vibes

Rob, thanks for your message. I will definitely play some of Cal's music on May 5.

Don't think I'll be seeing this one on TV any time soon: Commercial

Jazz Recording Artists Go Into Business for Themselves By LARRY BLUMENFELD March 9, 2005; Page D10 When trumpeter Dave Douglas took the stage at the Village Vanguard jazz club in early February, he introduced not just his new five-piece ensemble, Nomad, but his new company, Greenleaf Music. "I started a new label," he announced, "because you can sit and complain about the record business until you're blue in the face. So I decided to put my money where my mouth is." With that, he pressed his mouthpiece to his lips and began "North Point Memorial," an elegiac piece from his debut Greenleaf CD, "Mountain Passages." Artist-run independent labels are nothing new, especially in jazz. (Decades ago, bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach formed Debut Records; singer Betty Carter once founded her own BetCar imprint.) But established jazz musicians are going their own way in surprising numbers today, touching on age-old and new business issues. In the 1990s, major record labels were reinvesting in jazz. Mr. Douglas was among the banner signings of RCA's reactivated Bluebird jazz label. Now these companies are abandoning jazz, mostly because corporate consolidation has forced a bottom-line consciousness intolerant of the music's modest sales. (The Recording Industry Association of America estimates jazz to represent less than 3% of the overall music market; among the 11 genres tracked by Nielsen SoundScan, jazz experienced the sharpest sales decline during the past year.) Mr. Douglas's concept for Greenleaf -- a collaboration with industry veteran Michael Friedman -- addresses basic truths about the jazz business: Today's artists have expansive stylistic palettes and far-flung audiences; the Internet and other alternative means have forever altered music marketing; and major labels, once viewed as prerequisites to success, are no longer primary outlets for career advancement. "It's time to broaden the sense of where our music is going, and to have labels that reflect that sense," Mr. Douglas says. Greenleaf responds to common complaints about record labels: unrealistic sales goals; royalty formulas that frustrate artists, often deferring earnings until the label has realized a substantial profit; and a sense that artists are shut out of marketing and distribution decisions. The label offers artists 50/50 profit-sharing deals, and makes them partners in other ways. "The musicians will know everything we do," Mr. Douglas says, "and will serve an integral role in the marketing process." Bandleader and composer Maria Schneider has departed even more radically from the traditional business model. Her "Concert in the Garden" earned a Grammy Award this year for Best Large Ensemble Jazz Recording -- perhaps the first such recognition without a single CD available in stores. Ms. Schneider has forsaken her former label, Enja Records, to command the business side of her career through the Internet platform ArtistShare. Her latest recording is available only online. "The experience with Enja got me on the map," Ms. Schneider says. "But this model is better for me. It gets rid of the middlemen, going directly to my fan base. Also, it allows me to share much more than just the CD." Click onto Ms. Schneider's Web site, and you'll find a tightly organized list of options resembling the marketing brochure of a savvy nonprofit arts organization. An MP3 Download Participant ($12.95) earns access to the music; a Limited Edition CD Participant ($16.95) gets the actual CD (only 10,000 were manufactured). For $65, a Composer Plus Participant receives samples of music scores and sound clips from rehearsals. And Bronze Participants ($250) are listed in the liner notes as "helping to make this recording possible." "For so long, artists were happy just to get a record deal as some sort of recognition," Ms. Schneider says. "Now people can set up their own rules of the game." Through ArtistShare, Ms. Schneider has sold 4,000 copies of her CD so far -- roughly one-fifth of her previous album's sales -- but has earned far more money than on past projects. She seemed as happy about breaking even (her recordings involve big budgets) as about getting the Grammy nod. Other notable jazz musicians, including guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Danilo Perez, now work through the site as well. Last month, bassist Dave Holland, a celebrated jazz veteran, released his latest big-band CD, "Overtime," on