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Jody Bagley: Keys to the Kingdom

by Wayne RikerJanuary 2025

Jody Bagley. Photo by Dan Chusid.

At just age 38, Jody Bagley has made his mark on stages worldwide as a composer, vocalist, and keyboardist in myriad groups and projects from the shores of Sebago Lake in Maine to the ocean waves of San Diego, garnering enormous respect from those he has worked with as a band leader and sideman.

THE EARLY YEARS
As early as seven years old Bagley knew that his first main musical instrument was his voice, growing up in his hometown of Raymond, Maine. “I always felt I had a natural ability for singing as a kid, not only a good sense of melodies but also a knack for hearing and singing harmony before I ever played an instrument,” he said.

Additionally, when he was six he got in a performance group called the Boy Singers of Maine, a choir that would tour and perform at notable events around the world. Bagley remained with them until age 18. “That experience gave me all my formal training,” he reminisced, “not only in singing but also how to entertain and look professional in appearance on stage.”

Older brother Aaron Bagley recalls those early memories vividly. “Growing up, I recognized early on that Jody not only had amazing natural musical talent but he had the ability to connect with people on a deep level through music as well. I remember watching him sing a solo at a Boy Singers of Maine concert when he was six. The audience was completely captivated while he sang and were filled with tears by the time he finished. It was clear at that young age that Jody’s voice was something special.”

Photo: Kenneth Ray Seals.

At age eight Bagley began piano lessons with a local piano teacher, Mrs. Small. “She was 96 years old and lived across the street from my grade school,” he recalled. “She’d give me some snacks before our lesson. I remained with her until she retired and then continued with three others at my schooling through high school.”

Bagley’s parents were fully supportive of his musical studies as he progressed along the way. “My dad actually took a second job driving a recycling truck to help fund my piano lessons and ongoing dues for the boys choir.”

During middle school Bagley took up bass guitar and started a grunge band as the lead singer, too, called Civil Disobedience. His brother, Aaron, was also musically inclined as well, taking up guitar, bass guitar, and voice, too. “He had a popular group called Ransom,” Bagley said, “so we got the opportunity to open for them at some of their shows.”

At that point their mother, Cynthia, made a prophetic statement that eventually came true as Aaron recalled. “She was always saying that we should have Jody join my band. He was probably 12 years old at the time, and me, being four years older, used to laugh at the suggestion. Fast forward a few years and I was doing everything I could to talk him into joining the band. Fast forward to today and I couldn’t imagine playing in a band without him,” Aaron concluded.

Concurrently he became the bassist for his middle school and high school jazz bands and eventually got recruited to play tuba. “The high school jazz band always wanted to have a tuba player,” Bagley said,” so I said sure and met with the high school music teacher, Lee Foster, who was a very important man in my life, as he became an inspiration for me to become a music teacher.”

COLLEGE YEARS
In 2003, Bagley enrolled at the University of Southern Maine. One of his goals there was to strengthen his future as a teacher as well as a performer. “As much as I was chasing the dream of being a well-known performer,” he said, “my main plan there was to be a teacher in any capacity needed. I wound up with a degree in music education with a concentration in classical voice.”

During those years Bagley was fortunate to study privately at the university with the world-renowned tenor Bruce Fithian. “I was really lucky to be able to study one on one with Bruce; I loved the experience,” he cited. However, Bagley decided to switch his instrument major to jazz piano, but he wasn’t able to do it under the curriculum requirements. “I so wanted to be part of the jazz program,” he said. “Those kids seemed to be having so much fun and there was a great piano teacher, but I wasn’t allowed to do it.”

Jody with frequent collaborator Whitney Shay.

HELLO, SAN DIEGO!
After college graduation in 2007, Bagley’s musical passion for teaching and performing was in high gear. “I had been teaching piano privately in town for a number of years as well as accompanying musicals and was part of the musical team at a Methodist church,” he said. “Also, my brother Aaron and I had formed a local band called A New Vision. However,” he continued, “Aaron always had the dream to move to Los Angeles.” He and his future wife, Cristin, took a trip up and down the California coast and decided on San Diego as a likely choice of residency.

