James Hamilton launches New Jazz Records

Trumpeter and composer James Hamilton has launched a record label, New Jazz Records, to showcase up and coming artists in the North.

James says...

Over the 11 years I’ve lived in Leeds I’ve seen some incredible live jazz music. The city's jazz scene is alive and vibrant with a consistent turn over of new projects and original music. New Jazz Records will document some of this amazing creative output from the Leeds jazz scene and beyond, giving up and coming artists the opportunity to record, release and help promote their music.

The Label's debut release will be Drawing Hands by bassist Sam Jackson. This is available in digital formats from the New Jazz Records website for pay-what-you-want. You can also sign up to the mailing list on the site to be kept abreast of the future releases and news from the label. 

Twitter - @newjazzrecords and @drawhandsmusic

Blue Note and Artistshare Become Partners

Record label Blue Note has announced plans to form a partnership with crowd-funding platform Artistshare.

The new partnership, led by Artistshare founder Brian Carmelio, Blue Note chairman emeritus Bruce Lundvall and Don Was, Blue Note's president has been described as developing a "low-risk development arm of the label."

In essence, Blue Note will help select musicians and groups, and assist in the promotional aspects of record releases, while the crowd-funding element of Artistshare will be retained.  The musicians themselves will be still be owners of the recorded material.

This new partnership reflects the changing world of the recording and distribution of music. Artistshare has an impressive track record and has connections with world-class musicians and composers. One of their biggest successes, Maria Schneider, has won a number of awards for the music she has released through Artistshare.

Blue Note have stated that the focus of this partnership will be on finding up and coming artists and providing support to them, a focus which Blue Note has retained throughout their history.