his new imprint, Dare2 Records. The album made its debut in the top 10 of Billboard magazine's Traditional Jazz Chart. The move ends a 32-year relationship with ECM Records. "I have nothing but affection for ECM, and I'm proud of that association," Mr. Holland says, "but, generally speaking, labels are not prepared for long-term development of an artist anymore. And that's what jazz requires. These days, labels need an artist's music to sell well from the start. They find it hard to lend the type of support that builds an audience over time, and to alter their standard modes of marketing as the situation may demand. This, and changes in the music market in general, have opened up avenues for artists to find alternative ways." Mr. Holland thinks about offering fans instant music downloads after hearing a performance. And he mentions another incentive to start a label: the importance of owning his own master recordings (in most cases, labels own recordings and pay artists a royalty). "For our children and grandchildren, it would be nice to own our own work," he says. Ownership of masters is a major concern. "It's the 'in perpetuity' part," Mr. Douglas explains. "Keeping music in print. A new jazz recording may not sell well now, but 50 years from now, somebody is going to make money on the reissue of these master tapes. It keeps happening." (Mosaic Records, for instance, has realized significant sales for reissues of Thelonious Monk's earliest Blue Note recordings, which sold poorly in their day, and for the work of lesser-known musicians such as pianist Herbie Nichols.) Mr. Douglas ran into saxophonist Branford Marsalis at the Village Vanguard some months ago and gave him a bearhug, in thanks: Mr. Marsalis left Columbia Records three years ago, after some 20 years, to launch his own label, Marsalis Music. "Like a lot of musicians, Dave was inspired just to see it happen," Mr. Marsalis recalls. For a short time, Mr. Marsalis had been responsible for signing new artists to Columbia. "The Columbia executives told me they wanted to return to jazz's glory days. But they and other major labels have actually said in no uncertain terms that they can't be interested in what we do." With Marsalis Music, the saxophonist has accomplished precisely what he set out to do at Columbia, releasing albums by pianist Joey Calderazzo, saxophonist Miguel Zenon, and guitarist Doug Wamble in addition to his own music. The label continues to grow modestly, on its own terms, with sales for Mr. Marsalis's output rivaling his Columbia track record. The company is small enough to customize its marketing approach for each project, Mr. Marsalis says, and it offers a royalty provision that provides payments to artists from the first album sold. Meanwhile, executives at most major labels have reduced or altogether eliminated active jazz rosters to focus almost exclusively on reissuing classic jazz. "It's plain-and-simple economics," said Verve Records President and CEO Ron Goldstein. "For whatever reasons, jazz artists don't seem to be connecting to the audience that's out there. And given the state of the industry, established labels might not be the best place for them to achieve their goals. I keep waiting for someone new to come along -- even one artist that will be today's Miles Davis or John Coltrane." But the musicians who carry these legacies forward revel in the possibilities of the here-and-now. "I think it's easier to reach your core audience than it used to be," says Mr. Douglas. "People who are interested in my music now make a point of putting themselves in the path of the information." Not all corporate-run labels have shied away from jazz. The Nonesuch imprint of Warner Brothers Records has made jazz an integral part of its eclectic mix of genres. And Blue Note Records continues its stalwart support. In general, these labels welcome the upstart independents. "They're far from a threat," says Blue Note President Bruce Lundvall. "They may end up raising the water level for jazz in general and, if they're truly innovative, may have something to teach established labels." For musicians, these new ventures are a source of empowerment in the face of uncertainty. "There's a good deal of hand-wringing going on in the music industry right now," says Ms. Schneider. "But for creative musicians who are willing to be creative businesspeople, these are the best of times." Mr. Blumenfeld, an editor-at-large for Jazziz magazine, last wrote for the Journal about Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Only the first eight Selects are listed now. This is not good.

