Novus Records
Encyclopedia
Novus RecordsNovus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus was a United States
jazz and contemporary jazz record label
. It was an Arista Records
imprint focused on then-contemporary jazz artists. During the 1980s it became an imprint of RCA Records
.
Artists who released material on the later incarnation, RCA Novus, include Air
, Chet Baker
, Nina Simone
, Roy Hargrove
, Marcus Roberts
, Warren Bernhardt
, Hugh Masekela
, Liz Story
, Michael Shrieve
, Elements
, John Pizzarelli
, Steve Coleman
, Henry Threadgill
and Opafire
featuring Zachary Norman E.
The catalog is now managed by Sony Masterworks through its Masterworks Jazz imprint.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz and contemporary jazz record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. It was an Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
imprint focused on then-contemporary jazz artists. During the 1980s it became an imprint of RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
Artists who released material on the later incarnation, RCA Novus, include Air
Air (jazz group)
Air was a free jazz trio founded in 1971 by saxophone player Henry Threadgill, double bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall. They combined radical free improvisation with a strong sense of tune and equal emphasis on each instrument in the group....
, Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
, Roy Hargrove
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove is an American jazz trumpeter. He won worldwide notice after winning two Grammy Awards for differing types of music, in 1997, and in 2002...
, Marcus Roberts
Marcus Roberts
Marcus Roberts is an American jazz pianist who has achieved fame as a stride pianist committed to celebrating classic standards and jazz traditions. Roberts has also distinguished his solos by accompanying himself with walking basslines...
, Warren Bernhardt
Warren Bernhardt
Warren Bernhardt is a noted pianist in jazz, pop and classical music.His father was a pianist, leading him to have early childhood exposure to piano, and he learned some rudiments of keyboarding from his friends. At five his parents moved to New York City where he began studying seriously under...
, Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
, Liz Story
Liz Story
Liz Story is an American pianist. She was born in San Diego, California. She attended the Juilliard School, studied under Sanford Gold and received additional education in Germany. In the 1980s she emerged as a prominent figure in new age music and recording artist at Windham Hill Records...
, Michael Shrieve
Michael Shrieve
Michael Shrieve is an American drummer, percussionist, and later, an electronic music composer. He is best known as the drummer in Carlos Santana's eponymous band, playing on their first eight albums from 1969 through 1974...
, Elements
Elements (band)
Elements was an American jazz fusion ensemble founded by bass guitarist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb in 1982. Both Egan and Gottlieb were former members of the Pat Metheny Group, and Elements' sound draws deeply from their experience as Metheney's former rhythm section...
, John Pizzarelli
John Pizzarelli
John Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others...
, Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...
, Henry Threadgill
Henry Threadgill
Henry Threadgill is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. Threadgill came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating a range of non-jazz genres....
and Opafire
Opafire
Opafire is a Jazz Fusion / World Fusion / Contemporary Jazz musical group, originally based in San Francisco, California, best known for their 1991 RCA Records release Opafire, , which sold close to one million units World Wide, the 1992 RCA Records release Without a Trace, as well as the 1994...
featuring Zachary Norman E.
The catalog is now managed by Sony Masterworks through its Masterworks Jazz imprint.
3000-N (RCA) series
- 3000 Muhal Richard AbramsMuhal Richard AbramsMuhal Richard Abrams is an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the Free jazz medium. Abrams compresses both contemporary and traditional ideas into lean, elegant pieces.- Biography :Abrams attended DuSable High School in Chicago...
- Lifea BlinecLifea BlinecLifea Blinec is an album by Muhal Richard Abrams which was released on the Arista Novus label in 1978 and features performances by Abrams, Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Amina Claudine Myers and Thurman Barker. The Allmusic review states "Muhal Richard Abrams headed one of his finest small combos on... - 3001 Warren BernhardtWarren BernhardtWarren Bernhardt is a noted pianist in jazz, pop and classical music.His father was a pianist, leading him to have early childhood exposure to piano, and he learned some rudiments of keyboarding from his friends. At five his parents moved to New York City where he began studying seriously under...
- Solo Piano - 3002 AirAir (jazz group)Air was a free jazz trio founded in 1971 by saxophone player Henry Threadgill, double bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall. They combined radical free improvisation with a strong sense of tune and equal emphasis on each instrument in the group....
- Open Air SuitOpen Air SuitOpen Air Suit is an album by the improvisational collective Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins recorded in New York in 1978 featuring four of Threadgill's compositions.-Reception:... - 3003 Oliver LakeOliver LakeOliver Lake is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer and poet. He is known mainly on alto saxophone but also performs on soprano saxophone and flute....
