Lithuanian record label
NoBusiness Records is an independent record label, based in
Vilnius ,
Lithuania .
History
The label was founded in 2008 by Danas Mikailionis and Valerij Anosov.
[1] The latter is the owner of a jazz-oriented record store in Vilnius named Thelonious; according to Mikailionis, it is "probably the only store in Vilnius where one can find non-commercial music."
[1] Prior to starting the label, Mikailionis and Anosov put on concerts that featured artists such as
William Parker ,
Matthew Shipp ,
Howard Riley ,
Joe McPhee , and
Barry Guy .
[2] However, it was saxophonist
Mats Gustafsson who, after performing a solo set, as well as one with Lithuanian musicians, encouraged them to found their own record label.
[2] Gustafsson's performances were issued as The Vilnius Implosion (solo), the label's first CD release, and The Vilnius Explosion (ensemble), their first vinyl release.
[3]
[4]
In 2010, NoBusiness began working with musicologist Ed Hazell on historical multiple-CD collections,
[5] such as The Complete Recordings 1981–1983 by the band Commitment, featuring William Parker, Will Connell, Jr.,
Jason Kao Hwang , and Zen Matsuura,
[6]
Jemeel Moondoc 's
Muntu Recordings ,
[7] and William Parker's Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976–1987 .
[8] In 2017, the label initiated a collaboration with the Japanese Chap Chap label, starting with the release of
The Conscience , by trombonist
Paul Rutherford and drummer
Sabu Toyozumi .
[9] In 2019, NoBusiness issued the first CD in a six-volume
Sam Rivers archival series,
[10] while 2020 saw the beginning of the Contemporary Classics Series with releases featuring music by Lithuanian composers
Osvaldas Balakauskas and
Onutė Narbutaitė .
[11]
[12]
[13] In a 2023 interview, Mikailionis stated that the label will also continue to document early European free jazz, with releases by groups such as Total Music Association, Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, and Free Jazz Group Wiesbaden.
[14]
Practices
Writer
Peter Margasak praised NoBusiness's "DIY spirit and passion," and noted that their focus on free jazz can be seen as a response to the fact that, after the Soviet era in Lithuania, "jazz lost its subversive status," and "commercial treacle came flooding in."
[2] The label has consistently focused on quality and attention to detail; Mikailionis stated: "We don't want to release music only for the sake of releasing it. That's why we put great attention to the selection of the projects planned for the future."
[1]
Since its inception, NoBusiness has issued both CDs and vinyl records.
[1] According to Mikailionis, "Visual aesthetic enjoyment combined with the process of listening to vinyl makes it a much greater pleasure for us than listening to a CD."
[1] Most releases can also be downloaded in digital format.
[15]
Reception
Clifford Allen of
All About Jazz called NoBusiness Records "a startlingly active imprint with an extraordinary deep catalogue,"
[1] and wrote that the label "has clearly emerged as the current cultural ambassador for Lithuania."
[5] Writers for The Free Jazz Collective praised the fact that, "over the years, NoBusiness has been dedicated to unearthing and releasing long-unheard music from a number of musicians," and noted that the Sam Rivers Archive Series "looks to be a beautiful physical manifestation of the love and respect that NoBusiness Record's Danas Mikailionis has for NYC loft era free jazz."
[14] Author
Daniel Fischlin stated that the label is "devoted to an impressive catalogue of performers working across free jazz and improvised music and expanding the space for non-commercial creative voicings that disrupt mainstream music."
[16]
NoBusiness releases have received praise and end-of-year awards from
The New York Times ,
[17] the
BBC ,
[18]
DownBeat ,
[19]
The Wire ,
[20]
The New York City Jazz Record ,
[21]
Tom Hull ,
[22]
NPR ,
[23]
JazzTimes ,
[24] Point of Departure ,
[25] Dusted ,
[26]
Cadence ,
[27] and Jazz Word .
[28] In 2012, Ed Hazell was an
ASCAP
Deems Taylor Award recipient for his liner notes for Billy Bang's Survival Ensemble - Black Man's Blues .