Kevin, are you using a browser other than IE? I've noticed problems similar to yours with Firefox and Navigator, but when I checked those threads in IE, they looked fine.

Here's the Andrew Hill Mosaic (the original box, not the Select) discography: Discography Click here for Customer Reviews All sessions took place at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Only the original U.S. issue numbers are included here. (A) Joe Henderson (ts), Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis (b), Roy Haynes (d). November 8, 1963 tk 3 Land Of Nod tk 7 Black Fire (alt tk) tk 9 Cantarnos tk 15 McNeil Island (omit d) tk 17 Tired Trade (omit ts) tk 20 Pumpkin tk 22 Pumpkin (alt tk) tk 23 Subterfuge (omit ts) tk 27 Black Fire All master takes issued on Black Fire (BST 84151). All takes issued on the CD reissue of this album (B2-84151). ________________________________________________________________ (B) Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis, Eddie Khan (b), Roy Haynes (d). December 13, 1963 tk 4 Smokestack (alt tk) previously unissued tk 6 Smokestack tk 9 Wailing Wall tk 11 Ode To Von tk 15 Ode To Von (alt tk) previously unissued tk 16 The Day After tk 17 The Day After (alt tk) previously unissued tk 21 Verne tk 22 Not So (alt tk) previously unissued tk 23 Not So tk 24 30 Pier Avenue All master takes issued on Smokestack (BST 84160). All takes soon to be issued on the CD reissue of this album (B2-32097). _________________________________________________________________ © Bobby Hutcherson (vbs), Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis (b), Elvin Jones (d). January 8, 1964 tk 3 Judgement tk 8 Flea Flop tk 13 Siete Ocho tk 15 Alfred tk 20 Yokada, Yokada (alt tk) tk 21 Yokada, Yokada tk 26 Reconciliation All master takes issued on Judgment (BST 84159). All takes issued on the CD reissue of this album (B2-28981). _________________________________________________________________ (D) Kenny Dorham (tp), Eric Dolphy (as-1, b cl-2, fl-3), Joe Henderson (ts, fl-3), Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis (b), Tony Williams (d). March 21, 1964 tk 6 Refuge -1 tk 7 Dedication (alt tk) -2 tk 8 Dedication -2 tk 10 New Monastery -1 tk 13 New Monastery (alt tk) -1 previously unissued tk 18 Flight 19 (alt tk) -2 tk 19 Flight 19 -2 tk 24 Spectrum -1,2,3 All master takes issued on Point Of Departure (BST 84167). All takes, except take 13, issued on the CD reissue of this album (B2-84167). ________________________________________________________________ (E) John Gilmore (ts), Bobby Hutcherson (vbs), Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis (b), Joe Chambers (d). June 25, 1964 tk 6 Black Monday tk 12 Symmetry tk 14 Symmetry (alt tk) previously unissued tk 17 The Groits (omit ts) tk 18 The Groits (alt tk) (omit ts) previously unissued tk 20 Duplicity tk 31 Le Serpent Qui Danse tk 33 No Doubt All master takes issued on Andrew! (BST-84203). ________________________________________________________________ (F) Freddie Hubbard (cor), Joe Henderson (ts), Andrew Hill (p), Richard Davis (b), Joe Chambers (d). February 10, 1965 tk 2 Euterpe tk 4 Euterpe (alt tk) previously unissued tk 6 Calliope tk 7 Pax tk 8 Eris tk 10 Erato (omit horns) tk 11 Roots 'N Herbs (omit horns) previously unissued All takes except 4 and 11 previously issued in the mid seventies on the double album One For One (BNLA 459-2). _________________________________________________________________ (G) Freddie Hubbard (tp, flg-1), John Gilmore (ts, b cl-1), Cecil McBee (b), Joe Chambers (d), Nadi Qamar (African drums, African thumb piano-1, percussion), Renaud Simmons (cga, percussion). October 8, 1965 tk 3 Compulsion tk 6 Limbo tk 10 Legacy (omit horns) tk 14 Premonition -1 -1 add Richard Davis (arco b) All takes issued on Compulsion (BST 84217). _________________________________________________________________ (H) Sam Rivers (ts), Andrew Hill (p), Walter Booker (b), J.C. Moses (d). March 7, 1966 tk 1 Violence -1 tk 3 Violence (alt tk) -1 previously unissued tk 5 Hope -1 tk 7 Illusion tk 10 Pain (no ts) tk 16 Desire tk 18 Desire (alt tk) previously unissued tk 19 Lust (no ts) -1 Hill plays harpsichord under the bass solos All master takes were intended for release as BST 84233 in 1967, but were first issued as half of a Sam Rivers double album in the mid seventies entitled Involution (BNLA 453-2). _________________________________________________________________ Original sessions produced by Alfred Lion Produced for release by Michael Cuscuna Executive producer: Charlie Lourie Recording engineer: Rudy Van Gelder Transfers: Odea Murphy and Malcolm Addey All photographs by Francis Wolff Design direction: Richard Mantel Design production: InkWell, Inc. Masters courtesy of Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Records, Inc under license from CEMA Special Markets. (p)1995 CEMA Special Markets. Product of CEMA Special Markets, a subsidiary of Capitol-EMI Music Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. ©1995 Mosaic Records, Inc. All rights reserved.

