# What are your favourite smaller record labels for jazz & improvisational music?



## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

This question arose in a separate thread but is maybe interesting enough to have a thread of its own.
Jazz lovers of course all know the big labels, e.g. Blue Note, Impulse, Prestige, Atlantic and the German ECM label. Apart from those there is a wide array of smaller labels that publish interesting jazz and improvisational music. In my view it would be nice to have a place where we tell eachother about the labels we like and why. 

Posts would of course be most informative if we not only share the label's name but describe in short where the lable's focus lies and maybe name a few of their most interesting issues/bands. Or whatever else you like about them.

I'll start this off myself.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

*BMC Records*

BMC Records ('Budapest Music Center') is a small Hungarian label that publishes Hungarian jazz and classical music (both classic and modern). They've published around 200 cd's up till now. Main jazz musicians on the label are Mihály Dresch Quartet (my favorite saxophone player!), Gabor Gado, Mihály Borbély Quartet. Probably better known outside Hungary are 'foreign guests' like Dave Liebman, Chris Potter, Charlie Mariano, Hamid Drake and Alban Darche who collaborate on several issues.









On the classical side you'll find for instance György Kurtág, Hans Lüdemann, Peter Eötvös, Liszt and Kodály.

The cardboard packaging has a very nice feel and an artistic design, often with extra inserts etc. They make the cd's stand out as collector's items in my opinion.

It seems I cannot attach a spreadsheet with their catalogue but you can download that yourself from their website: http://bmcrecords.hu/pages/frameset/index.php

Their website is quite mediaeval, the webshop is in Hungarian only and their distribution seems not that good also, but you can find distributors and shops through their website. If you might visit Budapest I would recommend a trip to their office. My spontaneous visit there was met with some surprise but I was welcomed very nicely and left with 10 cd's for less than half the price you'd pay through other channels. I play them a lot.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Black Saint/Soul Note
ESP Disk
MPS
Futura Marge
Winter & Winter
Sunny Side
Bee Jazz
Steepelchase
DeCapo


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

starthrower said:


> Black Saint/Soul Note
> ESP Disk
> MPS
> Futura Marge
> ...


Hey, Starthrower, could you expand on any of the labels you like? It would be more informative! 
I like Bee Jazz by the way (Jozef Dumoulin).


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

*Clean Feed* in Lisboa is one of the greatest labels of new jazz. Free improvisations on good new compositions, not too tight arrangement, not too harsh or too loud like some of free jazz, mostly in small ensemble (which I prefer.) The cover art works are neat and cool. They have been releasing so many memorable albums. Some of my favorites are:

Less is More - WHO Trio: Wintsch/Oester/Hemingway (beautiful minimal jazz piano trio)
Epileptical West, Every Woman is a Tree - Angles (deeply emotional)
Live in Lisbon - Peter Evans Quartet (extremely fast & energetic)
No Photograph Available, Live at Tonic - Dennis González (spontaneous music)
Basement Sessions Vol.1 & 2 - Kullhammar/Aalberg/Zetterberg (powerful sax trio)
Bacalhau - Daniel Levin Quartet (impressive chamber jazz by cello/trumpet/bass/vibraphone)
Guewel, Canada Day - Harris Eisenstadt (one of the best contemporary jazz composers)
On the Shore - Mark O'Leary (unique soundscape of guitar, percussions, and two trumpets)
The Beautiful Enabler - Mauger: Hemingway/Dresser/Mahanthappa (very cool, straight ahead jazz)


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

For a band junkie Citadel, Klavier, Mark and Albany.

For contemporary music I have always been partial to New World.

The Chicago based Cedille has released a lot of great stuff.

The Canadian company ATMA is also very good.

Bridge is a good source for the music of Carter.

Naïve Records has some nice baroque release with period instruments.

I can list many others.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Casebearer said:


> Hey, Starthrower, could you expand on any of the labels you like? It would be more informative!
> I like Bee Jazz by the way (Jozef Dumoulin).


Black Saint/Soul Note were Italian jazz labels owned by the same founder in the 70s, 80s & 90s.. The music is now widely available in box sets re-issued by CamJazz. I think I bought about 13 or 14 sets already. Many of the leading modern jazz and avant garde artists recorded for these labels. Henry Threadgill, David Murray, Anthony Braxton, Paul Motian, George Russell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Lacy, and many more...

MPS was a German label founded in the 60s. They recorded a lot of electric jazz, and other modern music. Volker Kriegel, George Duke, Jean Luc Ponty, Albert Mangelsdorff, Don Ellis, etc.

Futura Marge is a French label. They have several fine re-issues by artists such as Archie Shepp, Sam Rivers, Ted Curson, Mal Waldron. Their website doesn't have a shopping cart, so you have to email them with a list, and then send them a payment via PayPal. But they have some interesting stuff you can't find anywhere else.