[29]
CD releases
NBCD 1
Mats Gustafsson - Vilnius Explosion
NBCD 2
Dominic Duval /
Jimmy Halperin - Monk Dreams
NBCD 3 Adam Caine Trio - Thousandfold
NBCD 4
Marc Ducret / Liudas Mockunas - Silent Vociferation
NBCD 5 Marilyn Lerner /
Ken Filiano / Lou Grassi - Arms Spread Wide
NBCD 6
Dennis González - Songs of Early Autumn
NBCD7–9
Jemeel Moondoc / Arthur Williams / Mark Hennen /
William Parker /
Rashid Bakr (musician) -
Muntu Recordings
NBCD 10 Vladimir Tarasov - Thinking of Khlebnikov
NBCD 11
Curtis Clark Trio - Taagi
NBCD 12–13
Howard Riley - Solo in Vilnius
NBCD 14–15
Jason Kao Hwang / Will Conner Jr. /
William Parker / Takeshi Zen Matsuura - Commitment: The Complete Recordings 1981–1983
NBCD 16 The Nu Band (
Roy Campbell Jr. /
Mark Whitecage /
Joe Fonda / Lou Grassi) - Live in Paris
NBCD 17
Dominic Duval /
Jimmy Halperin / Brian Willson - Music of John Coltrane
NBCD 18
Joëlle Léandre / India Cooke - Journey
NBCD 19 Liudas Mockūnas / Ryoji Hojito - Vacation Music
NBCD 20
Oluyemi Thomas /
Sirone / Michael Wimberly -
Beneath Tones Floor
NBCD 21–26
Howard Riley - The Complete Short Stories 1998–2010
NBCD 27 Terrence McManus /
Mark Helias /
Gerry Hemingway - Transcendental Numbers
NBCD 28
William Hooker /
Thomas Chapin - Crossing Points
NBCD 29 Sei Miguel / Pedro Gomes - Turbina Anthem
NBCD 30–31
Billy Bang 's Survival Ensemble - Black Man's Blues / New York Collage
NBCD 32
Joe McPhee /
Michael Zerang - Creole Gardens
NBCD 33
Karl Berger / Werner Hasler / Gilbert Paeffgen - Eponimous
NBCD 34 Pascal Niggenkemper /
Simon Nabatov /
Gerald Cleaver - Upcoming Hurricane
NBCD 35–36
Julius Hemphill /
Peter Kowald -
Live at Kassiopeia
NBCD 37 Liudas Mockunas / NuClear - Drop It
NBCD 38 Daunik Lazro - Curare
NBCD 39
Narada Burton Greene - Live at Kerrytown House
NBCD 40
Andrew Lamb - Rhapsody in Black
NBCD 41 Henry P. Warner /
Earl Freeman / Philip Spigner -
Freestyle Band
NBCD 42–47
William Parker - Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976–1987
NBCD 48
Carlos Zingaro - Live at Total Meeting
NBCD 49 Lisa Mezzacappa /
Vinny Golia /
Marco Eneidi / Vijay Anderson - Hell-Bent in the Pacific
NBCD 50 The Group (
Ahmed Abdullah /
Marion Brown /
Billy Bang /
Fred Hopkins /
Sirone /
Andrew Cyrille ) -
Live
NBCD 51 SUDO Quartet (
Joëlle Léandre /
Sebi Tramontana /
Carlos Zingaro /
Paul Lovens ) - Live at Banlieue Bleue
NBCD 52
William Hooker Quintet featuring Adam Lane - Channels of Consciousness
NBCD 53 Convergence Quartet (
Alexander Hawkins /
Taylor Ho Bynum /
Dominic Lash / Harris Eisenstadt) - Slow and Steady
NBCD 54 Quat Quartet (Els Vandeweyer /
Fred Van Hove /
