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Who We Are
Board of Advisors
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Marcus Johnson
Jazz Pianist & CEO, Marimelj Entertainment Group, LLC |
When it comes to the fusion of mega-watt talent and contemporary business savvy President/ CEO Marcus Johnson's Marimelj Entertainment Group, LLC is synonymous with greatness. Marimelj is a tour de force multi-faceted entertainment company that houses some of today's hottest jazz musicians such as Bobby Lyle, Alyson Williams, and Nick Colionne. Not only does Johnson's Marimelj Entertainment Group serve as the parent company to Washington, DC-based Three Keys Music, but it is also home to a fully functional recording studio, Studio 8121 East, and two music publishing companies, Marimelj Music Publishing and Three Keys Music Publishing.
It all began in 1996, when the Ohio native was pursuing both his MBA and Juris Doctorate degrees at Georgetown University. Fresh out of Howard University and ready to balance the creative and the practical with purpose, he had big dreams of releasing his own debut contemporary jazz album entitled Lessons in Love, an enigmatic masterpiece showcasing Johnson's flair for the piano. Armed with both the moral and financial support of his doting sister, he was able to release Lessons in Love, as well as launch his career as a contemporary jazz artist. In 1997, the multi-talented pianist released his sophomore album, Inter Alia. In the Kemp Mill Music retail chain, this CD outsold the Titanic soundtrack in the first two weeks after its release. This led to Johnson signing a deal with N2K Encoded Music. N2K took Inter Alia and renamed it Chocolate City Groovin'. When N2K was sold, Johnson was able to reclaim his rights to his masters and, again, started releasing CDs under the Marimelj Banner.
In 1998, Johnson released Comin' Back Around. This CD still holds the record for most units sold at the Capital Jazz Festival. Johnson sold 1600 copies of the CD during the festival and signed CDs for over 8 ½ hours. By 2000, Johnson had secured distribution from Lightyear Entertainment/WEA (Warner Elektra Atlantic) for his record label venture, and by 2001, Johnson had signed jazz great Bobby Lyle to Marimelj. At this point, Johnson had released four additional albums on his imprint, including his own critically acclaimed album, Urban Groove , jazz bass guitarist David Dyson's Soulmates and saxophonist Jaared's Foreward . Later, Marimelj garnered even more attention when Jaared was nominated for “Best New Artist of the Year” at the National Smooth Jazz Awards in 2002.
The ambitious artist turned record company CEO, acquired enough critical acclaim to receive the United States Small Business Administration's “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” award, and raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Resource Committee's breast cancer support and awareness programs in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Through an enhanced compilation album entitled It Takes a Village, Johnson addressed the impact of breast cancer in the community from both a male's and musician's perspective. “I chose breast cancer as my cause because I wanted to support the largest consumer segment for my product: African American women,” said Johnson in a recent interview.
Johnson's strong sense of community activism has a significant impact on his company as well. Each employee at Three Keys Music is required to give 15 hours of community service per month. It doesn't stop there! All artists signed to the label are required to give 10 hours of community service, a requirement that is stipulated in their contracts. Forging forward into semi-uncharted territory, Johnson proves that it does take a village. “I feel that it is my responsibility to give back. I have maintained my partnership with the Breast Cancer Resource Committee (BCRC) and I am currently working on It Takes a Village Vol. 2: Men in Action Against Breast Cancer, which is slated for a September 2004 release.”
Determined that success is his for the taking, Johnson has managed to simultaneously work as a savvy businessman and emerge as a major contender in the jazz market. Inspired by media moguls Robert L. Johnson, Quincy Jones and Clive Davis, as well as triple threat artists Earth, Wind and Fire, P. Diddy and Jay-Z, success is, in fact, the only option for Johnson.
As an artist, Johnson has done the amazing by launching a highly successful record label, and releasing four phenomenal albums. He jettisoned his career as a fledgling music mogul and made a name for himself at the hottest jazz festivals and events including The Capitol Jazz Festival, Ghana Jazz Festival, Bahamas Jazz Festival, St. Lucia Jazz Festival, Bermuda Jazz Festival, Atlantic Artscape, Huntington Beach Jazz Festival, and the National Smooth Jazz Awards . To top it off, Johnson has done all of this before reaching age 35! He describes his music as “instrumental R&B with a DC bounce,” and maintains that the hallmark of his music is “the neck factor,” a term he coined to explain the involuntary neck movement that results from listening to his music.
Johnson's latest CD entitled Just Doing What I Do, boasts decadent instrumental riffs that glide over his signature jazz-hip-hop fused grooves. With songs such as “18th and M,” and “Love” the highly anticipated album has already begun to do more that simply turn heads. “The inspiration for this project comes from the past two years of my life,” said the musical maverick in an interview. “These years have been a test of my faith in God and my music reflects that,” added Johnson.
Balancing the creative and practical is almost second nature for Johnson. With the upcoming release of Just Doing What I Do, Johnson is already busy with preliminary spot dates, one of which is an upcoming concert at the world-renowned Kennedy Center . The current Ebony Magazine “Eligible Bachelor” wants to ensure that no stone is left unturned with his latest project. In doing so, whenever possible he reaches out to speak with students and consumers in all markets, both primary and secondary. Once again his entrepreneurial savoir faire has caused quite a buzz in the entertainment industry.
Recently, the Borders Bookstore chain decided to partner with Johnson in educating the community via mini in-store workshops and performances by Three Keys Music artists. Additionally, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has agreed to place posters of artists from the Three Keys Music label in DC buses, trains, and Metro stations. Throw in the fact that Johnson's music is currently played on airline radio stations and one question comes to mind: “Could Johnson be the young Berry Gordy of jazz?” Only time will tell. But, when asked to reflect on this comparison, Johnson maintains, “I'm just doing what I do.”
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