Managra Music, Inc. is committed to recording and presenting quality musical content within and without of the traditional industry umbrella. Acknowledging the vast talent pool and believing that global audiences have much more varied appetites than the diet they are being fed, Managra Music, Inc. provides the experience and guidance for nurturing, creating and distributing music through direct marketing and viral InterNet proliferation.
Joel’s career in music began at the age of twelve performing with various folk groups throughout the United States and Canada.
With the ebbing of folk music’s commercial popularity, Joel turned his attention toward producing and engineering local Rock and Roll bands in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan and in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota. While a student, he worked with the Minnesota Orchestra and recorded many local Minneapolis-based artists such as Al Jareau, Bobby Lyle, John Glover and Willy Weeks.
Joel moved to Los Angeles in 1969 to pursue his interests in the music business. Having talents traditionally performed by those considerably older than himself made him very popular in the Rock and Roll recording “explosion” of the late ’60s and early ’70s. He quickly immersed himself in the L.A. music scene, engineering and producing projects for artists such as: Little Richard, Joe Cocker, The Ventures, The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, Bo Diddley, Los Lobos and many more.
When Rock and Pop began asserting significant influence on the movie industry in the mid ’70s, Joel found himself being asked to record or re-record music specifically for film. His love for movies, and his working friendship with composers Miles Goodman and Johnny Mandel, changed his focus from record production to film music production. He became particularly adept at using the newly emerging Dolby© Stereo Surround system to enhance the sonic and spatial qualities of film music.
In 1986, after eighteen years of independent production and engineering, Joel became the Executive Director and Chief Engineer of The Record Plant Recording Studios, Los Angeles. The Record Plant was world renown for its successes over its twenty-five year history and operated the prestigious scoring stage on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, CA. In this new position, Joel expanded his involvement with film music, developing new technology and production techniques, and participating on an advisory board developing Digital formats for film sound.
In 1990 Joel began a relationship with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Maestro John Mauceri, director Anne Parsons and producer/composer, Michael Gore. Through a multi-year recording contract with Philips Classics Records, this team produced several groundbreaking orchestral recordings including the critically acclaimed “The Gershwins In Hollywood” and “The King & I”, featuring Julie Andrews, Peabo Bryson, Marilyn Horne, Lea Salonga and Ben Kingsley. Joel also continued to coproduce varied performances at The Hollywood Bowl and created Jazz at the Bowl with bassist/arranger John Clayton, showcasing The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
In 1994, Joel was asked by producer David Kahne to record “Here’s to the Ladies” for Tony Bennett. This Grammy winning CD led to a continuing relationship and five subsequent CDs with the legendary singer.
In 1997, Joel founded Managra Music, Inc., a multi-faceted music production entity. Under this new corporate umbrella, Joel has continued to pursue a wide variety of musical projects although he has focused primarily on his personal passions of jazz and theater.
In 2000, Joel began a collaboration with Kurt Deutsch and Sherie Rene Scott and their new label, Sh-K-Boom Records. Sh-K-Boom and its Broadway subsidiary, Ghostlight Records, have been in the forefront of the New York music scene since their inception and have become a mainstay of the Broadway musical community.
From 2005 through 2007, Joel collaborated with music director/pianist Bill Charlap, as producer for Jazz in July, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, continuing the twenty-five year tradition of high quality summer jazz presentations at the legendary venue.
Joel has received many honors and awards during his long career. On February 13, 2005, he received the music industry’s highest honor, the 2004 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his work on “Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company”.