Jesse Ogle, a professional bassist once known as “Player 058” on season two of “Squid Game: The Challenge”, is a busy and accomplished guy. When he’s not in London, sleeping in group dorms and waking up to Squid Game music and bland oatmeal in preparation for the day’s competition, Jesse splits his time between Durango and Boulder, Colorado. In addition to his successful and popular oversight of iAM Music here in Durango, Jesse helped develop another nonprofit in Boulder called the Roots Music Project, dedicated to the region’s striving musicians.
The Durango music scene is thriving, but the search for medium-sized venues continues, as there are only a limited number of stages in town to present live music. There’s a vibrant community of musicians, but the number of bookings is lagging.
“Old Guard” locations like The Summit and The Smiley Building are gone, while other locations like The Wild Horse Saloon still have a solid contingency of live music. The American Legion has also stepped up to be a reliable partner for local musicians. The Animas City Theater is the most consistent host of live music in Durango, supporting local musicians and bringing in national talent. Another waypoint in Durango’s music scene is 11th Street Station, where Ogle hosts a “Funkin’ Jazz Jam” once a month.
In 2017, iAM Music added the iNDIGO Room, a listening space to introduce an intimate room-style venue to the region. Each month, iAM Music brings ongoing community events such as Songwriter’s Series, Songwriting Panels, Jazz/Funk/Soul jams, ongoing music workshops, internship programming, and coaching/lessons. Each year, iAM Music produces more than 50 ongoing events, hiring 200+ musicians from all over the US. The revenue generated is reinvested in the education and empowerment of the next generation’s voices and musicians.
Our community can rest assured that there are community members committed to fostering and supporting live music in this region. On September 25 and 26, the “San Juan Songwriters Festival” features Nashville songwriters and stories, country and Bluegrass crossovers, and songwriting with number-one-hit-writing chart toppers. The event benefits the iAM Music Institute. Book tickets and learn more at www.sanjuansongwritersfestival.com.
By Justin Travis
