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MICHIGAN MUSIC |
OCTOBER
15, 2000 ISSUE |
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IT'S
"YOSH" MAN |
THE STORY OF JOHN JASZCZ |
| Interview & Photos by PT Quinn |
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| Editor's Note: |
| It was January 11, 1978 when instructor Fred Munch
began the Recording Institute Of Detroit's 30th Basic Recording class (RID's latest basic
class is #315). One student stood out with perfect attendance, all A's on theory and
his lowest assignment grade being a B+. Within 2 1/2 years he would be teaching
classes for RID, with the bare minimum vocational instructor requirements. He was a
fantastic instructor because he had become a fantastic engineer and yet retained all of
his initial enthusiasm and drive. He would tell his students, "If I can do it,
you can too." |
| He was determined to become a recording engineer.
He quickly conned his instructor into letting him "sit in" on sessions
and by time he finished RID's then 6 month program, he was hired by the studio. |
| Being impressed, I personally supervised him an
intense 6 month internship. From day one I had him doing the work while I watched
closely over his shoulder - rather than having him just watch me perform. I remember
the first album he mixed (a country project) where I sat back and did paperwork with my
ears open. After he mixed, I would show him what I would have done and let him try
it again. By time he got to the last tune of the project, I had no more corrections.
His mind and his ears were like sponges, a trait he still retains today. |
| By the time of this interview, John has racked up
impressive credentials like credits on 4 gold records, articles by him published in major
industry magazines and a vice-chairmanship of the Audio Engineering Society Nashville
Chapter. |
| Bob Dennis |
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| The Interview by PT Quinn: |
| Recently when I was in Mississippi doing some
work, Bob Dennis suggested that seeing on how I was driving through Nashville I should
stop and interview former Recording Institute of Detroit and Disc engineer John Jaszcz
(pronounced YOSH). I didn’t know anything about him because Bob just told me
John worked at a studio there. So I’m making my way up the Natchaz Trace when I
finally got to the turnoff that takes you to Franklin Tennessee, a suburb just south of
Nashville. I was a little road weary after driving 4 hours in high 90’s heat
with no air...but my crummy car is another story. I come to a gas station where I
gave John a call on his cell phone. He answered and seemed a bit bothered that he
couldn’t exactly tell me how to get to the studio. I heard him cuss that
someone who could tell me wasn’t around to be of help. Then I heard him holler
at someone who finally could aid in the precise directions that allegedly would lead me to
what became known to me as The Sound Kitchen. Here it is I'm thinking that it must
be some kind of Mom and Pop studio like so many others I’ve seen before. With
instructions in hand, I started to pull out of the gas station when a pickup truck with
what looked like 3 construction workers backed into my rusty but trusty Chevy knocking out
the rear corner lens piece. I begrudgingly got out to inspect the damage when the
driver of the hapless truck asked me if I was going to call the law. I said no and
he was relived to the point of thanking me over and over. This is Franklin? I
thought. So, I’m following the different roads when I come across one that had
no street sign. I contemplated for a few moments and turned left not really being
sure where I was. I got lucky. I found 112 Seaboard Lane. |
| The Sound Kitchen is a beautiful building
with it’s southwestern design complete with a lovely courtyard that leads you to the
reception area. The friendly receptionist pointed me to where I could find John, so
I made my way through the labyrinth hallway to the particular studio where he was
working. It’s an impressive place with 27,000 feet and 6 studio suites each
having its own lounge stocked with food, drink and DSS TV. The client list includes
Elton John, Vince Gill, Roberta Flack, Dolly Parton, Amy Grant, and way too many more to
mention here. John was playing back some contemporary Christian music he was mixing when I
showed up. I must admit it was the highest fidelity recording I’d ever
heard. I didn’t know who the band was, but it didn’t matter....I was in
recording dreamland. It turned out that the Kitchen is the 3rd largest in the
country - no small feat coming from Nashville. John later told me there’s more
studios per capita in the Nashville area then anywhere else probably in the world.
