3 British Labels are Deep in Dialogue with the American Jazz Tradition

News, Michael Janisch, Alice Zawadzki, Mark Kavuma, Quentin Collins Sextet, Tori Freestone Trio, Gary Crosby, Danilo Pérez, Kurt Elling, The Bad Plus, Camilla George

By Tina Edwards I Oct. 29, 2019

Ubuntu label head Martin Hummel (left), saxophonist Tori Freestone and bassist Gary Crosby
(Photo: Carl Hyde/Rob Blackham/Howard Denner)

Hummel continued: “I think we all tend to have a much more open and broader perspective on life and the world than we had previously. So, as a result, I don’t think it’s the U.S. [alone] that takes the lead. I think it’s the U.S. that’s leading with other very interesting developed communities of music in other countries.”

Saxophonist Camilla George, who released The People Could Fly on Ubuntu in 2018, also subscribes to the idea that the world is “getting smaller.”

“I think there are influences that have come through,” George began, discussing the States’ impact on her British peers. “A lot of the U.K. jazzers are influenced by people like [vibraphonist] Joel Ross, influencing the way that people are writing.” The flow of information, she said, isn’t moving in just one direction: “This wave of U.K. jazz has gone even further, globally. I think that’s why more American-British relationships have been forged.”

AN AMERICAN WHO HAS FORMED countless relationships with members of the British scene is Michael Janisch, the bassist who founded the Whirlwind label in 2010. And it’s on that imprint that he has released his latest album, Worlds Collide, his sixth recording as leader. He sits among a well-curated family of artists, including American saxophonist Walter Smith III and Tori Freestone. British saxophonist Freestone had been an admirer of Whirlwind’s discography before he signed with the label. After she saw Janisch play a show in the Canary Islands—with a transatlantic lineup—they got chatting, and Freestone was invited to send over some of her music, which led to a working relationship with the label.

“Obviously, I knew already about Whirlwind and what they were doing—following who was on there,” Freestone said. “[T]o me, it was a real honor to join [Whirlwind], because a lot of the musicians I’ve been very influenced by were from both the States and U.K.”

Like Hummel, the story behind Whirlwind’s birth didn’t begin with a dream to run a label, but developed more organically. Janisch said he spent his life savings on his debut album, 2009’s Purpose Built: “I really splurged, you know? I rented an amazing studio in New York, flew a bunch of people over from the U.K., flew some people over from different parts of the States, and basically had a party and lived in a big massive house for a week. I just thought, ‘I don’t want to give that away to a label.’”

Thus far, Whirlwind has released 130 albums. Having founded his label in the U.K., where he still is based, Janisch has gathered perspective on both the scene at home and in the U.S. He reflects on his time studying music business at Berklee College of Music: “When you’re sort of brought up in the American school or whatever you want to call it, they just sort of bang on about the good culture of American jazz. Everything was New York-centric. In the States, you have to learn the culture and you have to know the tradition, which is great, but it was a little bit limiting in terms of the global stage. For me, London’s is the best scene outside of New York.”

Whirlwind has a penchant for artists who both orient around tradition and explore improvisation. While some performers on the label move in more progressive directions—such as saxophonist Dee Byrne and multi-instrumentalist Alice Zawadzki—others, like pianist Tony Tixier cater to a straightahead aesthetic, thanks to precision and nods to classic jazz elements.

Geographically, Whirlwind’s discography is a pretty even split, too: “The label is about 45/55 in favor of Euro artists, mostly U.K.-centric. And I would say that they both have very strong identities,” Janisch said. “I hear influences from what’s happening in London; it’s starting to take a foothold in not just New York and Los Angeles, but even with some friends in Austria.”

Edition, another label based in the U.K., offers a global overview of the music. Run by Dave Stapleton, a Brit, the label has built a reputation for shining spotlights on the U.K., Europe and especially the Nordic regions, with offerings from Phronesis and pianist Eyolf Dale. However, Stapleton’s attention increasingly has been focused on the American market. Since 2018, Edition has signed American drummer Jeff Ballard, which then led to a recording with saxophonist Chris Potter and then pianist Kevin Hays. The Bad Plus’ most-recent full-length, Activate Infinity, as well as an upcoming collaboration between vocalist Kurt Elling and pianist Danilo Pérez also are on the label.