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Rising Jazz Stars Foundation Launches Label
12/29/2007
From: DL Media
For many professionals in the Jazz business, its current economic climate presents
problems of seemingly insurmountable proportions. For George Klabin, the visionary
President of the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation, these challenges offer a tremendous
opportunity to not only instill a new vibrancy into the art form, but also to establish a
significantly more equitable financial environment for its artists. The centerpiece of his
bold and innovative plan is Resonance Records, a new Los Angeles-based label that will
release its first recordings in March of 2008.
Klabin, with over two decades of experience as a producer and audio engineer, has
recorded a full spectrum of jazz heavyweights for a wide variety of major labels, including
Dexter Gordon, Bill Evans, James Moody, Illinois Jacquet, Keith Jarrett, Albert Ayler, Charles
Lloyd, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band and many more. As owner of the legendary New
York recording studio Sound Ideas, Klabin was the overseer of sessions for top stars like
James Brown and Quincy Jones as well as pure jazz giants such as Sonny Stitt, Tommy
Flanagan and Archie Shepp.
Drawing from that priceless experience and his direct participation on the New York Jazz
scene from the mid-'60s well into the '80s, Klabin combined it with 10 years of
experience in the world of non-profit foundations to form the Rising Jazz Stars
Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 2005. As a program of the Foundation,
Resonance Records is able to structure its economic resources in a manner that frees it
from many of the limitations that exist in the normal jazz record business. Its artists
benefit from an innovative revenue-sharing concept that not only offers greater economic
return, but also allows them to produce their music without the typical studio time
restrictions and their related expenses.
The Foundation's studio is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and the finest
instruments, including a seven-foot Fazioli grand piano, and has been designed to offer a
uniquely comfortable ambience that is most conducive to the artists' creativity. A
state-of-the-art, high-definition 6-camera set-up is under construction in the studio
and is slated for its first productions in mid-2008. The full-production studio and its
building are entirely under the direct auspices of the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation. With
the funding capability and other economic participation afforded by the use of the
501(c)(3) structure, commercial concerns take a back-seat to its primary purposes -
enabling extraordinarily talented artists to create their best possible audio and video
recordings, while developing valuable opportunities to display their artistry to new and
wider audiences.
In addition to the perfect environment of the studio and the production talents of George
Klabin, Resonance's artists will also benefit by further support from the Rising Jazz Stars
Foundation. Other programs that are in development will establish a performance
component geared toward presenting the artists at festivals and other facilities around the
world, while also addressing the burgeoning television, Internet and home entertainment
marketplace.
To handle the day-to-day business aspects of Resonance, Ricky Schultz has been retained
as Consulting Director. With 35 years of experience running major jazz labels for Warner
Bros and MCA as well as his own independent label Zebra, his expertise will bring
Resonance product into the traditional retail marketplace and the rapidly expanding world
of on-line distribution.
However, none of these plans or concepts would have any meaning without truly
compelling artists. As the Foundation's name clearly indicates, its primary purpose is to
discover and present exceptional new jazz talent. This does not mean new in terms of age
or experience, but rather in the artists' existing level of public recognition. Resonance
Records will also feature the Heirloom Series for music that was either recorded
previously, is of historical significance, or is by already renowned artists. Since its
inception three years ago, the Rising Jazz Stars Foundation has been establishing its
relationships with a group of outstanding talents of various ages and degrees of
recognition. The common bond is their artistic integrity, passionate commitment and
sheer musicality.
The first four releases are slated for March and April 2008. The March release includes a
previously unreleased quartet recording (Heirloom Series) made in London by pianist Gene
Harris, whose group The Three Sounds was a mainstay of Blue Note Records during the
'50s and '60s. The first Resonance CD is a tribute to Herbie Hancock by pianist/composer
John Beasley, whose touring credits range from Miles Davis to Queen Latifah, and who has
composed extensively for film and television. Beasley is joined on this effort by Roy
Hargrove, Christian McBride and Jeff "Tain" Watts.
Both April releases will be two-disc sets coupling a CD with a DVD. One features the
amazing young Swedish guitarist Andreas Oberg performing compositions by other guitar
greats, along with some of his own compositions. The second release is by 61-year-old
Brooklyn native Mike Garson, best known as David Bowie's keyboard player for over 35
years. Mike studied with piano legend Lennie Tristano and his sideman credentials include
work with such luminaries as Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Clarke. Future releases include
recordings by Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi, violinist Christian Howes with pianist
Roger Kellaway, pianist Bill Cunliffe, Brazilian guitarist/vocalist Toninho Horta, flautist Lori
Bell and vocalist Cathy Rocco.
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