Bagley then had a tough decision to make. “I was at a crossroads,” he reflected. “I had an established life in Maine, a girlfriend, my job at the church, business contacts, and my parents who had their doubts about the move. Finally, my brother talked me into it. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make.”

Jody and his brother, Aaron.

Aaron shared similar reflections on moving such a long distance from home. “Moving from Maine to Southern California was a big change. Fortunately, we started meeting new people with all sorts of new and exciting musical opportunities that presented themselves.”

Bagley landed a job as music director at the Unity Church of El Cajon in addition to getting hired at the School of Rock in North County. “I was thrilled to get hired at that school,” Bagley said. “I started out with a few students although it quickly grew to a lot of students.”

HITTING THE STAGES
One of the other teachers there was guitarist Tom Mitchell, who became a key figure in getting Bagley into the gig scene. “We started jamming together and became really good friends,” he noted. “We hit the jam sessions at Mr. Peabody’s in North County where I began to get exposure.” That led Bagley and Mitchell to form the band the Blue Moonies.

Jodie and Jody. Jodie Hill on bass. Photo by Mike Reardon.

“We had a blast playing regularly at many of the neighborhood bars playing original tunes and covers with Tom and me switching off on lead vocals.” Like most bands, many disband for myriad reasons. In this case many club goers began to notice Bagley’s vocal prowess and would encourage him to form his own band.

This led to JB and the Movers, in which Bagley was the leader and driving force. “I recruited my brother Aaron on bass and also drummer Phil Pardell. We played mostly covers but eventually I wrote original tunes of mine into the repertoire as well.”

At this juncture big brother Aaron was seeing his younger brother step into the musical performance spotlight first-hand. “Not only have I been able to enjoy playing music with Jody, but it has also been awesome watching Jody become a highly in-demand studio and stage musician,” Aaron exuded.

AS A SIDEMAN

Photo by Mimi Franco.

Bagley’s reputation around town began to grow and soon he became a first-call musician in other people’s musical projects, performances, and recordings, one being singer Cassie B. “I truly feel honored to perform next to Jody,” she raved. “One day when he’s inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, I’ll be able to say I performed with him. He brings so much sparkle to the stage as well as much joy and laughter to our band. He has such a great sense of humor, and I am always giggling when he’s around. I am a huge fan, and I cherish my time with him.”

He became first-call musician for singer Casey Hensley as well. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing and performing with Jody on and off for the last 14 years,” Hensley said. “I have so many great memories with him. He is truly one of the most talented musicians I have ever known. As a vocalist it doesn’t get any better than Jody. It is such a gift to be able to share any stage with him. He truly has something special, and, on top of his incredible talent, he is a genuinely kind human being. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him; San Diego is so lucky to have him representing the city all over the world.”

Jody and Whitney Shay.

Bassist Jodie Hill worked with Bagley, backing singer Whitney Shay. “I’ve been working with Jody Bagley off and on for about three to four years now with Whitney Shay’s band,” said Hill. “He’s a great keyboard player and a true professional. He comes to work always prepared and one of the best male singers I’ve worked with in San Diego. He’s also a wonderful human, always ready to help out if needed. We’ve hung out and always have a good time on and off the band stand.”

Bagley also hooked up with singer/songwriter Will Faerber, who held house parties with local artists attending in a jam setting. “My brother, Aaron, teamed up with him to record some of his original tunes,” Bagley shared. “We wound up providing vocal harmonies for him and then Aaron started playing bass in his group and I started playing keyboards as well. Will’s a great songwriter. We wound up playing out at clubs and recently we played a gig in La Paz, Mexico.”

Faerber’s association with Bagley and Aaron dates back to 2011 and has remained strong ever since. “Jody is a musician who has that rare quality of being able to infuse any music that he is performing with beauty and soul,” exclaimed Faerber. “Jody’s vocal and piano skills are nothing short of extraordinary!”

