The man behind the music: Jazz fan brings top acts to town

By HEIDI GAISER

The Daily Inter Lake

John Simpson knew he'd miss Seattle's vibrant jazz scene when he moved to Kalispell to take over a local automobile dealership.

So he brought the music with him.

"I can't live without great music," he said. "It was something we were going to miss, so we thought, 'Why don't we contribute to the culture of the valley, and we can enjoy it, too?'"

Since Simpson took over the local Subaru, Nissan and Mazda dealership from Jim and Darlene Dowen in November 2005, he has sponsored a Flathead Valley concert series featuring elite jazz musicians almost every month.

He shares the promotional work with his "significant other," Miriam Singer, a classically trained singer and pianist who shares his passion for high-quality music.

Though the musicians brought to the Flathead Valley by Singer and Simpson Productions aren't exactly household names, they're always esteemed in the world of jazz - Billy Wallace, Floyd Standifer, Julian Priester, Hadley Calliman among them.

The music so far has been mostly classic American jazz, along with a little Brazilian jazz from Marco de Carvalho.

Simpson also is moving into new territory, with a series by Philadelphia's Caribbean Authentics in December. Then he's sponsoring an opera singer and Broadway revue for First Night Flathead on New Year's Eve.

It is his status as a friend, or respected acquaintance, of most of the musicians that has helped him lure top-quality talent to the valley.

He became a member of the inner circle of Seattle's top jazz musicians through his "hobby" as a music promoter. An occasional singer at Canlis, one of Seattle's premier five-star restaurants, Simpson learned how much a restaurant can gain from providing its patrons with great entertainment.

But there always was a catch.

"Restaurateurs don't know a lot about music, nor do they have the time to pursue it," Simpson said.

Simpson wasn't paid by either the restaurants or the musicians, but booking musicians in many of the city's finest restaurants gave him free meals in those restaurants two or three times a week.

For him, the dining opportunities were ample compensation for his services. And he never wanted to take money out of the pockets of musicians if he could help it.

"There's no such thing as an overpaid musician," he said.

He's found many Flathead Valley establishments willing to help with the provision of lodging and food for visiting musicians. Simpson pays for the musicians' transportation and food, and often provides a bonus above what musicians are paid by the restaurants.

Simpson said he and Singer act as "roadies and groupies" for the acts, helping each night with the setup and teardown, which helps save money as well.

He keeps it interesting for the musicians. Coming to Montana is a draw in itself, but he sweetens the gigs by booking the acts to four or five different venues - usually restaurants.

"They get to play in a different place every night to a very appreciative audience," he said. "Everyone who's been here has wanted to come back."

Standing-room-only crowds have been common, he said, and some fans follow the acts nightly. And though he said it's difficult for restaurants to precisely discern the benefit of providing top-quality music, many local restaurants have started asking to work with Simpson.

"You can't put a pencil on music in a restaurant and say it makes you money," he said. "But it does provide an ambiance and it gets people in the restaurant."

Rather than automobile advertising material, framed posters advertising each of the Singer and Simpson Productions series cover one wall of his office at Simpson Motors.

Besides feeding his own need for live music, Simpson considers the concert series a way to foster a positive image of his automobile dealership.

"It's nebulous whether people will come in here and buy a car because I'm doing this," he said. "But it actually has happened several times. People have said they're buying a car from me because of what I'm doing for the valley."

He considers it a more interesting way to advertise than the traditional television, radio and print outlets, though he doesn't ignore those avenues completely.

Simpson, 55, said he's always tried to maintain an atypical approach during his long career in the automotive business.

He first joined the auto trade in Portland in 1975, selling Volkswagens - Beetles, vans, Rabbits.

It wasn't long before he went to work for Honda as a factory representative, living in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah during his tenure with the company.

Then in 1983, he and his brother purchased the Honda dealership in Bozeman. Simpson went on to become the first Acura dealer in Spokane, and after selling that, went into the Volvo business in Seattle, where he stayed for 12 years.

He was looking to get back to Montana when he heard that the Dowens were ready to retire. He knew representing three automobile lines would be a challenge, especially with his involved management style.

But he loves the business, so doesn't mind keeping up with a variety of models.

The Dowens became well-known during two decades for their consistent appearances in their television advertisements.

Simpson also appears in his own ads and does radio voiceovers, but tries to keep things a little more low-key.

What he wants to be best known for is basic customer satisfaction - if issues with an automobile ever arise, the customer will be taken care of, he said.

He also wants people to feel the same confidence in his music series.

"People are starting to trust that what I bring in is good, high-quality music."

Reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4431 or by e-mail at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.