STEVEN MANDEL
J.M.I. Co-Founder/Producer/Director of Engineering/Songwriter/Photographer & Visual Design. I aim to please…myself. And the guy below. Fun is important. Don’t forget to have some.
J. COHN
J.M.I. Co-Founder/Executive Producer. I keep the lights on. Not the ones in my head though. Those lights are out…permanently. Nothing we can do about that now. Enjoy the music everybody. Much love.
DAVID SLITZKY
Co-Owner/Engineer. I engineered the first five releases for J.M.I. Then I ran off to Sweden, got married and live happily there. I collect checks from J.M.I. without having to do much of anything for them anymore. Nothing at all actually. I nailed the sound on those first five albums though. Oh yeah, I also recorded and mixed the Ray Angry Three box set. So, yeah.
Ben Kane
Engineer. I’ve recorded and mixed so many J.M.I. records, I can’t even remember how many. The guys at J.M.I. are all about getting the best possible analog sound. I’m really in it for the lavish BBQ meals J.M.I. always gets for the sessions. The baked beans are my favorite. The guys at J.M.I. call me Beansie because of that. lol. Oh, also I’ve won multiple Grammys and I own my own studio (Electric Garden). Steve Mandel taught me everything he knows, but that wasn’t much so I did a lot of other research too. I mixed PLUMB. I’m basically the man.
JAMES YOST
Engineer. I’ve recorded and mixed a lot of J.M.I. album and singles at my home base, Reservoir Studios. It’s been quite a journey since they arrived in my life in 2017. I’ve learned so much and I try my hardest not to remember the bad stuff. No matter what, we work as a team and I believe we’re achieving the best sonics in jazz right now, as we continue to approach it all the old-fashioned way. Classic mics, Studer tape machines, Neve console. No digital. It’s a trip. Just like surfin’.
SCOTT HULL
Mastering Engineer. I’ve mastered (and cut for vinyl) every J.M.I. album to date. My studio and business is called Masterdisk, located in Peekskill, NY. I love it when the J.M.I. guys come visit me with a new and exciting project, challenging me to always be at my best and most innovative. They also bring me Wendy’s burgers and fries, though I’m trying to eat better these days. It’s rare to find a label this dedicated to pure analog sound, and fast food. An echo of days gone by, for sure.
HEDI MANDEL
Packaging Director. I’m out here making sure presentation continues to be everything. J.M.I. has always taken pride in the visual design, materials and detail that goes into the packaging of their physical product. We believe it’s a crucial part of the overall experience and a nod to the importance of presentation in the history of album-making, especially jazz. I’m bringing a lot of experience and ideas to the table; perhaps you’ve noticed the poly-lined inner sleeves that’ve started popping up in the more recent J.M.I. releases. That’s mine. They’ve been calling me Polly Liner over at J.M.I. Headquarters ever since. I’m cool with it. There’s worse nicknames.
MARTIN “PATRICK” SAMSON
International Sales Manager for Vinyl De Paris. Nobody knows if I live in Canada or France. Nobody knows if Patrick is really my name. But relevant to this blurb, nobody knows how I keep the J.M.I. guys happy. They are meticulous and demanding, sometimes disturbing me with “emergency” phone calls and “urgent” emails about things I finished doing for them months ago. Yeah maybe they care too much, but I respect that. Their releases are definitely important. Anyway, I take care of everything after mastering, from pressing the vinyl to printing the jackets and all the artwork elements. The worst thing that’s been said about me is that I work too fast. Can you imagine that? Too fast? Gimme a break.
NATHAN GOLUB
Visual Designer. I’ve done all the album artwork for J.M.I. starting with Sasha’s album (JMI-6). Front covers, back covers, gatefolds, sleeves, inserts, labels, logos, hype stickers…it’s a lot. I’m here to tell ya these guys are as serious about the art as they are about the sound. The creative tidal wave that IS J.M.I. sometimes seems to crash on my shores, but that’s fine. They inspire me to do my best work and we’re all really proud of how things turn out. Steve once asked me, “How annoying am I compared to your other clients?” I answered truthfully and without hesitation… “Somewhere in the middle.”
ABBEY LEWIS
Assistant Mix Engineer. Electric Garden. I watch, listen and notate everything Ben Kane says and does. And I’m adding it all to my arsenal. I’m playing the long game. One day, Ben will be gone, somehow…wink, wink. I’ll just take his chair and his spliffs and take over. They’ll never see me coming.
DREW KANTOR
Marketing Director. My name is Drew Kantor. I’ve known the JMI founders for more than 30 years. That’s probably why I have my job. The truth is, they’re lucky to have me. My experience in the music business is vast. BMG, Sony, it goes on and on. Like my mouth. Every company has a guy that just won’t shut up about how great the product is. I’m that guy.
SEBASTIAN KRYS
Recording/Mixing Engineer. Yeah, I know…I only engineered 1 album for J.M.I., but it’s a doozy. A Max Gerl solo bass record produced by bass legend Stanley Clarke! It was infinitely interesting spending a day in the studio with Stanley and Max. I can’t say the same for spending a day with the J.M.I. guys. They spent most of the day in an alley behind the studio and when they were in the control room, all they did was giggle like little girls and take pictures of Stanley Clarke. Plus, they paid me with an envelope filled with 5 and 10 dollar bills. I’d still work with them again though cause this album is fire.