Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Todd Moultrie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Todd, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
After my father passed in 2009 I became immersed in jazz, the music he tried so hard to get me to love as a child. At the time I was a “former” music producer now about 8 years removed from production (this will be an important detail later). I started searching for new artist and immediately fell in love with artist like Robert Glasper, Gretchen Parlato, Terrace Martin, Gregory Porter and many others. That following year I was transferred by my job from Houston, Texas to Omaha, Nebraska and going through a divorce and saw first hand how music can truly heal.
The pivotal moment through this was seeing a Robert Glasper performance in nearby St Louis. I was so mesmerized by the performance I bought tickets for the next nights show and was even able to chat with Glasper after the show. From that day on, every chance I was able to travel to a jazz show I was there. I found myself traveling to Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, New York and beyond for a weekend of jazz. It started with me traveling to see a Glasper show then turned into full weeks in New York binging on the jazz scene. From this I started to think I felt like a groupie which is where I coined the term jazzgroupiez.
My early model for jazzgroupiez was truly a passion project to share my love for jazz through photos on IG, advertising shows, album releases and doing interviews. Through this exposure and being a former producer I had a breakthrough at a Stephen Richard show at the House of Blues Houston to begin producing again. This time jazz fusion reaching out to some of those artist that I built relationships with and admired.
And here we are today, 2 millions all-time streams, a sync placement on HBO, Converse, multiple #1 albums on Apple Music and a 2024 nomination for a jazz award in South Africa.
Jazz has been good to me!
Todd, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Since I was 11 years old I knew I wanted to make beats and become a music producer. After exploring the trumpet & a Casio keyboard in grade school I went on to a community college in the Dallas suburbs of Plano to study for a Business of Music degree. That following year, at 18 I produced my 1st song for a class project and was convinced it was time to drop out and pursue music.
After moving back to my hometown of Beaumont, TX I was able to save up enough money to purchase my first drum machine, an MPC 2000XL where I was able to expand my sound and eventually land a placement with Master P and the 504 Boys. From there I worked with several Houston area artist while pursuing a Criminal Justice bachelors degree from Lamar University. After a few years of broken promises and seeing the dark sides of the music industry I found myself living in my car while still trying to make a living as a full time producer. I graduated collage and sold and gave away all music equipment and entered the corporate workforce.
In hindsight it was refreshing to fall in love with music again as a fan and I frequented several Houston music venues such as Red Cat Jazz Cafe, Scott Gerners Skybar and The Horn. It wasn’t until 8 years later I found myself connected to music again when I founded jazzgroupiez in 2013.
What started as a passion project to connect with my late father through jazz turned into me producing jazz fusion under a sub genre I like to call Post Modern Boom Bap. My love for music led me to build a platform for modern jazz artist, who I felt at the time did not receive the exposure I felt they deserved. So I sought out journalist to join me and we began interviewing artist and promoting all things jazz. The intention was to merge traditional jazz and modern jazz.
Since it’s inception I’ve pivoted to mainly production where some of my proudest moments were achieving multiple #1 jazz albums on the Apple Music charts in South Africa and amassing 2 millions all time streams. Over half of those streams come from listeners in South Africa which I am extremely honored. Through this I was able to gain the attention of a music supervisor and place the song “Foundation” on HBO’s In Treatment. This song featured South African artist Saul Madiope and ThandoNje, two artist who I’ve been able to form a close community with although we’ve never met in person. Through a partnership with a close collaborator, Nyota Parker I was also able to place a song in her Converse ad as well as a video on MTV Base in South Africa.
Today my vision is still the same which is to promote this beautiful genre we call jazz while being an active participant in its growth and evolution. I feel like jazz can be such a conflicting genre divided by purist and casual fans that may have been exposed to the music through Hip Hop culture.
The true intention of the music is to touch souls through improvised artistic expression and I hope when the listeners hear jazzgroupiez they know the music is created with love and the purist intentions.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
20+ years ago when I began my production journey I can’t imagine being provided the resources that are available today for independent musicians. From social media, access to digital distribution and the music technology the possibilities are endless.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My core mission for jazzgroupiez remains the same which is to simply promote the jazz culture. But through the evolution of the brand, as a producer I really want to inspire the listener and let the music be an escape from reality. That’s what the music does for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/jazzgroupiez
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jazzgroupiez2526
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-987486210
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jazzgroupiez
