Prestige Records

Prestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several subsidiaries. In 1971, the company was sold to Fantasy, which was later absorbed by Concord.

History

Weinstock opened a record store for collectors in 1948 while still a teenager. The store was adjacent to the Metropole Jazz Club in New York City. Jazz musicians hung out and rehearsed at the club, and then moved upstairs adjacent to Weinstock's store. Weinstock got the idea to record these jazz stars by offering them cash payments.

Prestige office was located at 446 West 50th Street, New York City. The label's name was initially New Jazz, but changed to Prestige Records the following year. Its catalog contains a significant number of jazz classics, including renowned works by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and many others. Weinstock stated a desire for an authentic, spontaneous sound. To this effect, Prestige Records, unlike Blue Note Records, would not pay musicians for rehearsals and discouraged repeated takes. Another Weinstock practice, of rewinding the tapes after "bad" takes, has resulted in very few alternate takes surfacing from the classic Prestige years. Whether Weinstock's motives for such practices were artistic or economic, the result was a relatively undemanding, casual environment for musicians that resulted in spontaneity, both good and bad. Sometimes the upfront cash and low demand environment attracted musicians who were not in a condition to record. Prestige recordings chronicle low points in the careers of some musicians during the early 1950s heroin epidemic, as well as some of the same musicians' creative peaks.

33 Jazz Records

33 Jazz Records was created in 1990 to develop a wider market for jazz and related music artists passing through the defunct 33 Jazz Club. Over the past 20 years '33' have, via the 33 Jazz and 33 WM labels, released over 250 albums of contemporary jazz and world music.

The label has developed an ongoing creative relationship with the vocalist Tina May, since the release of her debut album 'Never Let Me Go' in 1992.

The label was founded by musician/producer Paul Jolly, whose previous work includes playing with '70's progressive rock band Sweet Slag, and leading improvising musicians such as Maggie Nicols, the Loverly Band, the People Band and EAWO. His professional work included tours of Europe and the Far East. He also appeared, playing as a member of the Kraków Jazz Ensemble, in the Mike Figgis film 'Stormy Monday' which featured Sting, Melanie Griffiths & Tommy Lee Jones.

Among leading UK artists represented on the '33' label are singers Tina May, Johanna Graham, Jacqui Hicks, Juliet Kelly, Louise Gibbs, Paula Rae Gibson, Zoe Schwarz; saxophonists Theo Travis, Ed Jones, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Don Weller, Martin Speake; trumpet players Damon Brown; pianists Tim Richards, Jonathan Gee, Mike Gorman, Andrea Vicari, Kate Williams, Alex Hutton; guitarist Maciek Pysz and harmonica player Julian Jackson.