Paul Lovens / Martin Blume) - Live at Hasselt
NBCD 55
Evan Parker /
Barry Guy /
Paul Lytton -
Live at Maya Recordings Festival
NBCD 56 Melodic Art-Tet (
Ahmed Abdullah /
Charles Brackeen /
William Parker /
Roger Blank / Tony Waters) -
Melodic Art-Tet
NBCD 57
Steven Lugerner / Darren Johnston /
Myra Melford /
Matt Wilson - For We Have Heard
NBCD 58
Howard Riley - Live with Repertoire
NBCD 59–60
Elton Dean /
Paul Dunmall /
Paul Rogers /
Tony Bianco - Remembrance
NBCD 61 Adam Lane /
Darius Jones / Vijay Anderson - Absolute Horizon
NBCD 62 Daunik Lazro /
Joëlle Léandre - Hasparren
NBCD 63 2° étage( Jean Luc Cappozzo /
Gerry Hemingway / Christine Wodrascka) - Grey Matter
NBCD 64–65
Kidd Jordan /
Peter Kowald /
Alvin Fielder - Trio and Duo in New Orleans
NBCD 66 Max Johnson /
Ingrid Laubrock /
Mat Maneri / Tomas Fujiwara - The Prisoner
NBCD 67 Rodrigo Amado /
Peter Evans / Miguel Mira / Gabriel Ferrandini - Freedom Principle
NBCD 68
William Hooker / Liudas Mockunas - Live at Vilnius Jazz Festival
NBCD 69 RED trio and
Mattias Ståhl - North and the Red Stream
NBCD 70
Dave Burrell /
Steve Swell - Turning Point
NBCD 71
Billy Bang /
William Parker -
Medicine Buddha
NBCD 72–73
Ted Daniel 's Energy Module featuring
Oliver Lake and
Daniel Carter - Innerconnection
NBCD 74–75 Paul Hubweber / Frank Paul Schubert /
Alexander von Schlippenbach - Intricacies
NBCD 76–77
Karl Berger / Kirk Knuffke - Moon
NBCD 78 Martin Küchen / Johan Berthling / Steve Noble - Night in Europe
NBCD 79 Free Jazz Group Wiesbaden - Frictions / Frictions Now
NBCD 80–81
John Carter - Echoes from Rudolph's
NBCD 82–85
William Hooker featuring
David S. Ware and
David Murray - Light: The Early Years 1975–1989
NBCD 86 Jason Roebke Octet - Cinema Spiral
NBCD 87 Aaron Bennett / Darren Johnston / Lisa Mezzacappa /
Frank Rosaly - Shipwreck 4
NBCD 88 Peter Kuhn Trio - The Other Shore
NBCD 89–90 Peter Kuhn with
Toshinori Kondo /
William Parker /
Denis Charles - No Coming, No Going - 1978–1979
NBCD 91–95
Howard Riley - Constant Change 1976–2016
NBCD 96 Albert Cirera / Agusti Fernandez / Hernani Faustino / Gabriel Ferrandini - Before the Silence
NBCD 97 Francois Carrier / Rafal Mazur / Michel Lambert - The Joy of Being
NBCD 98 The Attic (Rodrigo Amado / Goncalo Almeida / Marco Franco) - The Attic
NBCD 99
Paul Rutherford /
Sabu Toyozumi -
The Conscience
NBCD 100
Itaru Oki /
Nobuyoshi Ino / Choi Sun Bae - Kami Fusen
NBCD 101 Yedo Gibson / Hermani Faustino / Vasco Trilla - Chain
NBCD 102
Midori Takada / Kim Dae Hwan /
Masahiko Satoh - Prophecy of Nue
NBCD 103
Barre Phillips /
Motoharu Yoshizawa - Oh My, Those Boys!