I don't think that's exploitation at all. Mosaic is a business, and they're trying to make money too. I'm sure they (and the artists) would rather have people buying their sets, regardless of the reason, than have the licenses on those sets expire before they sell all 5000 (or 3000 or 7500 or 10,000 or whatever) of them.

I love pie, especially apple pie. Cheesecake is a close second for me, though.

What's the big deal with eBay? I have spent thousands of dollars on Mosaic sets, and most of that money was spent purchasing Mosaics on eBay. You have to understand that many of us did not even hear about Mosaic until many of their greatest sets, like the Andrew Hill and Jones/Lewis sets, were OOP. eBay has provided me the opportunity to catch up, and it's not likely I would have had that opportunity any other way. And when I think about some of the sets that cost me the most, like the two I mentioned above ($365 and $350, respectively), I'm positive I was happier having those sets and the music therein than the sellers were having my money. eBay is a wonderful thing.

Where in Claremont did he play, Newk? I grew up in there, so I'm very curious.

I ordered a few SACD's from them and got them promptly. My credit card didn't get charged until a few days after I received the package, which was quite odd, considering I got the package a few days after I placed the order. That was a first for me.

Randy Weston, unissued session (inspired by another thread)

Look at the jazz section at your local Best Buy, and it's not hard to see why. BBY has enormous music market share and slowly but surely, compilations have taken up more and more of what little space is allocated to jazz. I can't help but wonder if this isn't some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Compilations sell well, but it has more to do with how much space they get than how much people really like them. But, retailers assume they sell well because people buy them, so they get allocated more and more space, and reissues and contemporary releases don't sell as well as a result. It's unfortunate.

I voted for "Happenings," but seriously, without "Oblique," you might as well delete this poll and start all over again.

I've listened to this piece (different recording, on Naxos) 3-4 times this week. Highly recommended!

Forgive my ignorance, but what does this phrase mean?

If you do have an SACD player, however, you're in for a big treat. I've purchased several of these and the sound is wonderful. I've not been disappointed in any way.

Excellent sound (especially on SACD), beautiful performance. From what I've read, this is the definitive recording of the cello suites.

If you're looking for the truest sound, .wav files are definitely the way to go. mp3's are compressed and you will be able to hear compression artifacts, especially if you're listening to mp3's at high volume, or on a revealing system. If you're looking at trying to maximize the amount of music on a hard drive, however, mp3's are the way to go. One song recorded in .wav format can take up as much space (or more) as an entire album encoded in mp3 format (depending on the bitrate, of course).

With the exception of the "What are you listening to right now?" thread, I approach every post I make in every thread as though it will be the last post in that thread. It might just be my imagination, but I feel like I've killed a lot of threads. I have a tendency to be very impersonal in my comments, and I think that might have something to do with it. Sorry!

Connecting speakers to a computer doesn't involve any software or hardware modifications, so why do you have to get permission? Seems kind of strange...

This story is actually legendary in the black/death metal world. This isn't the first time I've read about the brain-eating incident.

"Flamingo" is one of my favorites. A beautiful ballad.

Andrew Hill - "Cosmos" session Next up: Sonny Stitt, "Stitt Goes Latin" session