Musicians Who Led Dates For One Label Only

[mikeweil]

Charles Williams - Mainstream (but an alto player with the same name made an album in 1996 - same man?)

Yes!

Ah, very interesting. Do you know what it's like, Mike?

MG

I never heard the Mainstream LPs, only have the Mapleshade CD, which is a rather nostalgic modern bop mainstream item, with Pierre Sprey's typical studio sound, if you ever heard one of his CDs.

I found it mentioned somewhere, perhaps in the liner notes, that it is the same player.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Charles Williams - Mainstream (but an alto player with the same name made an album in 1996 - same man?)

Yes!

Ah, very interesting. Do you know what it's like, Mike?

MG

I never heard the Mainstream LPs, only have the Mapleshade CD, which is a rather nostalgic modern bop mainstream item, with Pierre Sprey's typical studio sound, if you ever heard one of his CDs.

I found it mentioned somewhere, perhaps in the liner notes, that it is the same player.

Never heard of Pierre Sprey. Is he a musician or an engineer?

MG

[GA Russell]

Interesting that these people aren't exactly household names.

Well, we are trying to find moderately obscure people, I think. Jazz musicians' careers are usually pretty long, if they don't die early or give up through discouragement, so most significant musicians will record for a number of companies over the years.

Yes. I was thinking that with jazz many people record for small labels that don't stay in business for a long time. Also, if the artist is destined to have a long recording career, he is likely to move up to one of the majors eventually, at least for a time.

The original post sought groups as well as artists. Of the two groups I mentioned, obviously Manfred Mann and the Brecker Brothers (with Dreams) have recorded for more than one label, but these groups did not. I'm a little surprised that other groups haven't been mentioned.

Speaking of Dreams, John Abercrombie was with that group for its first year or two, and was on their first album. Has he recorded as a leader for anyone besides ECM?

[marcello]

John Abercrombie as leader outside of ECM:

1982 Solar w/ John Scofield Palo Alto

1989 Upon a Time an Album of Duets New Albion

1994 Nosmo King Steeple Chase

2000 The Hudson Project w/ Peter Erskine, John Pattatucci & Bob Mintzer Stretch

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Also, if the artist is destined to have a long recording career, he is likely to move up to one of the majors eventually, at least for a time.

That's a good one! I wonder how many HAVEN'T recorded for a major.

The original post sought groups as well as artists. Of the two groups I mentioned, obviously Manfred Mann and the Brecker Brothers (with Dreams) have recorded for more than one label, but these groups did not. I'm a little surprised that other groups haven't been mentioned.

Quite a number of groups have been mentioned. I listed this bunch of jazz groups:

The Blackbyrds - Fantasy

Brass Fever - Impulse

Freedom Sounds - Atlantic

Funk Inc - Prestige

Fuse One - CTI

Members Only - Muse

Organissimo - Big O

Players Association - Vanguard

The Real Thing - Real Thing

Three of a Kind - Minor Music

Swingin' Sweded listed

Rampart Street Paraders (3½ albums for Columbia)

The Three Souls (3 albums for Argo)

Modern Jazz Disciples (2 albums for New Jazz)

JFK Quintet (2 albums for Riverside)

To which I think we can add

African Jazz Pioneers (Gallo) (perhaps GarthSJ can confirm this)

Essence All Stars (Hip Bop Essence)

And a few more individual musicians

Melton Mustafa (Contemporary)

And a real obscure one - a late friend

Benny Simpkins (Flyright)

MG

[Swinging Swede]

Azar Lawrence recorded for Milestone

Hmm, that's what listed in the discographies as the first of the three Prestige albums: Bridge Into The New Age (Prestige P 10086). Of course by that time Prestige and Milestone were both owned by Fantasy, if that means anything.

But I discovered that Lawrence after over 30 years actually has a new album out, a Coltrane tribute, so off the list he goes anyway!

[mikeweil]

Never heard of Pierre Sprey. Is he a musician or an engineer?

MG

He's an audio engineer: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/main/aboutus.php

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Silly me! Forgot to include

Geoff Simpkins (Flyright) - another old mate

MG