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can we talk artist-run (jazz) labels

leisurebanditleisurebandit 1,006 Posts
edited March 2007 in Strut Central
i know there are too many of these to get a comprehensive list, but let's see what we can do. I know there must be some obvious ones I'm missing, like an early one? Please make corrections to my list if necessary. I realize that some of these had releases on a lot of artists, whereas others were basically vehicles for the one artist in question.Also, is there any good reference source or discussion of this type of thing that you're aware of (book or website)?Debut (Max Roach/Mingus)Saturn (Sun Ra)Mary (Mary Lou Williams)Strata (Kenny Cox?)Strata East (Charles Tolliver/Stanley Cowell)Black Jazz (Gene Russell)Tribe (Marcus Belgrave/Phil Ranelin/Wendell Harrison)Bet-Car (Betty Carter)Skye (Gary McFarland/Cal Tjader?)JCOA (carla Bley et al)Survival (Rashied Ali)Ak-Ba (Charles Tyler)Mustevic (Steve Reid)Anima (billy Bang)Daffodil (Blossom Dearie)Otic (bobby Naughton)Improvising Artists (Paul Bley)
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  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast
  • marumaru 1,450 Posts
    i thought SKYE was Szabo's
  • BamboucheBambouche 1,484 Posts
    Jihad (The Black Arts) [Amiri Baraka]
    Nationhouse Positive Action Center / Institute of Positive Education (Haki Madhubuti?)

    What about the records from The East? Andrew?
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Silveto (Horace Silver)
    Mojo (Jimmy Smith)
    Glad-Hamp (Lionel Hampton)
    Creative World (Stan Kenton)
  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts
    i thought SKYE was Szabo's

    Skye was Szabo, Tjader and McFarland from what I understood.
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    Embryo (Herbie Mann)
    A&M (Herb Alpert)
    Stones Throw (?)
    GreenLeaf (dave douglas)
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.
  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
  • Ian_DIan_D 120 Posts
    Steam - Stan Tracey
  • HonkyFippleHonkyFipple 418 Posts
    AJP
    PBR
    Legend
    Encounter
    Nodlew
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.

    Didn't they once put out an album by those two artists?
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
    I thought it was a budget reissue label also. I have Herbie Hancock/Donald Byrd - Takin Care Of Business on TCB & it is just a reissue of Pepper Adams - Out Of This World on Warwick.
  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    I think so. Are you implying that an artist wouldn't release their own work on their own label?
  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
    I thought it was a budget reissue label also. I have Herbie Hancock/Donald Byrd - Takin Care Of Business on TCB & it is just a reissue of Pepper Adams - Out Of This World on Warwick.

    Well, I may just be mixed up then. Like I said I was probably wrong. I always wondered if the albums were just repackaged reissues of other albums, but I could never figure that out. I never tried that hard either, though. Ah well.
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
    I thought it was a budget reissue label also. I have Herbie Hancock/Donald Byrd - Takin Care Of Business on TCB & it is just a reissue of Pepper Adams - Out Of This World on Warwick.

    Well, I may just be mixed up then. Like I said I was probably wrong. I always wondered if the albums were just repackaged reissues of other albums, but I could never figure that out. I never tried that hard either, though. Ah well.
    Yeah, I can't make an authorative statement either way on the label, because that is the only release I have, but that one is definitely a reissue.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I think so. Are you implying that an artist wouldn't release their own work on their own label?

    I wasn't implying, just stating a fact - TCB did indeed put out a Hancock/Byrd elpee.
  • Danno3000Danno3000 2,850 Posts
    Nimbus 9 (Ben McPeek)
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    Dee Gee (Dizzy Gillespie)
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
    I thought it was a budget reissue label also. I have Herbie Hancock/Donald Byrd - Takin Care Of Business on TCB & it is just a reissue of Pepper Adams - Out Of This World on Warwick.

    Well, I may just be mixed up then. Like I said I was probably wrong. I always wondered if the albums were just repackaged reissues of other albums, but I could never figure that out. I never tried that hard either, though. Ah well.
    Yeah, I can't make an authorative statement either way on the label, because that is the only release I have, but that one is definitely a reissue.

    I think this is a budget reissue. Is that Eddie Harris record where he just plays piano on TCB?

    The Herbie Hancock Jammin With 1006 is a Wayne Henderson reissue I believe. There are also the Super Sax, and Super Horns various artists sets that I assume are reissues.

    I doubt the artists had anything to do with these releases. I doubt they were even licensed.
  • m_dejeanm_dejean Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut. 2,946 Posts
    Embryo (Herbie Mann)

    + Vortex before that.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts

    AJP Ahmad Jamal Productions [/b]
    PBR ??Don Rader??
    Legend ??Leroy Vinnegar??
    Encounter ????
    Nodlew Weldon Irvine (weldoN backwards) [/b]

    Please teach me about these labels.
  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    I think so. Are you implying that an artist wouldn't release their own work on their own label?

