Jazz record label names

[BillF]

 Thinking today about Lester's sessions on Aladdin, I thought what a perfect name for a label, with its suggestion of a cave of treasures for the listener. 

Xanadu is another that appeals to me: "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/ A stately pleasure-dome decree."

I know Norman Granz wanted people to know he was Picasso's buddy, but Pablo doesn't sound right for a jazz label. Would be OK if flamenco was the main offering.

Have you any views on jazz record label names?

 

[mjzee]

I always liked Esoteric.

[Big Beat Steve]

Archeophone is the perfect name for a reissue label of early jazz.

Others that I find quite evocative:

Saxophonograph
Jazz West
Blue Note   (of course ...)
Fresh Sound (yes, them too - when it came to their West Coast Jazz reissues)
Old Timey
Arhoolie
...

One label name that had me wondering every now and then is MOSAIC. Is this "Mosaic" as in "Jewish" or "Mosaic" as in "Mosaique/Mosaics" or still something else again?

 

 

[Larry Kart]

It's Mosaic as in "a collection of images that form a larger pattern or design." Why you would think that it's Mosaic as in Jewish (Moses) is beyond me.

[BillF]

  On 5/28/2017 at 5:33 PM, mjzee said:

I always liked Esoteric.

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Yes, Esoteric was a very cool name.

[sonnymax]

My favorite is Black Saint. I even have a tattoo of the label on my shoulder.

[AllenLowe]

I nominate my own label, named for my time in Maine: Constant Sorrow.

[paul secor]

ESP

Thirsty Ear

[mikeweil]

  On 5/28/2017 at 6:39 PM, Larry Kart said:

It's Mosaic as in "a collection of images that form a larger pattern or design." Why you would think that it's Mosaic as in Jewish (Moses), is beyond me.

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Wasn't it named after the LP "Mosaic" by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers? Same for the Japanese Label Somethin' Else that Michael Cuscuna was involved in, or their mailorder shop True Blue - all named after Blue Note LPs.

[Larry Kart]

  On 5/28/2017 at 8:32 PM, mikeweil said:

Wasn't it named after the LP "Mosaic" by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers? Same for the Japanese Label Somethin' Else that Michael Cuscuna was involved in, or their mailorder shop True Blue - all named after Blue Note LPs.

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Maybe so. But wasn't the title of the album "Mosaic" almost certainly meant to refer to "a collection of images"? If the label was named after the album, I'm sure that, as is the case with "True Blue" (the album), a play on words was intended -- i.e. the mail order shop was a place where one could buy true (i.e. genuine) jazz merchandise, while the tune that gave its title to the album was full of true (i.e. genuine) blues feeling.
 

Dial always had a nice ring to me. Also like the way Nessa just lays it cards on the table.

[Chuck Nessa]

  On 5/28/2017 at 9:30 PM, Larry Kart said:

Dial always had a nice ring to me. Also like the way Nessa just lays it cards on the table.

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Ha! It was named out of desperation - In those days the musician's union had to pass on your name so they didn't wind up in a "trick bag" with different companies with the same name on contracts. I had submitted a number of names and they were all rejected, with a new release ready to press. I finally submitted my name since that is where all the bills were being sent.

One of my favorite label names is Candid.

[jlhoots]

Aerophonic

[Larry Kart]

The Australian label Swaggie. Like the sound of it and have a number of pleasant associations with their recordings, particularly those of the great Dave Dallwitz and his associates. 

[xybert]

  On 5/28/2017 at 7:02 PM, AllenLowe said:

I nominate my own label, named for my time in Maine: Constant Sorrow.

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 I like Constant Sorrow, has a kind of weird old timey feel to it.

Aside from those mentioned, these always sounded cool to me:

Catalytic Sound (actual record label or just a 'collective'? Don't have anything in front of me to check)

Relative Pitch

Aum Fidelity

[GA Russell]

Single Malt

 

[duaneiac]

Keynote

High Note

One that is always a pain to try to spell correctly (and I'm sure was a pain for radio DJs to try to pronounce correctly) was/is Chiaroscuro.

[BillF]

  On 5/29/2017 at 4:04 AM, duaneiac said:

Keynote

High Note

One that is always a pain to try to spell correctly (and I'm sure was a pain for radio DJs to try to pronounce correctly) was/is Chiaroscuro.

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Yes, I recall Chiaroscuro.

[JohnS]

  On 5/28/2017 at 6:49 PM, sonnymax said:

My favorite is Black Saint. I even have a tattoo of the label on my shoulder.

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I''m not a big fan of tattoos (A generational thing?) but that's pretty cool.

Somehow though I prefer Black Saint's original label.

[erwbol]

  On 5/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, JohnS said:

I''m not a big fan of tattoos (A generational thing?) but that's pretty cool.

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I'm not a fan either. They look ugly on most people. 

 

  On 5/29/2017 at 6:46 AM, JohnS said:

Somehow though I prefer Black Saint's original label.

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Was the original Black Saint label ever used on CD releases? 

[Big Beat Steve]

  On 5/28/2017 at 6:39 PM, Larry Kart said:

It's Mosaic as in "a collection of images that form a larger pattern or design." Why you would think that it's Mosaic as in Jewish (Moses) is beyond me.

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Honestly, I did not know at all. That's why I was asking. And I would not have seen anything wrong with it. I just did not instantly  think of "mosaics patterns" either because the script logo did not remind me of anything like that at all.

[soulpope]

The Three Blind Mice label from Japan ....

[aparxa]

Spook Jazz!

 

[sidewinder]

Not solely jazz but Regal Zonophone has a certain ring to it.

Melodisc

77

Blue Parrott

Airborne

 

Not to mention the 'Foo Kinnell' series (on Spotlite, I think)

Edited May 29, 2017 by sidewinder

[Big Beat Steve]

  On 5/29/2017 at 8:15 AM, sidewinder said:

Not solely jazz but Regal Zonophone has a certain ring to it.

Melodisc

77

Blue Parrott

Airborne

 

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The "77" label name is something of a code word or "insider's joke" for those in the know only, though?

I doubt it would have the same connotations outside the UK and outside the ranks of those who've strolled along Charing Cross Road at the time?

As for Regal Zonophone, the first time I ever came across this label name was in connection with the recordings of some 60s British pop/beat band recruited from the ranks of the Salvation Army (no joke!), so this label has held some very odd connotations of utter stiffness to me ever since.

[Dan Gould]

  On 5/28/2017 at 7:02 PM, AllenLowe said:

I nominate my own label, named for my time in Maine: Constant Sorrow.

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My time at the Blindman's forum led me to Broke & Hungry.