Pi Recordings

I gravitate towards recording labels that increase my musical awareness. I enjoy having my musical consciousness raised. A record label I continually draw innovative knowledge from is Pi Recordings.  Nate Chinen, jazz music journalist for the New York Times, wrote an authoritative column yesterday about Pi Recordings. (see link below) Their record label is furthering and shaping avant-garde jazz with the talent they are molding through collaborative support. This year marks Pi Recordings 10th anniversary.

Pi has forged a symbiotic relationship with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Together they are forming key foundation building blocks that increase avant-garde jazz’s reach to new, accepting audiences.

The mission statement for Pi Recordings, crafted by visionary founders Seth Rosner and Yulun Wang states prophetically:

Pi Recordings is a New York-based record label dedicated to releasing innovative music by artists with unique and defining voices. Founded in 2001 with the release of two recordings of new music by Henry Threadgill, we have since been fortunate to work with some of the most influential composers and musicians in American music such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, James Blood Ulmer and Marc Ribot. At the same time, we are helping to nurture the voice of the best of this century’s young musicians. Artists like Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Liberty Ellman, Steve Lehman, Amir ElSaffar, and Corey Wilkes have all released CDs on Pi Recordings that document their growth as composers, improvisers and bandleaders.

We spotlight composers, improvisers and bandleaders who are pushing music in new, groundbreaking ways. Jazz artists have never had a wider musical palette at their disposal than now, and they are using it to create music that is more varied, profound and vibrant than ever before. Pi Recordings is here to capture what we recognize as the high points of these developments. The best of the best.

Related articles

• Despite the Odds, a Jazz Label Finds a Way to Thrive (nytimes.com)
• Jazz Listings From the New York Times (avantmusicnews.com)