Story & Lesson Highlights with george kahn

We’re looking forward to introducing you to george kahn. Check out our conversation below.

Hi george, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
This is a thought-provoking question. Intelligence is important, but many people confuse intelligence with knowledge or wisdom. One can be very intelligent with a high IQ, but have no moral compass. Once can gather tons of knowledge (ask any librarian), but this does not necessarily make you smart.

Energy is an important element of life and getting things done, and anyone that knows me knows I love to get stuff done. But what is MORE important to me of the three words is integrity. If you do not walk the walk and talk the talk, and do what you say, then no amount of energy or intelligence will really help you succeed. It all starts and ends with integrity with my thoughts and actions on a daily basis.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a jazz pianist/composer/arranger and have been based in Los Angeles since 1976. I started releasing my own albums in 1999. It has been said that I am one of the few living jazz artists who captures the West Coast sound of the 1950’s and 60’s. Drawing inspiration from legendary figures like Dave Brubeck, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Vince Guaraldi, and Wynton Kelly, mymusic possesses a contemporary edge while staying true to the spirit of jazz.a variety of different settings – solo piano, trio, quartet, and quintet,

In 2010 I realized I wanted to broaden my musical world to include more vocals and I put together a group that features three singers: The Jazz & Blues Revue. As the name implies, we cover the whole range of jazz and blues as well as R+B, from the ’40s up through the 60’s and the rest of the 20th Century. I started the band with Courtney Lemmon, Gina Saputo and Dianne Wright.

After a few years, Crystal Starr replaced Dianne as one of the singers, and we put out our first album “George Kahn Jazz & Blues Revue” in 2014.

Beyond my musical endeavors, I am also a dedicated advocate for ending homelessness in Los Angeles. In 2012, the City of Los Angeles recognized my contributions with a Certificate of Recognition. Over the past fifteen years, The Jazz & Blues Revue raised over $450,000 to support affordable supportive housing for the formerly homeless with PATH(People Assisting The Homeless). The website: https://epath.org/

After doing years of holiday shows for PATH and other venues, the band and I went into the studio in 2024 and created our “Jazz & Blues Revue Holiday Soiree”. The 12-song album features both original holiday songs and chestnuts like “White Christmas” and “My Favorite Things”.

Now we are hitting the road, bringing the Holiday Soiree to clubs in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties during December 11-14

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My mom and dad lived in a “quid pro quo” world. My dad was a president of a sheet metal company in New York City that he founded in the ’60s. It’s a dog-eat-dog business. I grew up in an environment of “If I do this for you, you should do this for me because now you owe owe me”. It was what I would call a “zero sum” world: there are only winners and losers, so you better be a winner.
This environment made me want to run far away from the business world. I got out of college with no plan except to not become a boss, and to follow my desire to be a musician even if it meant living hand to mouth.

I knew there had to be a better way, but I didn’t find it until I started working with a business coach in the ’90’s. With the help of people like Joe Stumpf, Steven Pressfield and Seth Godin, I realized that if I do good work for others they will help me get what I want, not because they “owe me” but because I did such good work they want to see me succeed, and they want to introduce me to others that I can help. It is the “Law of Abundance” where one person’s winning does not mean someone else loses, but all parties can rise up to a new level.

When I started using this philosophy in my music business I was not longer competing with others. This helped shape my view of the music business, as well as the world in general

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There is one time that I didn’t just almost give up: I totally gave up on the music business, and music in general, back around 1984. I had spent about seven years pursuing a career as a film composer in Los Angeles. Even though I had a modicum of success, it was like scraps from the table, and I was losing money every month in my pursuit. I had been offered a record deal, but the contract was so onerous I refused to sign it. When my son Ben was born in 1983 it was a real wakeup call. It was time to “find a job”.

I was so burnt out by the music business in particular, and by music in general, that I totally stopped playing piano, composing or doing anything with music. In the end I threw myself into a new profession in the finance industry, and spent the next ten years or so building a successful mortgage business.

During those years I remarried to Diana, a soprano who was singing in the LA Opera Company and the Master Chorale. With her help, I gradually found the healing power of music, and that is when I started on my career as a jazz pianist and composer.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
One person I really admire is Herbie Hancock. Here is a guy that has played on more albums than you can count with most everyone in the jazz world (and lots of the pop world as well). His career spans over 60 years and he has 14 grammy awards. He continues to create at a very high level at the age of 85, and when he performs he does not pander to the audience, he takes them up to his level. And yet if you meet him he is incredibly humble.

I got to meet Herbie once around 2000 when I played with my band at a precursor concert to the Playboy Jazz Festival. There was a welcome party at the Playboy Mansion, and Herbie was there. After seeing him across the garden, I finally got up the nerve to go up and say hello. I said, “Herbie I am so happy to meet you. You have been an inspiration to me, and I wish I could be you!”

He looked me in the eye and said, “You don’t want to me be. You want to be YOU.”

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I love this expression, and this is why I formed The Jazz & Blues Revue about 15 years ago. After years of playing instrumental jazz and releasing seven albums, I realized that my audiences really responded when I added vocals to the music. And truth be told, deep in my heart I am a “jam band” kind of guy with a love of of the blues, New Orleans funk and Motown. So I thought, if one singer is good, I bet three will be three times the fun!

We formed the band with three dynamite singers based in Los Angeles, and each of them has their own style and sound but when they blend they sound like one voice. This allows us to do everything from the Andrew Sisters to Etta James to Ray Charles to The Pointer Sisters. Every time we do a show it is like a little history lesson in vocal jazz and blues. I just love it. “Tap dancing to work”? I’d have to say that is how I feel with our upcoming holiday shows in December.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.georgekahn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.kahn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geokahn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgekahn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@geokahn1

Image Credits
Images courtesy of Martin Cohen
http://www.martincohenphotography.com/