    I wasn't implying, just stating a fact - TCB did indeed put out a Hancock/Byrd elpee.

    Oh. I couldn't tell if you were asking me that in preperation to try and prove a point or not, sorry.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts

    AJP Ahmad Jamal Productions [/b]
    PBR ??Don Rader??
    Legend ??Leroy Vinnegar??
    Encounter ????
    Nodlew Weldon Irvine (weldoN backwards) [/b]

    Please teach me about these labels.

    PBR was a LA label. Most notably they put out leroy vinnegar "the kid."
    Legend was another LA label, run I believe by vinnegar himself. "Glass of water" is good, so is the buddy collette LP.

    I could be here all day making a list. Just on one shelf in the I - K jazz section I believe these are musician-run:

    IPS
    re-entry
    ninth note
    judnell
    humming bird
    sweet earth
    dragon
    labor
    jbp
    kromel
    jahari
    kwela
    kabel
    masterscores
  • PABLOPABLO 1,921 Posts
    Encounter was Pretty Purdie's, wasn't it?
    ...or he was at least Exec Producer on a few of those LP's.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    TCB (Takin' Care of Business? Hancock/Byrd I think?)

    that label's product looked so shoddy i thought it was just another budget label from the east coast

    I am pretty sure it is. A budget label, that is. No connection to the artists that I know of.

    Huh, I could swear I read something before about the label being started by Herbie Hancock and Donald Byrd. I am probably wrong, but can somebody confirm? They are pretty bootleg lookin' records.
    I thought it was a budget reissue label also. I have Herbie Hancock/Donald Byrd - Takin Care Of Business on TCB & it is just a reissue of Pepper Adams - Out Of This World on Warwick.

    Well, I may just be mixed up then. Like I said I was probably wrong. I always wondered if the albums were just repackaged reissues of other albums, but I could never figure that out. I never tried that hard either, though. Ah well.
    Yeah, I can't make an authorative statement either way on the label, because that is the only release I have, but that one is definitely a reissue.

    I think this is a budget reissue. Is that Eddie Harris record where he just plays piano on TCB?

    The Herbie Hancock Jammin With 1006 is a Wayne Henderson reissue I believe. There are also the Super Sax, and Super Horns various artists sets that I assume are reissues.

    Not to mention a Billie Holiday release (this had to have been the umpteenth Holiday reissue that cashed in on the Lady Sings The Blues movie) and a generic compilation of R&B oldies "presented" by New York radio DJ Eddie O'Jay.
  • leisurebanditleisurebandit 1,006 Posts
    I could be here all day making a list.

    thanks man, and everyone else, i like this discussion

    i guess what i'm wondering, what are the earliest examples of artist-run labels? from my original list it would be Debut and Saturn, with Mary Lou Williams being the first woman, but i KNOW there's other stuff i'm blanking on. (and this doesn't even really have to be limited to jazz labels )
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I could be here all day making a list.

    thanks man, and everyone else, i like this discussion

    i guess what i'm wondering, what are the earliest examples of artist-run labels? from my original list it would be Debut and Saturn, with Mary Lou Williams being the first woman, but i KNOW there's other stuff i'm blanking on. (and this doesn't even really have to be limited to jazz labels )

    Sinatra had a hand in starting Reprise, but I don't think he ran it.

    There is a Paul Robeson on Othello, but I think that was fan, not artist, run.

    I just can't think of anything else from the 50s. Rock nada, folk nada, country nada. Wait I got one:
    Derby/SAR Sam Cooke. Are these different imprints of the same Cooke owned label or is Derby something else.

    My hat is off to Ashrock. I don't think I know a single one of those second list labels. And that was just I-K or something.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    I just can't think of anything else from the 50s. Rock nada, folk nada, country nada. Wait I got one:
    Derby/SAR Sam Cooke.

    And technically that was from the early, pre-Beatle sixties.

    All the examples I can think of are from the mid-sixties and onward, starting with Otis Redding's Jotis and Curtis Mayfield's Windy C (and Mayfield), continuing with the Isleys' T-Neck and really going wild in the '70s (Jefferson Airplane's Grunt, Elton John's Rocket and the Youngbloods' Raccoon, although I know there are several more I'm omitting).
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I just can't think of anything else from the 50s. Rock nada, folk nada, country nada. Wait I got one:
    Derby/SAR Sam Cooke.

    And technically that was from the early, pre-Beatle sixties.

    All the examples I can think of are from the mid-sixties and onward, starting with Otis Redding's Jotis and Curtis Mayfield's Windy C (and Mayfield), continuing with the Isleys' T-Neck and really going wild in the '70s (Jefferson Airplane's Grunt, Elton John's Rocket and the Youngbloods' Raccoon, although I know there are several more I'm omitting).

    Don't forget Tangerine/TRC.

    I don't think labels like Embroy and Rocket really count because they were more like vanity imprints that parent labels let artist play with. Whereas T-Neck or Windy C were independent labels that existed withorwithout the distributor.

    Just trying to keep it manageable.
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