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Jazz record label names


BillF

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 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?

 

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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?

 

 

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2 hours ago, 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.

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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2 hours ago, 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.

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.

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1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

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

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.

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4 hours ago, AllenLowe said:

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

:tup 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

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3 hours ago, 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.

Yes, I recall Chiaroscuro.

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12 hours ago, sonnymax said:

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

blacksaint.jpg

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.

harper%20label_zpsket3fk9p.jpg?149604385

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1 hour ago, JohnS said:

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

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

 

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

Somehow though I prefer Black Saint's original label.

harper%20label_zpsket3fk9p.jpg?149604385

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

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13 hours ago, 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.

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.

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1 hour ago, sidewinder said:

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

Melodisc

77

Blue Parrott

Airborne

 

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. ;)

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