Tacoma is Kareem Kandi. And I am just so inspired by his work ethic and his commitment to education and introducing young students to jazz. I think he's just such a gift, a really important part of the Tacoma scene.
I'm just always so inspired, and also grateful. Without the folks out in the community saying, 'this is important. We need this, jazz education is important.' If we don't have people out there fighting and making sure that these things are offered to young people, then that will stop. It's one of those things where if you don't tell me you need it, you ain't gonna get it.
And so Kareem is doing the Lord's work out there with our students, running programs and creating opportunities for young students to get out and play jam sessions. He's a heavy lifter, for sure. I love Kareem, and I'm grateful for all of his efforts.
What venues past or present are ones that you think our listeners should know about because of their contribution to Tacoma’s culture or current support of jazz?
The one that's doing really big things right now is McMenamins Spanish Ballroom. I'm twin momming and teaching, (so) I don't get out as much as I would like to. But if I'm ever looking for something, that's the first place that I would go.
I know that there are a couple other venues, I haven't been to them though. Someone was just telling me about a coffee shop that's like a tea pot? (Bob's) Java Jive! Yeah, I think that's some place that I'm like, 'Oh, I have to get there.' Because the musicians that I know that are playing there are like some of my favorite musicians.
Some of the colleges are doing really cool things and bringing great folks through. Even the institutions are trying to bring in great artists. So I feel like Tacoma is on the up. It's on the up for sure.
One of my first gigs in the Pacific Northwest was the Jazz Under the Stars series at PLU. We can't sleep on educational opportunities both for keeping students aware, but also because they offer really great programming and just random little beautiful places.
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