That’s a tall claim but totally believable when you think of its history. Yeah,
Music City USA, the Grand Ole Opry, and all the legends and wannabe legends and so on and
so forth. |
| John first got interested in music way back
in the 70’s when he was in a group called “Rogues Gallery” who did some
recording at the then GM Studios that later became the Disc. John plays guitar and bass
but claims they’re now leading a lonely life under his bed. At 46, the former
Detroiter is a happily married man with his wife Jude, and has three kids, Jackie, Jordan,
and Jonathan. Lots of “J’s” in his family. His 6 foot 3 height and
snowy hair has a commanding presence over all those around him. John seemed happy
that I was a connection to his old buddy Bob Dennis. It was about 9 PM when he
talked to me. He said he had a session about an hour later. Funny about
engineers...they work a lot late into the wee hours of the morning. Kind of like a
vampire. This is what John had to say..... |
| PT Quinn: What sparked
an interest in recording? John Jaszcz: Well, recording my own
band when I was younger. I think the most important influence was what Alan Parsons
was doing for Pink Floyd and his own records. Especially “I Robot.”
I started doing it on my own in the middle 70’s with a Tascam 80-8 and all
that. I realized I didn’t know what I was doing so I went to The Recording
Institute of Detroit and met Bob, Greg and Fred Munch. Fred was a teacher there at
the time. I said to Fred: hey, can I come to the studio after classes? and started
doing late night sessions with him. |
| PT: What year was that?
John: In 1978. Bob took an interest in me and made me
an assistant teacher. He had me help work on the school. I became a second
engineer there and worked my way up to first engineer at the Disc and started working with
the Funkadelic back in the late 70’s early 80’s. |
"I must have worked with Bootsy
(Collins) a hundred days. We must have cut 120 songs..." |
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| PT: What did you do with
George Clinton? John: It was like a factory in those days. They
pretty much leased the studio out. We did the “Electric Spanking of War
Babies”....”Trombipulation” for Parliament. Electric Spanking was for
the Funkadelic. We did a Parlette album, the Brides of Funkenstien...”Atomic
Dog” was done in those years. I must have worked with Bootsy (Collins) a hundred
days. We must have cut 120 songs..ha-ha, and only about 20 made it to records. You
never know, they’re probably on records today. |
| PT: What did you do after
leaving the Disc? John: After the Disc I went to RMJ studios on 6
Mile (in Detroit). Worked with many local groups there. We where still doing funk
stuff over there. After that I went over to Studio A in Dearborn Heights about in
‘85. I became the chief engineer there. Worked there until ‘92 then
moved here (in Franklin). During that period, we were doing black gospel for a group
called “Commissioned.” We did 7 albums at that studio. Before there
was a Take 6, before there was Boyz to Men, there was Commissioned. The guys from
those groups used to listen to Commissioned records. If fact I still work with the
guys from Take 6 now and then. Their record company was from Nashville, and in
“91 Benson Records asked me to go down here to work on some stuff here in Nashville.
I had never thought of moving here. I wanted to move to LA or New York.
I had a son from a previous marriage and didn’t want to leave Detroit.
When I came to Nashville I said "...this is a great place." There’s
studios everywhere...there’s studios on every corner in this town...in every
house. There’s gotta be 200 studios in the city of Franklin alone..ha-ha.
I went to Digital Recorders in Nashville and did some sessions there. The first day
I was in town, I was working on this Commissioned album, Take 6 was downstairs, Leland
Sklar (James Taylor’s bassest) and Barry Becket were in another room and I said to
myself this is a great town. We moved here after that on a leap of faith. |
| PT: What’s next,
are you going to stay here ? John: Oh, definitely.
I’m not moving..this is where we’re staying. It’s a great town to
work and live...and raise a family. I’m doing a lot of mixing and tracking.
A lot of producing of younger band type artist’. I’m doing a lot of
Country music and contemporary Christian and Gospel right now. |
| PT: If you could
change something about yourself, what would that be? John:
That’s a good one. To be a better time manager outside of the studio. I can
always deliver a record on time but I can’t deliver anything else on time in my
personal life..ha-ha.... |
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Sound Kitchen Studios |
Sample equipment list: |
A 64 input SSL G-plus
console
2 Atari Radar 24 bit hard drive recorders linked for 48 tracks
Ampex ATR 102 analog half inch tape backed up by DAT
Telefunkin 47 vocal mics
Sennheiser 421’s for drums
Makie HR 1 monitors
Pro Tools for Mac G3 and G4’s |
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The Sound Kitchen
112 Seaboard Ln
Franklin TN
37067
(615)-370-5773
soundkitchen.com |
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Copyright © 2000, by
Robert Dennis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
Published in Recording
Engineer's Quarterly and Alexander magazines with permission |
USE OF THIS ARTICLE SUBJECT TO USER AGREEMENT |
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