Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Entrepreneurial Art

News, From the Magazine, Kurt Rosenwinkel

By Ted Panken I Dec. 12, 2024

“I could start my own business and try my hand at all the industry stuff,” Rosenwinkel says of starting his Heartcore imprint.
(Photo: Aleks Koncar)

Philadelphia’s Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the most famed and exciting jazz guitarists and composers to emerge over the last four decades. His innovative use of effects and cross-genre influences has given him a distinctive voice, reflecting his influences and forward-looking approach. Rosenwinkel’s latest album, The Next Step Band (Live At Smalls, 1996), released on his label Heartcore, showcases the evolution of the music featured on one of his most celebrated albums, The Next Step (Verve, 2001). As with the album, this live recording features Mark Turner on tenor saxophone, Ben Street on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. Currently on tour with Brian Blade’s Fellowship, Rosenwinkel took a break to discuss the evolution of the new release.

“We were planning our world tour, and releasing an album while on tour is always a good idea,” he said. “I’ve had these DAT tapes of the band from the ’90s when we began recording our gigs. I kept them for years, waiting for the right moment to release them. It turned out that now was the perfect time to delve into those archives. We found one particular date that was especially exciting and captured the essence of that era. I remember this gig well because the tunes were mostly new and still fresh. I even showed one of them, ‘Zhivago,’ to Brad Mehldau. It was one of the first performances of that song, and you can hear Brad playing it with us that night on the album.”

Rosenwinkel has also released a book titled Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Ultimate Book of Compositions, an expansive collection of his work so far.

“At a certain point, my collection of music — my ‘book,’ if you will — became quite extensive, he said. “I had always written music by hand, but I decided to digitize everything about eight years ago. This resulted in 1,500 pages of notation covering all my music. What began as a simple idea to convert my tunes into PDFs to make them look nice quickly grew into something much larger. We decided to create a beautiful art book you’d find in bookstores and think, ‘Wow, this is stunning.’ It’s the kind of book you’d put on your coffee table to browse through, enjoying the music, photos, manuscripts and commentary.

“We went all-in on this project, transforming how music books like this are made. We included not just the scores but also all the Sibelius [music notation] files, making it easier for arrangers to create new arrangements, transpose parts or adapt the music for different instruments. The material is incredibly accessible now. We also added guitar tabs, which makes it possible for guitarists who might not read traditional notation to play my music. The book includes tabs, full scores and everything exactly as I play it. It’s been a massive and rewarding project.”

Rosenwinkel keeps many other irons in the fire, and much of his work is being released on his label. Heartcore is a venture that has opened new avenues and doors for the guitarist.

“I hit the reset button around 2016,” he said. “I left the school where I was teaching and quit my manager, record label and booking agent. I had been working on an album called Caipi for a long time and was looking for a home for it and a path forward for myself. I met with some major labels and got positive responses, but nothing was the right fit. I realized that if I wanted to finish the album the way I envisioned, I’d have to do it myself. And if I was going to finish it myself, I might as well release it myself. That’s when I realized I should start my label, initially just to release Caipi. But as I thought more, I realized that through the label, I could start my own business and try my hand at all the industry stuff — everything that comes with that world.

“For me, it was like a video game. You’re given specific parameters to see what you can do with them. And I love video games. So, why not play the ‘record company’ video game? The fun part is that you can implement your ideas and approaches. As an artist, you often come up under a system where you’re always hoping to get a record deal, hoping to get signed, but you’re just a small cog in a larger machine. And that machine is usually at odds with what you’re trying to achieve as an artist. You often feel like you’re just floating with the current, with no control over where you’re being taken. But when you start your own business, you steer the ship. You’re not just floating anymore; you’ve got a boat and you’re navigating it. Since then, I’ve been sailing, catching the wind, trying to find the right direction. One great thing about having a record label is thinking about what amazing artists are out there that I can help. I’m at a point in my career where I have a platform to elevate others. If I can give someone a little lift, that makes me feel great.”

When asked about future projects, Rosenwinkel revealed, “Thankfully, there’s always a lot going on. Right now, I’m working on five different albums simultaneously. This year, I completed a particularly significant project: I wrote arrangements for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis. This was my first experience arranging for a big band. We’ll be releasing it on Heartcore Records. Working with Wynton has been a fantastic experience. He deeply understands music, and his knowledge extends beyond the music itself to the business and institutional aspects, particularly through his work at Lincoln Center. On a personal level, he’s incredibly warm and approachable. I greatly respect him, and our collaboration has been incredibly rewarding. Additionally, I’m looking forward to the release of my upcoming recording, where I will be with the band. I interpret the music of Brahms as we did with the music of Chopin [on 2022’s The Chopin Project With Jean-Paul Brodbeck].” DB