About Us

Every now and then, some cultural commentator will declare that jazz is dead. People have been making this declaration about jazz since the music’s beginnings in the previous century. It is the guiding principle of Jojo Records that not only is jazz not dead, it’s thriving, as it always has, via generations of gifted musicians who remain steadfast in their love for the unique requirements of the music, and fans who, despite the ebb and flow of commercial exigencies, have supported jazz since it first seized the world’s imagination more than a century ago.

Jojo Records began in 2020 as the fruition of a lifelong dream of Simon Belelty, a jazz guitar player born and raised in Jerusalem. Simon grew up listening to classic jazz, thanks to his father, Jojo, who was a drummer. This label is named after Jojo Belelty, who bequeathed the love of this music to his kids and family. 

Simon fell in love with jazz by listening to the music on vinyl. Removing the record from the sleeve, taking in the entire package: the album cover, with photos and/or illustrations, reading the liner notes and interior information about the musicians and the recording. All of this was a crucial aspect of falling in love with the music. Jojo Records seeks to replicate that experience by recording the best of contemporary jazz for records and streaming only, no CD’s.

Jazz with a sense of fidelity to the traditions of the past, while always looking forward towards new styles and approaches – this is the philosophy of Jojo Records. On this label, you will find older and more well-established instrumentalists sometimes paired with contemporaries, sometimes with much younger musicians. You will find music that is classic but also adventurous, jazz that is true to its roots in New Orleans, St. Louis, Kansas City, or Chicago. You will also find representations of jazz as it has blossomed all around the globe, in Paris, Amsterdam, Japan, etc. Jojo records will record musicians of all nationalities from around the world, musicians who are in the process of shaping and reinterpreting this music for the 21st Century.

Jazz is timeless. When you purchase a record or download from Jojo Records, you will be entering into the mystical realm. You can be certain the music on each and every recording has been carefully curated by the most skilled technicians and producers, and leavened with passion. Having a label created and run by an actual working jazz musician guarantees that the attention to detail when recording and presenting the music will be second-to-none. The production standards will be beyond reproach, the music otherworldly. With Jojo Records, the record you hold in your hand (or listen to via download) is a reflection of what John Coltrane had in mind when he referred to his artistic process as A Love Supreme.

What could be better than that?

-- T.J. English, best-selling author and jazz aficionado