Palmetto Records: Shaping Jazz Future Now

Palmetto the award winning label pushes creativity at its’ best.

Mar 30, 2009 Tien Providence

Since its' humble beginnings in 1990 Palmetto records has grown to become one of Jazz' leading labels winning awards and attracting award winning musicians.

Palmetto Records was created by founder and producer Matt Balitsaris who had a vision for the survival of jazz, the independent and individualistic freedom of jazz. Palmettos original vision as stated on their website was to enable artists to fulfill their creative visions and it has remained the label's focus more than 19 years and over a120 releases later.

Recording At Maggie’s Farm.

All of Palmetto records are recorded at Maggie's Farm , a unique state of the art recording studio, built in an 18th century stone barn in Buck's County, Pennsylvania, which is owned by label founder Matt Balitsaris.

This gives the label the ability to produce records with its’ own special ambiance, much like the idea behind the great Blue Note or Prestige sound, individualistic and unique, but so Palmetto.

The musician and singers that are now recording are a mix of veterans and new musicians and singers with lots of innovation to share:

Palmetto Attracts Top Notch Musicians.

The legendary Dr Lonnie Smith a musician who plied his trade in the heyday of jazz organ, working along side and vying for the attention of the music buying public with the likes of Jimmy Smith, Johnny Hammond Smith, Charles Earland and many others. These days Palmetto is a very comfortable home for him and he has just released his latest project Rise Up!

Ben Allison, the bassist, burst onto the musical map with some very adventurous and innovative work. Riding The Nuclear Tiger, his third album, became an international hit serving notice on a very eager audience.

Besides working on his own music, Ben has been involved in the Herbie Nichols project. The project is a group of musician who study and record music by Herbie Nichols, some would say a criminally under appreciated pianist. Incidentally, Nichols was was signed to the Blue Note label almost at the same time as the great Thelonious Monk.

Saxophonist Javon Jackson came out swinging in the early 90’s, gained notoriety on the Blue Note Label, and then found his way to the Palmetto family; he has released four albums with them. So too has veteran saxman Bobby Watson.

Pianist Fred Hersch who began his recording career in the eighties on Concord, has found a home for himself and his various grouping at the label and has released five recordings.

The great Andrew Hill, a veteran of the Blue Note Era, and considered a pioneer, has a vast discography of music recorded in the golden age of jazz. Before he died he had recorded two albums on Palmetto.

Pianist Bill Mays, guitarist Will Bernard, drummers Matt Wilson and Bobby Previte, have all found room at Palmetto to work.

Singer Kate McGarry for many years has been the lone singer on the label, but after listening to her work listeners can instantly see why and how she fits into the family of musicians that are released on that label.

Productivity And Awards

Palmetto releases about 25 albums per year and some that were released in 2008 have topped many critics list for the year

The Label as well as many of their musicians has been nominees and recipients of many awards in the music business including being named best jazz label for fours years running in Downbeat magazine’s critic poll.

Some of Palmetto latest releases include:

Ted Nash: The Mancini Project

Bobby Previte: Set The Alarm For Monday

Will Bernard: Blue Plate Special

Robert Walter: Cure All

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