JMM started with a dream to honor a living composer.

5 years ago at a benefit concert honoring multiple Grammy/Oscar/Tony winner Alan Menken, Joel had the opportunity to be one of the warm-up acts. It was there that Joel decided to do a Jazzical arrangement of Under The Sea. Alan remarked backstage “I did not know my music could sound like that” to which Joel replied, “Well, maybe there will be a Jazzical project in the future to expound on this new dynamic.”

Almost 4 years passed until a chance encounter at a vocal competition in Savannah changed everything. In 2012 Joel was running as Artistic Director the American Traditions Competition for Singers. He asked on Facebook Liz Callaway and Amanda McBroom to be one of the 4 judges and to play for the Judges’ Concert, which Joel played for. The success of that concert brought the following question from Liz and Amanda: “Joel, you do jazz and classical, we do Broadway and musical theater. What could we do together?” Joel replied, “You know, I have this ide