International Anthem

[Rabshakeh]

I haven't heard much of or about International Anthem recently. 

It seems like only two years ago it could do no wrong. Every release was generating hype.

 

[mjazzg]

Still a steady release schedule, some interesting, some less so, as always

They seem now to be releasing albums by artists from within the stable. Leader dates by artists that have previously been on other's albums or new combinations of previously recorded artists.

Edited February 10 by mjazzg

[Niko]

probably not quite hype, but I did see some enthusiastic discussion of the new Jeff Parker and Anna Butters albums from last year... but I agree, there is less talk about the label (which, in a sense, is probably less relevant than talk about the releases themselves) 

[mjazzg]

2 minutes ago, Niko said:

probably not quite hype, but I did see some enthusiastic discussion of the new Jeff Parker and Anna Butters albums from last year... but I agree, there is less talk about the label (which, in a sense, is probably less relevant than talk about the releases themselves) 

That Jeff Parker was one of his best I'd say

Just realised I'm listening to an IA album as I comment on them, Dezron Douglas

[Rabshakeh]

37 minutes ago, Niko said:

probably not quite hype, but I did see some enthusiastic discussion of the new Jeff Parker and Anna Butters albums from last year... but I agree, there is less talk about the label (which, in a sense, is probably less relevant than talk about the releases themselves) 

That Jeff Parker did cut through. I'd forgotten that.

To a certain extent it would have been unreasonable for it to have kept up the initial hit rate. But the contrast is quite strong. There were one or two years when it felt like the top three most memorable releases were all by new artists coming out on IA. 2017-2021 or thereabouts.

[mjazzg]

They're celebrating the 11th anniversary this year so had put in some hard graft before they became the next "new" big thing.

I bought their first release the Mazurek solo album but the McCraven 'In the Moment' was 2015 and the one that really kick-started their profile I'd say.

[Rabshakeh]

That's fair. I think I was thinking most of the period marked by Universal Beings and Fly or Die. It seemed like the label could do no wrong. 

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

I bought their first release the Mazurek solo album

I have just looked back at Mazurek's back catalogue. I associate him so heavily with IA's glory era that I hadn't realised he had a whole past life on labels like Delmark, nor that he had recorded hard bop records with the likes of Eric Alexander. 

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

That's fair. I think I was thinking most of the period marked by Universal Beings and Fly or Die. It seemed like the label could do no wrong. 

I have just looked back at Mazurek's back catalogue. I associate him so heavily with IA's glory era that I hadn't realised he had a whole past life on labels like Delmark, nor that he had recorded hard bop records with the likes of Eric Alexander. 

Yeah, Mazurek on IA is only a very small part of an extensive catalogue and not necessarily the best part at that.

The Chicago Underground Duo and associated ensembles take some beating in my view.

The hard bop albums have something to do with a sojourn in Scotland or similar, very sketchy memory of reading that somewhere.