- Life Dance Of Is - 3004 Baird Hersey - Looking For That Groove
- 3005 Larry CoryellLarry CoryellLarry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
- European Impressions - 3006 Ran BlakeRan BlakeRan Blake is an American pianist and composer from Springfield, Massachusetts. In a career that spans five decades, Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator...
- Rapport - 3007 Muhal Richard Abrams - Spiral Live at Montreux 1978Spiral Live at Montreux 1978Spiral Live at Montreux 1978 is a live album by Muhal Richard Abrams recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival and released on the Arista Novus label in 1978...
- 3008 Air - Montreux SuisseMontreux SuisseMontreux Suisse is a live album by the improvisational collective Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in Switzerland in 1978.-Reception:...
- 3009 Mike MainieriMike MainieriMichael T. Mainieri, Jr. is a vibraphonist best known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead....
& Warren BernhardtWarren BernhardtWarren Bernhardt is a noted pianist in jazz, pop and classical music.His father was a pianist, leading him to have early childhood exposure to piano, and he learned some rudiments of keyboarding from his friends. At five his parents moved to New York City where he began studying seriously under...
- Free Smiles - 3010 Oliver Lake - Shine
- 3011 Warren Bernhardt - Floating
- 3012 Michael Gregory - Gifts
- 3013 Henry ThreadgillHenry ThreadgillHenry Threadgill is an American composer, saxophonist and flautist. Threadgill came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating a range of non-jazz genres....
- X-75 Volume 1X-75 Volume 1X-75 Volume 1 is the debut album by Henry Threadgill released on the Arista Novus label in 1979. The album and features four of Threadgill's compositions performed by Threadgill with Douglas Ewart, Joseph Jarman, Wallace McMillan, Leonard Jones, Brian Smith, Rufus Reid, Fred Hopkins and vocals by... - 3014 Air - Air LoreAir LoreAir Lore is an album by the improvisational collective Air featuring Henry Threadgill, Steve McCall, and Fred Hopkins performing compositions by Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin.-Reception:...
- 3015 Michael Gregory - Heart And Center
- 3016 Baird Hersey - Have You Heard?
- 3017 Larry Coryell - Tributaries
- 3018 John ScofieldJohn ScofieldJohn Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...
- Who's Who?Who's Who?Who's Who? is a studio album by jazz musician John Scofield. It features two different bands, one acoustic and one electric. The acoustic group, featuring Scofield's then-employer Dave Liebman on saxophones, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Billy Hart on drums, recorded 'The Beatles' and 'How the West Was... - 3019 Ran Blake - Film Noir
- 3020 Warren Bernhardt - Manhattan Update
- 3021 Pharoah SandersPharoah SandersPharoah Sanders is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on...
& Norman ConnorsNorman ConnorsNorman Connors is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.-Biography:...
- Beyond A Dream - 3022 John Scofield - Bar TalkBar TalkBar Talk is an album by jazz musician John Scofield. It was recorded in August, 1980 at Celebration Studios in New York City and produced by Mark Bingham and John Scofield. The John Scofield Trio featured on this album went on to release two live albums which were recorded sixteen months later in...
- 3023 Steve KhanSteve KhanSteve Khan is an American jazz guitarist.Born in Los Angeles, California, Khan is known for his work with artists such as Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Michael Franks, Hubert Laws, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, James Brown, Maynard Ferguson, and Weather Report...
- Evidence - 3024 Larry Coryell - Standing Ovation
- 3032 Michael ShrieveMichael ShrieveMichael Shrieve is an American drummer, percussionist, and later, an electronic music composer. He is best known as the drummer in Carlos Santana's eponymous band, playing on their first eight albums from 1969 through 1974...
& Steve Roach - The Leaving Time - 3084 OpafireOpafireOpafire is a Jazz Fusion / World Fusion / Contemporary Jazz musical group, originally based in San Francisco, California, best known for their 1991 RCA Records release Opafire, , which sold close to one million units World Wide, the 1992 RCA Records release Without a Trace, as well as the 1994...
- Opafire featuring Zachary Norman E. - 3176 OpafireOpafireOpafire is a Jazz Fusion / World Fusion / Contemporary Jazz musical group, originally based in San Francisco, California, best known for their 1991 RCA Records release Opafire, , which sold close to one million units World Wide, the 1992 RCA Records release Without a Trace, as well as the 1994...
- Without a Trace
External links
- DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
, http://www.discogs.com/label/Arista+Novus - DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
, http://www.discogs.com/label/Novus (some albums are erroneously filed there, such as "AN 3007 - Muhal Richard Abrams - Spiral: Live At Montreux 1978") - Jazz Discography, http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/novus.htm
- Robert ChristgauRobert ChristgauRobert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
, http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_label.php?id=1723&name=Arista+Novus