408 Collective, Gabe Rangel

Written by Esther Young Photography by Ronnie Patania

The 408 Collective began during the pandemic. That summer of 2020, recent jazz graduate Jared Carbajal was cycling through waves of depression over the shutdown of live music and, with it, his entire life’s plan. But one day over the phone, his buddy Stefan Velasquez threw him a line. “What if we did a Chris Brown cover?” he asked. Jared had been fascinated by big band projects lately, and, as an arranger, he had the skills to reimagine iconic R&B hits.

Played by twenty musicians in various bedrooms and studio rooms, their arrangement smoothly transfused four saxophones, two trombones, three lead vocalists, and a full rhythm section featuring congas and organ into an absolute ear-candy rendition of Chris Brown’s “Undecided.”

The collective was born and named after the city that the majority of the musicians grew up in. Following the release of their second project, a cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” they booked two shows over the quarantine period. Audience members had to stay in their cars, and no claps or cheers could be heard, but at a peak moment of the show, lead vocalist Misa James shouted, “Honk if you feel me!” and the parking lot exploded in flaring F notes.

As with a band, core members have driven 408’s sound with their individual musical sensibilities. But as a collective, 408 rides on the moving contributions of many members, none of whom are trying to run the entire project as their own. Equipped with Jared as the lead arranger and coordinator, they’ve managed to create and sustain a musical project that is “bigger than our personalities and opinions,” as organist Tyler Richards puts it.

Half of the core members met in high school, and the other half met at California’s Great America, where they worked as entertainers. Onstage, their chemistry budded and blossomed in front of audiences delighted by the unscripted experience. Their experimental R&B, soul, and funk-informed renditions of the required top 40 songs set them apart from other entertainment

Opposite page (Clockwise): Gabe Rangel @_king_brittney_ Jared Carbajal @jared_carbajal Misa James @themisajames Tyler Richards @tylerrr.richards

bands that delivered those hits with copy-and-paste precision. After several seasons, their group secured a residency. Every Friday night at Great America, they got to play under their own name, which allowed for greater marketing traction.

In spring of 2021, they secured another residency at LVL Up in Campbell, where they co-hosted events with the SJ Storyboard Project and brought out vendors to the shows. The performances concluded with open jam sessions, where a musician at any skill level could come up with their instrument and play or grab the mic and spit bars. “We really got to experiment with what we can do on a night like that,” Jared remembers.

“The great thing about it being a collective is we’re really cool with other people playing our gigs,” Misa says. Some of the cofounders are across the country attending college or touring, and only a couple of the members are full-time musicians. So, if one of the core performers is busy with school or work, or even another gig, another member plugs in.

“We’re more of a social organization between locals,” bassist Gabe Rangel emphasizes. Every contributor has their individual goals as an artist. Several of them have released independent albums and play in other bands. But it’s a mutual relationship. “[The collective] has always been willing to support me in any way that I need to uplift my personal brand and music,” says Misa, who also records as a singer-songwriter.

Though not every member grew up in San Jose, and roots within the area code is certainly not a prerequisite, they take pride in the city where they all connected. For Jared, who attended San Diego State and returned to San Jose during the pandemic, the 408 Collective marked a point where opportunities began to roll in one after another. “If I had done what I tried here in San Diego or LA,” he reflects, “I wouldn’t be nearly as close, and I wouldn’t get the experience I would have living here.” Also a marketing assistant for San Jose Jazz and a social media manager for SJ Storyboard, he sees preservation of community as an offshoot of 408’s impact. Their 2020 music video, Hit the Ground, pays homage to the richness of San Jose’s downtown, showcasing the mural on Santa Clara and Third, the Hotel De Anza lobby, the steps of City Hall, and SJSU’s main quad.

This year, more members of the group will release independent projects and cut ties with their day jobs. Though familiar pressures of time and stability will ebb and flow, given the adaptability of these artists, the future of the 408 Collective is bright. As Tyler puts it: “The goal, eventually, is for the name to outgrow us.” C