John has been responsible for at least 20 small group tours at clubs and festivals in the United States, Europe and Japan for artists such as The Brecker Brothers Acoustic Band, Al Foster Quartet, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra, Tim Hagans/Bob Belden Group, Wayne Krantz Trio, The Frank Foster Loud Minority Big Band, The Fringe, Dawn Thomson Quintet, Jon Ballantyne Trio, Randy Brecker Electric Band, Renee Rosnes Quartet, Jane Bunnett & Spirits of Havana, Kevin Hays Quartet, Dave Liebman Group and many others.
As the sole owner of The Rochester International Jazz Festival, John serves as producer/artistic director of the event. He has taken care of all negotiations and contracts for all artists appearing at the festival. For the upcoming 2003 event, John has hired the services of noted promoter Julie Lokin of New Audiences in Manhattan to consult and co-book the talent.
Rochester is now going into its second year and will run for 10 days next year.
"We will put on 70 acts at 15 venues around Rochester - from 120-seat small clubs to 1,000- capacity large clubs to 7,000- capacity outdoor open air," says John. "We also present at Eastman Theatre (3,080 seats) and Kilbourn Hall (500 seats) plus free shows at four museums and major art galleries.

NY JAM, INC. has been co-owner of The Stockholm Jazz Festival since 2000--a 45 percent shareholder. NY JAM, INC. has co-produced three festivals there, and is currently preparing for its fourth. The festival is held at a 12,000 capacity outdoor venue on Skeppsholmen Island behind the Museum of Modern Art. "It's a spectacular venue," John proudly notes. "We typically book 40 acts over six days on our main outdoor stage. Next year marks its 20th anniversary." Past acts have included Chick Corea, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan, Brecker Brothers, Steps Ahead, Joe Lovano, Angie Stone and a wealth of top jazz and blues acts.
Both the Rochester and Stockholm festivals attracted approximately 40,000 to each festival in 2002. Talent comes from mainly the United States but also Europe, Brazil, Japan and other countries. Tickets in Rochester for 2003 will range from $60-$12. In Stockholm a day pass is $25; a three-day pass is $60; and full weekly pass is $110.

John has released six jazz recordings as a leader and has performed internationally with diverse artists such as Randy Brecker, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Dave Liebman and Stevie Ray Vaughn. John also has appeared as sideman on over 25 recordings in a number of settings.

"I've released two of my own CDs on my label NY JAM Records: 'West of Flatbush' (1996) and 'Rhythmicity' (2000), John notes. "I also released four records in Canada 'Did I Tell You' on Unity Records (Toronto) in 1990; 'John Nugent' Jazz Inspiration Records in 1993 (Toronto); 'Taurus People' Jazz Focus Records (Calgary) and "Live At The Blue Note, NY in 2000 on DSM Records (Quebec). "I've also produced all the NY JAM recordings."

The NY JAM record label has released the following albums: The Legacy of Woody Herman (60th Anniversary of The Woody Herman Orchestra) w/ Tom Harrell, Frank Foster, Buddy DeFranco, Alan Broadbent; The Woody Herman Orchestra - Live in London at Ronnie Scott's and others featuring the guitarist Dawn Thomson (two releases), Jon Ballantyne Trio (three releases), Brett Zvacek, Frank Tiberi w/ Joe Lovano and George Garzone in addition to John's own two releases. There have been 11 CDs released since 1996 with several more in the can.

NY JAM, INC. previously managed Randy Brecker and a few lesser-known acts but no longer personally manages artists. "Our definition of music management and entertainment company is exactly what it means, we "manage" the business affairs of the festivals, which are entertainment-based. Just another connotation for producer," John explains. "Our company name is NY JAM, INC. which first meant 'jazz artist management.' Maybe we need to change to NY JEM....event management! I think we'll keep it the same...just a play on words."
John is a native of St. John's Newfoundland, Canada and a graduate of jazz performance programs at St. Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia, Canada and The University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. An avid fly-fisherman and golfer, he currently resides in Brooklyn, NY with his jazz guitarist/vocalist wife Dawn, and their two-month-old son, Jess Reilly.

As a musician, do you have a manager of agent or do you handle it yourself?

I moved to New York as a musician and have always represented myself, booked my own tours and produced my own CDs. I am a firm believer in self-empowerment and did not want to ever hand over my affairs for anyone else to "manage." There are people in this business who tend to take advantage of artists. There are some very unscrupulous industry people out there (and not just in music, how about Enron et al? Aren't the financial guys at big companies supposed to look after the employees? Same type of thing!). I've seen so many aspiring artist careers end up in the toilet because of the "stop at nothing" pursuit of profits and the healthy bottom line by the "suits" at major labels. The recording industry is a bit of a sham in these times, and the focus in music, especially jazz, has gone pretty much nowhere in the past 20 years.

Do you prefer being a musician or a producer of events?

In a perfect world John Nugent would be touring internationally and performing his own original music, earning a good enough living to be comfortable in NYC. However, that's not the case. I'm a realist. These days, I enjoy just as much satisfaction watching my events become a reality as I do playing the horn on a creative level with the artists and bands I'm fortunate enough to perform with.

Are you looking to produce more jazz festivals around the world?

Yes - our company is looking to bring our festival model to different cities around the world. We are currently entering into negotiations for a week-long event in the City of Knoxville, Tenn. for some time in 2004.

For you to do a multi-day jazz festival, what characteristics do you look for?

We present multi-genre creative artists. No rap, hip-hop or rock/metal. Creative music of today (i.e. "jazz") is a broadly conotated word. Being a modern saxophonist, I personally play a style of creative music that a majority of the general public just doesn't understand or care to understand because it requires thinking. Most of today's music is for people who don't want to be challenged. I'm not a jazz purist. If an artist plays creatively, improvises and the music has integrity, I feel it can be presented on my festivals. Wynton Marsalis or other jazz purists might not agree, but then again, I don't really care. I create my events for a public who wants to enjoy good music and be entertained.

What does the local community need to do to get you to commit to a festival?

We are developing our events in second and third tier media markets where strong events are lacking. Financial commitment and a desire to create an economic impact with our company for their city are the requirements. City, county and state support is essential as well. Corporate dollars are king, too. We don't take risks in towns where there is apathy or any hint of a lack of interest.

Do you produce/promote one-off concerts?

Not regularly these days, but I have in the past.

Do you actively pursue artists for your record label?

No, we do not accept unsolicited material. I produce records for my friends and for myself. My small label is a self-indulgent labor of love.

How do you feel about free downloading of music off the Internet?

Personally, I am all for it. In my humble, independent opinion, major record companies and the big name managers/agents need to remove their hands entirely from artist publishing rights.
If it were not for the creative minds of musicians and composers there is no music industry. The big corporate bubble of today will probably burst in time (I call it the "Clear Channel effect"). When it will burst I do not know, but musicians will still have their creativity. Today, artists give away their creative income for a record deal. Nobody but the artists should own the creation of music. If the artists want to be heard en masse via the Internet, it is a great vehicle for it. A great example of the "freedom to listen" is Medeski Martin & Wood. All acts with any sense at all should exemplify them, and the future of the music biz in terms of artist development would be in great shape. This is a touchy subject with the bigs because of the revenue streams, etc. Internet downloading of music is a discussion that could be held over many cases of cold beer...