On the surface, launching a new jazz label in the music-biz climate of 2009 seems an almost crazy notion. But Jazz Legacy Productions co-founder John Lee seems to know exactly what he is facing, and has clearly given this some serious thought.
Blogcritics had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Lee recently, who is a formidable bass player as well as a newly-minted record label boss. The first thing we discovered is how dedicated he is to the music.
When asked about the decision to initiate the project, Lee’s answer was a simple one, “Having recorded for so many companies, for longer than I care to mention, I thought it was about time there was one that would be friendly to the artists.”
With a career stretching back nearly 40 years, John has recorded and performed with a number of legends. His first big gig was with Joe Henderson, and he went on to appear with Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, and Dizzy Gillespie, just to name a few.
“A lot of the older guys are playing better than ever,” says Lee, “but the record labels today will not touch them. That leaves a hole in the history of jazz. I think a lot of their stuff should be heard, and that was one of the reasons we founded Jazz Legacy.”
“The fact that I have my own studio, and have been recording for most of my career made the decision that much easier.”
JLP’s launch was fairly low key, their inaugural release consists of four titles: Cyrus Chestnut - Spirit; Heath Brothers - Endurance; Steve Davis - Eloquence; and Sharel Cassity - Relentless.
Plans for 2010 are a little more expansive, with eight releases on the drawing board. Not all are confirmed, but Lee mentioned records by One For All, Michael Dease, Randy Weston, and Israeli guitarist Yotam Silberstein as being in the pipeline.
“Another goal of JLP,” says Lee, “is to record new artists such as Sharel Cassity and Yotam Silberstein, to get their stuff out there. Jazz has no future without the infusion of new blood.”
One of the most immediately noticeable aspects of JLP discs is the branding. Back in the day, albums on labels such as Blue Note, and especially Impulse! were immediately identifiable by their appearance alone.
We asked John Lee about the Jazz Legacy Productions brand, and what it means to the company as a whole.
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