Meet george kahn | Jazz pianist, composer and arranger

We had the good fortune of connecting with george kahn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi george, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There are a couple of elements that have made up my success. 1) Perseverance and consistency: I send a monthly music newsletter, and I have sent it every month for about 20 years. And I continue to release new music, and keep things fresh – I am working on my 11th album now. Like the I-Ching says, “Perseverance will further.”
2) Not comparing myself to others. Back in 2000 I was at a party with Herbie Hancock . I went up to him and with great admiration I said, “I’d like to be like you!” He looked at me and said, “No, you don’t want to be like me, you want to be like YOU!”.

Another brilliant nugget from Stanley Clark: When Stanley was asked how he defines “success”, he said, “If I have a project and I do it to the best of my ability, then I am a success.” It’s not a goal, it’s a process.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe I am a Creative, and it is something I learned from my Mom who is now 101 years old. You always have to have a project, a new love or a new interest. It keeps life fresh. The path of a musician is rarely linear. I moved to LA to be a musician in 1976, but by 1987 I was totally beat up and burnt out by the “music business” so I dropped out totally. It wasn’t until 10 years later, after building a successful mortgage banking career, that I re-entered the music world on my own terms, as a jazz artist/composer/arranger.
It was with the help of my wife Diana Zaslove Kahn that she reminded me that a musician has to do music! By 1998 the digital revolution had opened up the opportunities to produce and release my own music. I put out my first jazz album in 1999, and have just kept growing ever since.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Culver City, and am a big fan of the city. First stop would be a hike up the Baldwin Hills Overlook. Then a visit to downtown Culver City for a meal. During the week we would visit Akasha, GoGoBird at Citizen food court, Etta for a special night of great Italian food, and a visit to Mashiko Sushi, our favorite sushi place in all of LA. Other things to do that week? Rent bikes in Marina Del Rey and ride up to Santa Monica. Check out the jazz at Vibrato and Sam First.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A special shoutout to Lyle “Spud” Murphy, the creator of The Equal INterval System, and my mentor and teacher in the ’80s

Website: https://www.georgekahn.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.kahn/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geokahn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgekahn

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/geokahn1

Other: https://www.jazzandbluesrevue.com/