Remembering Meghan Stabile: An Interview with Igmar Thomas

By Kyla Marshell

Before there was Revive Music Group, its Blue Note Records imprint, or a dedicated stage at Winter Jazzfest, Revive Da Live, the presenter and promoter of progressive jazz artists and events, was Meghan Stabile’s senior project at Berklee. The way she saw it, she couldn’t believe that this wealth of music existed without more fanfare from her own generation. In shows that combined the foundations of jazz with more contemporary elements of hip-hop, Meghan created a new pathway for artists who have since become household names—Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, and Thundercat are a few—to make authentic music unbound by genre. Besides her business acumen, she was also a sweet, kind, caring and funny person. I used to sit across from her in makeshift offices—cafes, bars, and her living room—learning about the busi- ness side of music as a young, new-to-New York person trying to figure things out.

Underneath the day-to-day of this figuring, Meghan was changing my life, in ways both mundane and profound. And this, I’ve learned over these last months of mourning and memorializing her, is a common story. She called herself the Supreme Uniter, and for a reason: she brought togeth- er an untold number of musicians who in turn created something that will live on long beyond her lifetime.

Igmar Thomas, trumpet player and director of the Revive Big Band, bore witness to Meghan’s vision from the very beginning, from their freshman year at Berklee, to now, as he carries on Meghan’s legacy.

What was unique about Meghan’s approach to working with artists?

Her passion and her determination. She was a woman that was getting it done. She was a closer. A lot of people have great ideas, but she took her ideas and many of them came true. And it wasn’t easy. I was with her, and she really put all her time into it. She was doing that more than school. She really hustled and was able to close on notable artists, and get a big enough bud- get to make it happen. A lot of people don’t go that far, and she kept doing that and every time it was bigger and bigger.

What do you think her influence has been on the music and jazz communities?

What I was told was it shaped people’s soundtrack of New York. They’d hear the music, see the videos and want to move there. They’d come to our shows. Revive allowed people to be themselves in the 21st century. Because of the conservatism at that point—there were a lot of people that were afraid, whether you say they’re playing hip-hop, or soul, anything but swing, from a jazz perspective. Meg, with her production, made [this style of music] more normalized and widely accepted, and exposed it to the people who were not in touch. People could be themselves as opposed to getting boxed into the “jazz education system.”

Can you talk about her commitment to wellness? How can the music community incorporate this element of Meghan’s mission into their work and lives?

Music is therapy. We all realize it. She used it for herself and others and that’s what she wanted to continue to do and that’s what she was doing. There’s many different approaches. Hers was more of a world music, East Asian approach. Whether you’re listening to drones or you’re lis- tening to a Faith Evans song, everybody has a certain subjective itch that music can scratch. She was finding another avenue for musicians to easily come in and find awareness, understanding, healing, or just give. She was very fierce about that.

What musicians can do from a creative aspect is highlight [wellness], understand it, be aware
of it as opposed to writing something cool or convenient for the radio. Look at it from a film scoring perspective, almost. What emotions exactly are you trying to emote? And be moral. Be responsible. Sometimes take a song or two and heal somebody. I think that’s what the goal and the mission was.

What do you want people to remember about Meghan?

The determination, the work ethic, the vigor. Even when things weren’t working out. She turned a nickel into a dime and dime into a dollar.

How can we honor her legacy?

Live music. Live live music. Support it in all its forms. Whether it’s attending a show, or the instru- ments are live on the record. Supporting musicians’ creativity. Supporting the analog and the live musician, and their rights. That’s what Revive started for.