Savoy Jazz Set for Ambitious New Year

By I Jan. 7, 2003

Savoy Jazz has aquired the catalogue of 32 Records, which includes the noted traditional jazz labels Muse and Landmark, founded by Joe Fields and Orrin Keepnews respectively. Savoy Jazz is a wholly owned subsidiary of CME (Columbia Music Entertainment formerly Nippon Columbia), the Japan-based recorded music company with operations in both the U.S. and Asia.

Featuring recordings from a who’s who of jazz artists including Grant Green, Pat Martino, Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Kenny Burrell, Houston Person and Donald Byrd, the 32 Records label also created the enormously successful “Jazz for a Rainy Day” series that is still the best selling jazz mid-line collection ever. That series will be relaunched under the Savoy label in late January for Valentine1s Day promotions in updated packaging using the original covers, featuring the models of Elle magazine.

“We are delighted by the acquisition of the 32 Records catalogue,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman/CEO of Savoy Jazz parent company Columbia Music Entertainment. “The Muse and Landmark catalogues combine with Savoy to give CME a commanding presence in jazz. We plan to aggressively leverage our strength in the genre on a global basis through both catalogue reissue and new recording.”

“The depth of catalogue and caliber of artists from the combined entities will give us a tremendous opportunity to re-market from a treasure-trove of material and complement our existing Savoy reissue program,” said Steve Vining, Savoy’s President.

Savoy has also signed five new artists. Steve Backer, Savoy’s Vice President of A&R, said, “I am thrilled to announce forthcoming projects by saxophonist James Moody, singers Andy Bey and Carol Welsman, flutist Hubert Laws and a collective group featuring saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard. These projects will all have a specific musical viewpoint and will have an impact with music fans and the recording industry. In the face of declining artist rosters at many record labels, our aggressive thrust into the marketplace is particularly noteworthy.”

For more information on Savoy, go to www.savoyjazz.com.