Relative Pitch Records

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Relative Pitch Records
Relative Pitch Records logo.jpg
Founded2011 (2011)
FounderKevin Reilly, Mike Panico
Genre
LocationNew York City
Official websiterelativepitchrecords.bandcamp.com

Relative Pitch Records is an American independent record label specializing in free jazz and avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and experimental music.[1] Relative Pitch has been ranked among the top jazz record labels in The New York City Jazz Record[2][3] and DownBeat[4] year-end lists, and praised by publications and organizations including The Guardian,[5] NPR Music,[6] and The Brooklyn Rail.[7]

History[]

Co-founders Kevin Reilly and Mike Panico first met waiting in line at a show[7] and later spent time together as volunteers at The Stone, an experimental music space then located in the East Village.[1] They eventually decided to start a record label, and co-founded Relative Pitch in 2011.[6]

Both Reilly and Panico attended a large number of avant-jazz performances, as noted by many of the label's artists. In a 2013 feature, Mary Halvorson asserted that “What Kevin and Mike share is an unrelenting dedication to and passion for music, which is evident from the sheer number of concerts they attend";  [de] said, "what makes [Relative Pitch] so special in my mind, is that the people that run the label are faces in the crowd of 90% of the shows you play in New York", and described the two as "missionary in their desire to get the music they think is transcendent out to people that don't have the chance or impetus to go to six or seven shows a week in Brooklyn".[1] They traveled to see shows as well, and the label's roster includes both local and international artists; Reilly has said, "I like the idea that you could look at our catalogue and not know where the label is based".[1]

In 2018, Panico's body was found in Flushing Bay; his death was ruled a suicide.[6] A memorial concert was held at Brooklyn performing arts space Roulette, with performances by a number of artists on the Relative Pitch label.[8] Reilly took over operations following Panico's death.[6]

Reception[]

The Guardian has described Relative Pitch as "a label whose roster is the perfect place to start if you're looking to take the pulse of the best jazz and improv players currently on the scene".[5] NPR Music has called Relative Pitch "a small label that has made a big impact in avant-garde and free-improv circles", saying its roster "includes some of the most acclaimed artists in the style [of avant-garde jazz], like guitarists Mary Halvorson and Susan Alcorn; bassists Joëlle Léandre and Michael Bisio; and saxophonists Evan Parker, Vinny Golia and Matana Roberts".[6] The publication also noted Matthew Shipp, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, and Kirk Knuffke as among the "dozens of prominent artists who have released albums on the label".[6]

Wooley invited cofounder Reilly to contribute to "The Listeners Issue" of the journal Sound American, describing him as "represent[ing] a model of listening: the critical audience member" who "approaches every concert and, as you will see, every recording with the rigor of an academic and the intensity of a man possessed".[9]

Notable releases[]

The annual NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll has included Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue (2014),[10] James Brandon Lewis's An UnRuly Manifesto (2019),[11] and the Susan Alcorn Quintet's Pedernal (2020).[12][13] Lewis's An UnRuly Manifesto was also included in year-end lists in JazzTimes,[14] The New York City Jazz Record, and DownBeat;[15] the New York Times counted Alcorn's Pedernal in their Best Jazz Albums of 2020.[16]

Along with Lewis, many Relative Pitch releases have received a top rating in DownBeat: Continuum (2012) by Book of Three, the trio of Taylor Ho Bynum, John Hébert, and Gerald Cleaver;[17] Greg Cohen's Golden State (2014);[18] Evan Parker and Sylvie Courvoisier's Either Or And (2015);[19] Courvoisier and Halvorson's Crop Circles (2017);[20][21] and John Butcher's Last Dream Of The Morning (2018).[22]

Other critically-acclaimed albums include Matthew Shipp and Michael Bisio's Floating Ice (2012);[23] Jemeel Moondoc's The Zookeeper's House (2014);[24] Tomas Fujiwara's Variable Bets (2014);[2] the Matthew Shipp Trio's Root of Things (2014);[25] Matana Roberts' Always (2015);[26] Halvorson's Reverse Blue (2015);[27] Alcorn's Soledad (2015);[28] Pulverize The Sound, the self-titled debut of trio Peter Evans, Tim Dahl, and Mike Pride (2015);[29] Mette Ramussen and Chris Corsano's All The Ghosts At Once (2015);[30] Bisio and Kirk Knuffke's Row for William O. (2016);[31] The Out Louds, the eponymous debut of trio Halvorson, Fujiwara, and Ben Goldberg (2016);[32] Steph Richards' Fullmoon (2018);[33][34] Geometry of Caves (2018)[35] and Geometry of Distance (2019),[36] both by the improvisational quartet of Tomeka Reid, Kyoko Kitamura, Taylor Ho Bynum, and Joe Morris; and Gregg Belisle-Chi's ‘Koi’: Performing the Music of Tim Berne (2021).[37] Relative Pitch also released Nate Wooley's quartet project with Laubrock, Matt Moran, and Courvoisier in the albums Battle Pieces (2015),[38] Battle Pieces 2 (2017),[39] and Battle Pieces 4 (2019).[40]

