We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John Covelli a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
John, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Getting clean and sober in October 2013, at the age of 47, has been the catalyst in my quest for confidence and self-esteem. Recovery in a 12-Step program cleared the way for me to finally face certain aspects of my personality and psyche in a reasonable way. Until that time, I had battled anxiety, depression, undiagnosed ADHD, and chronic pain while trying to be a good husband, father and employee. I had been diagnosed and medicated, sought help in psychotherapy and physical therapy to improve myself, however I had a deep sense of being a victim of circumstance, as well as a moral failure. Getting clean and sober helped me to see myself and the world around me in a clear vision, and after years of work, I am happy to say that I have reached a better version of myself. I keep working every day to be of service to those around me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I currently lead a jazz group Hard Bop Messengers. After playing in bands as a sideman for over 30 years, I finally had the confidence to pursue my own original project.
In 1983, I came to St Louis to attend Webster University, and major in Jazz Music Performance. While working towards my BM, I met David Simon and played in his 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 Years Eve in the lobby of The Fox Theater, I started a career in retail at Streetside Records.
The next 10 years were blessed by business employment and various stints in local bands, including El Caribe Tropical, 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.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I greatly value my ability to listen to others, whether in a discussion or a musical environment, I am always listening to what is happening around me, so I can best serve the moment. As a bandleader, I am empathetic to the human aspects of performing, practicing and rehearsing, because I know the failures I have endured to persevere. I enjoy bringing talent together in a blended mix that serves the music, and see myself as a man on a mission to develop younger talent as well as giving voice to veterans in the scene who want to play and share my musical vision. I also have a love of tradition, while a desire to innovate.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“Musician’s Dilemma” by Dan Rubright has been instrumental is breaking through barriers that were holding me back in music. In recovery, I found ways to improve my quality of life, but in music, my deep-seeded issues were not only unresolved, but undiscovered. Working with Dan and using his book as a guide, I was able to admit some things, and face them in order to fix deep cracks in my foundation. I will always credit Dan and his book for radically changing the way I see and hear myself, and how to serve the music in the best way
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hardbopmessengers.com/home
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO_zySl_enADGvYKqnS8svg
Image Credits
John Schmitt
