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Ken Music was a jazz record label based in Japan that distributed CDs in Japan, Germany, North America, and Great Britain. The company was founded by Kenichi (Ken) Fujiwara in 1989 as a subsidiary of Matsuka USA, which, among other things, manufactured industrial robotic sewing systems for car seat manufacturers. The label flourished from 1989 to 1992.[1][2]
Ken artists edit
- Conrad Herwig
- Walt Weiskopf (1959)
- Peter Leitch (born 1944)
- Gust William Tsilis (born 1956)
- Jim Snidero
- Dave Stryker
- Axel Grube
- Stan Kenton
- Salvatore Bonafede
- Grover Mitchell
- Ron McClure
- Brian Lynch
- Renee Manning
- Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Ted Rosenthal
- Phil Markowitz
- Fabio Morgera
- Eiji Nakayama
- Joanne Brackeen
- Eddie Gómez
- Jack DeJohnette
Kenichi Fujiwara, founder edit
Executive producer
- Ken Fujiwara was an avid jazz fan who had worked as a bandboy for the Count Basie Orchestra on Japanese tours. He was originally from Tamano, south of Okayama. Conrad Herwig's connection and first meeting Fujiwara was on a tour of Japan with Toshiko Akiyoshi in mid 1980s. Fujiwara became of fan of soloists Jim Snidero, Brian Lynch, and Herwig. He wanted to produce and engineer recordings. Jujiwara moved to New York City to do so.[3] Fujiwara was an employee of Matsuka Industries in Japan, a relationship that led to launching Ken Music label. Ken's office at 301 West 57th Street, Suite 26A, Manhattan, New York City,[4] was, at the time, the Matsuka USA headquarters.
Other producers
Matsuka USA Inc. edit
Matsuka USA Inc. incorporated in the state of New York on November 1, 1989, and changed its name on November 21, 2001, to Upright Enterprises, Incorporated. Upright (Akira Matsuka, President; Mieko M. Ajiro, Agent) registered as a foreign corporation in California on February 28, 1995 and kept its corporate domicile in New York. As of 2012, its California foreign registration was forfeited, although it is an active corporation in New York.
Foreign distribution edit
Ken had a distribution agreement with Bellaphon Records in Germany, which gave the Ken Artists a stronger presence in Germany and all of Europe.
Reissues edit
The label also reissued recordings for labels that included SeaBreeze.
References edit
- ^ a b The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2nd ed. (3 vols.), Barry Dean Kernfeld, PhD, & Stanley Sadie (eds.), Macmillan (2002); OCLC 46956628, 5104900439
- ^ "Label Watch: Ken Music," JazzTimes, Vol. 22, 1992, pg. 20
- ^ "In Process," by Neil Andrew Tesser (born 1951), Playboy, November 1, 1991
- ^ Opus, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1992, pg. 728
- ^ "Biography of Gust William Tsilis," by Michael G. Nastos (born 1952), www.allmusic.com, Rovi Corporation