Roster[]

[when?]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Waxman, Ken (November 2013). "Label Spotlight: Relative Pitch" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Best of 2014" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. January 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Best of 2016" (PDF). The New York City Jazz Record. January 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. ^ "80th Readers Poll" (PDF). DownBeat. December 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b Allan, Jennifer Lucy (3 July 2015). "This week's new live music". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Chinen, Nate (5 October 2018). "Behind A Death In Queens, A Major Loss For The Avant-Garde Jazz Community". NPR. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b Dalachinsky, Steve (March 2014). "Outtakes". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Mike Panico Memorial Concert and Celebration". Roulette. November 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  9. ^ Wooley, Nate (2015). "SA13: The Listeners Issue". Sound American. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  10. ^ Davis, Francis (19 December 2019). "The 2014 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  11. ^ Davis, Francis (14 January 2020). "The 2019 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  12. ^ Davis, Francis (14 January 2021). "The 2020 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll". NPR.
  13. ^ Whitehead, Kevin (10 November 2020). "With 'Pedernal,' Susan Alcorn Expands Pedal Steel Guitar's Range". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  14. ^ "The Year in Review: Top 50 Albums of 2019". JazzTimes. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  15. ^ "2019: The Year's Top-Rated Albums". DownBeat. 9 December 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  16. ^ Russonello, Giovanni (2 December 2020). "Best Jazz Albums of 2020". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Best Albums" (PDF). DownBeat. January 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Best Albums" (PDF). DownBeat. January 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Best Albums" (PDF). DownBeat. January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Best Albums" (PDF). DownBeat. January 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  21. ^ Margasak, Peter (July 2017). "Image Courvoisier/Halvorson: Crop Circles". DownBeat. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  22. ^ "2018: The Year's Top-Rated Albums". DownBeat. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  23. ^ Fordham, John (13 December 2012). "Matthew Shipp/Michael Bisio: Floating Ice – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Jemeel Moondoc: The Zookeeper's House" (PDF). DownBeat. October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  25. ^ Sharpe, John (25 December 2014). "John Sharpe's Best Releases Of 2014". All About Jazz. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  26. ^ Schray, Martin (11 July 2015). "Matana Roberts – Always (Relative Pitch, 2015) *****". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Mary Halvorson: Reverse Blue" (PDF). DownBeat. January 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  28. ^ Margasak, Peter (20 July 2018). "Pedal steel virtuoso Susan Alcorn moves away from country toward free improvisation, tango, and more". The Chicago Reader. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  29. ^ Cohan, Brad (29 December 2015). "The Best Experimental Albums of 2015". Observer. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  30. ^ Smith, Stewart (16 December 2015). "Complete Communion: Stewart Smith On The Best Jazz Of 2015". The Quietus. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  31. ^ Davis, Francis (21 December 2016). "Why The 2016 Jazz Critics Poll Belongs To The Avant Gentry". NPR. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  32. ^ Besche, JA (12 June 2016). "The Out Louds – s/t (Relative Pitch, 2016) ****½". The Free Jazz Collective. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  33. ^ Gotrich, Lars (11 April 2018). "Stephanie Richards' 'Gong' Resonates The Body's Frequency". NPR. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  34. ^ Bambarger, Bradley (July 2018). "Steph Richards: Fullmoon". DownBeat. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  35. ^ Walls, Seth Colter (25 May 2018). "Happy Error: The Week in Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  36. ^ "Geometry: Geometry of Distance" (PDF). DownBeaet. February 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  37. ^ Walls, Seth Colter (26 August 2021). "5 Classical Albums to Hear Right Now". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  38. ^ Corroto, Mark (2 May 2015). "Nate Wooley: Battle Pieces". All About Jazz. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  39. ^ Freeman, Phil (November 2017). "Nate Wooley: Battle Pieces II" (PDF). Relative Pitch Records. The Wire. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  40. ^ Clark, Philip. "Nate Wooley: Battle Pieces 4". Jazzwise. Retrieved 5 September 2021.

External links[]

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