MRS. HENRY/CHEST FEVER

Mrs. Henry: Jody, Chad Lee, Daniel Cervantes, Chad Lee, Blake Dean. Photo by Dan Chusid.

In 2015 Bagley got contacted by guitarist/singer Daniel Cervantes who fronts the band Mrs. Henry. They needed a keyboardist to cover a gig at the Casbah in downtown San Diego. “I hadn’t played at the Casbah yet, so I jumped at the opportunity,” he recalled. “The group played mostly originals and a few covers. Allan Ritter was the drummer and Adam Smith was the bassist,” Bagley said.

Smith had some good memories of his time with the group. “I’ve had the pleasure of performing and touring with Jody Bagley across America and Canada,” beamed Smith. “He’s my go-to keyboardist for projects based upon his consummate professionalism, musical knowledge, and pursuit of excellence. We’ve formed bonds that will last for a lifetime. I’m grateful to call him a friend.”

Bagley and Cervantes clicked together musically, sharing the lead vocals and musical arrangements with Blake Dean replacing Smith on bass and Chad Lee replacing Ritter on drums. “Aside from playing our original tunes,” Bagley said, “Mrs. Henry was always rooted in playing music from the group, the Band. Our name came from the Bob Dylan tune, ‘Please Mrs. Henry,’ from the basement tapes in which the Band backed up Dylan.”

In 2017 Mrs. Henry produced a documentary of them playing the tunes from The Last Waltz, a film of the same title that the Band made from their farewell tour in 1976. “We had a lot of fun making that documentary,” Bagley stated, “but it wasn’t until 2022 when we did a tour up the West Coast, presenting ourselves as Mrs. Henry in clubs and Chest Fever in theaters where we played the music of the Band exclusively.”

During that tour they were playing a show in Los Angeles where they hooked up with the folks that represent the name and likeness of the Band. “They saw our documentary and loved what we were doing,” Bagley exclaimed, “saying they wanted to support us and work with us; it was freakin’ awesome. We were now officially Chest Fever when we only played the music of the Band.’’

The group recently added a fifth member, Ben Pinnola, as a second keyboardist to authentically replicate the exact instrumentation of the Band. Last year’s seven-week whirlwind tour took them from Louisville and all points south through the mideast, midwest, Canada, and back down the coast to San Diego, playing to avid fans in sold-out theaters.

Mrs. Henry practice space in Daniel Cervantes’ garage. Practice is serious business. Photo by Dan Chusid.

Additionally, they add a three-piece horn section to their concert gigs in each city while also bringing on notable guest performers on stage to augment the arrangements. “The horn charts were written and arranged by saxophonist Jesse Audelo,” said Bagley. “It’s cool because we send out those charts to each city ahead of time for each local horn section.”

Cervantes minced no words in his praise for his and Bagley’s decade-long musical partnership. “He has the voice of an angel,” exuded Cervantes. “He’s the most talented musician I know and perhaps the kindest one to boot. He comes with the purest of heart, intention, and a 100 percent attention to the task at hand. He has a miraculous ability to drop into any situation and fly like an eagle. At a recording session he is the most prepared person in the room. At a performance he is steering the ship even when he isn’t taking the lead. You can always count on him to show up and light the day. He has a soul of gold with hands and a mind that can play anything. His own composition and artistry are of the highest caliber and he’s funny as hell. As a friend, best man, and band member in Mrs. Henry, he shines like the sun.”

Chest Fever will be on another extensive tour next month, through Canada, the Pacific Northwest and Northeast as Bagley and Cervantes celebrate their ten-year collaboration. “

EPILOGUE
“I’m very grateful for all the success I’ve had here in San Diego. This is my home now. I feel grateful to have been embraced by so many here in town, especially the people I’ve played with, the venues, and audiences. My heart will always be in Maine to a certain extent, but now I’ve lived almost as long in San Diego as I did in Maine. I love it here and am looking forward to the upcoming Chest Fever tour in February and future projects playing with others here.”

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