SteepleChase is a well known Danish label. They have fine recordings by John Tchicai, Pierre Dorge, and South African jazzers, Johnny Dyani and Dudu Pukwana, among others.

SunnySide records current artists such as the brilliant guitarist, Ben Monder, and drummer/composer John Hollenbeck.

ESP has a catalog of 60s avant garde music. Paul Bley, Sun Ra, Marion Brown, etc.

DeCapo is another fine Danish label that records cutting edge jazz and classical. Per Norgard, New Jungle Orchestra, among many others.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Winter & Winter is a German label founded by Stefan Winter, who formerly owned JMT Records. They recorded the M-Base artists including Greg Osby, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, in addition to Tim Berne, Joey Baron, Paul Motian, Djanjo Bates, Hank Roberts, among others.

I'm still an ECM fan, but I buy more back catalog items than new releases. I like the Kenny Wheeler albums, and Ralph Towner, Dave Holland, Egberto Gismonti, Arild Andersen, and Terje Rypdal.

I should also mention ACT. I have a bunch of Nguyen Le CDs from that label. He's a French Vietnamese guitarist. I really like his albums 3 Trios, and Walking On The Tiger's Tail.

And the long time German label, Enja. They have tons of great stuff.

And lastly I'll mention Hat Hut. I wish their titles were easier to find at affordable prices. But the few I have by Steve Lacy, Ray Anderson, and Vienna Art Orchestra are all superb recordings.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Here is a little known box set that will be of interest to Terje Rypdal fans. It was released under the drummer's name, but it's Rypdal's band and music. You can listen to the samples here. Click on the track numbers to hear samples.http://www.gubemusic.com/label_1?grid=37&album=16359

And you can buy the CD box from Amazon. It's a bit pricey, but it's a great set! You get 5 discs of live Rypdal music, and a bonus disc of Bugge Weseltoft.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

starthrower said:


> Black Saint/Soul Note were Italian jazz labels owned by the same founder in the 70s, 80s & 90s.. The music is now widely available in box sets re-issued by CamJazz. I think I bought about 13 or 14 sets already. Many of the leading modern jazz and avant garde artists recorded for these labels. Henry Threadgill, David Murray, Anthony Braxton, Paul Motian, George Russell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Steve Lacy, and many more...


This is already getting a very interesting exchange about the lables we like. I've only managed to explore Cam Jazz a little: they have a very broad catalogue with enough that interests me to keep me buying and listening for years. Wish I had that kind of money (although most cd's are really affordable)!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I suppose it's a good thing I bought the stuff while I could afford it. My days of working long hours and making big paychecks are overwith. I've got too many injuries. The only box I don't really care for is the Bill Dixon set. His stuff is so dry, sparse, and ultra slow tempo free type music that I really can't get into it. Favorites are Muhal Richard Abrams, and the two Steve Lacy sets.


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## Casebearer (Jan 19, 2016)

^^^

Catching up with you on the paychecks and injuries! And hopefully the knowledge of music...


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Pi
AUM Fidelity
Strata East
Delmark/Nessa
Incus
CIMP
BASF
Eremite
HatOLOGY
Enja
India Navigation
Gramavision
Sackville
Denon
MPS



tortkis said:


> *Clean Feed*


+1


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I only have a few Hatology titles, and their recordings are fantastic quality.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

I am glad Ayler Records (France) now has digital store. It used to be difficult to get their albums. I have only few, but they are very memorable.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Disc 3, The Complete Bud Powell on Verve. This has Tenderly, and All the Things You Are. There's a certain sloppiness about Bud Powell that I like. He does these great "cadenzas" at the ends of some tunes.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I have a theory that this record, and this tune, is where Zappa got the chord used in Waka/Jawaka. I can hear it, can you?

Mal Waldron: The Quest, with Eric Dolphy (1961). 




Frank Zappa: Waka/Jawaka.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

millionrainbows said:


> I have a theory that this record, and this tune, is where Zappa got the chord used in Waka/Jawaka. I can hear it, can you?
> 
> Mal Waldron: The Quest, with Eric Dolphy (1961).
> 
> ...


maybe it's a coincidence, I don't know, but there are similarities.
Anyway I remember that I enjoyed a lot that album of Waldron, but I didn't remember the problems of intonation of Ron Carter...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

norman bates said:


> maybe it's a coincidence, I don't know, but there are similarities.
> Anyway I remember that I enjoyed a lot that album of Waldron, but I didn't remember the problems of intonation of Ron Carter...


I used to listen to The Quest quite a bit, and I barely remember this tune. Ron Carter does sound a bit off here.

The one composer that always makes me think of Zappa is Pierre Boulez. Some of FZ's orchestral writing sounds very similar.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Modern jazz label founded by violinist Jeff Gauthier.

https://cryptogramophone.com/


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