NBCD 104 Kang Tae Hwan - Live at Café Amores
NBCD 105
Bobby Naughton /
Wadada Leo Smith /
Perry Robinson - The Haunt
NBCD 106
Alexander von Schlippenbach /
Aki Takase - Live at Café Amores
NBCD 107
Kaoru Abe /
Sabu Toyozumi - Mannyoka
NBCD 108 Choi Sun Bae / Junji Hirose /
Motoharu Yoshizawa / Kim Dae Whan - Arrirang Fantasy
NBCD 109
Marion Brown /
Dave Burrell -
Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981
NBCD 110
Wadada Leo Smith /
Sabu Toyozumi - Burning Meditation
NBCD 111
Howard Riley - Live in the USA
NBCD 112
Simon Nabatov /
Barry Guy /
Gerry Hemingway - Luminous
NBCD 113 Liudas Mockunas - Hydro 2
NBCD 114 Detail (
Frode Gjerstad /
Johnny Mbizo Dyani /
John Stevens ) - Day Two
NBCD 115
Midori Takada / Kang Tae Hwan - An Eternal Moment
NBCD 116
Sunny Murray / Bob Dickey / Robert Andreano -
Homework
NBCD 117 The Attic (Rodrigo Amado / Goncalo Almeida / Onno Gowaert) - Summer Bummer
NBCD 118
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 1: Emanation
NBCD 119 Katarsis 4 - Katarsis 4
NBCD 120
Masahiko Satoh /
Sabu Toyozumi - The Aiki
NBCD 121
Steve Swell trio - Brain in a Dish
NBCD 122 Juan Vinuesa Jazz Quartet featuring Jason Roebke, Josh Berman and Mikel Avery - Blue Shots from Chicago
NBCD 123
Evan Parker /
Barry Guy /
Paul Lytton - Concert in Vilnius
NBCD 124
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 2: Zenith
NBCD 125 Francois Carrier / Masayo Koketsu / Daisuke Fuwa / Takashi Itani - Japan Suite
NBCD 126 Adam Caine / Adam Lane / Billy Mintz / Bob Lanzetti / Nick Lyons - Transmissions
NBCD 127 Threadbare (Jason Stein / Ben Cruz / Emerson Hunton) - Silver Dollar
NBCD 128
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 3: Ricochet
NBCD 129–131 Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe / Four Men Only - Complete Recordings
NBCD 132
Derek Bailey /
Mototeru Takagi - Live at FarOut, Atsugi, 1987
NBCD 133 Frank Gratkowski / Achim Kaufmann / Wilbert de Joode /
Tony Buck - Flatbosc & Cautery
NBCD 134
Sabu Toyozumi /
Mats Gustafsson - Hokusai
NBCD 135 Masayuki JoJo Takayanagi /
Nobuyoshi Ino / Masabumi PUU Kikuchi - Live at Jazz inn Lovely 1990
NBCD 136–137 RED trio + Celebration Band - Suite 10 Years Anniversary
NBCD 138
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 4: Braids
NBCD 139 Katarsis 4 - Live at the Underground Water Reservoir
NBCD 140 Liudas Mockunas /
Akira Sakata /
Otomo Yoshihide /
Kazutoki Umezu / Masayo Koketsu - In Residency at Bitches Brew
NBCD 141 Rodrigo Amado Quartet with
Alexander von Schlippenbach - The Field
NBCD 142 Szilard Mezei Tubass Quintet - Rested Turquoise
NBCD 143
Itaru Oki Quartet - Live at Jazz Spot Combo, 1975
NBCD 144
Mototeru Takagi Quartet - Live at Little John, Yokohama 1999
NBCD 145 Total Music Association - Walpurgisnacht
NBCD 146
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 5: Undulation
NBCD 147–151
Joel Futterman - Creation Series
NBCD 152
Keith Tippett /
Howard Riley - Journal Four
NBCD 153 Daunik Lazro Quintet - Sonoris Causa
NBCD 154
Rob Brown / Juan Pablo Carletti - Fertile Garden
NBCD 155
Sam Rivers -
Archive Series Vol. 6: Caldera
NBCD 156
Yuji Takahashi /
Sabu Toyozumi - The Quietly Cloud and the Wild Crane
NBCD 157
Mototeru Takagi / Kim Dae Hwan / Choi Sun Bae - Seishin - Seido
NBCD 158 Kirk Knuffke /
Michael Bisio - For You I Don't Want to Go
NBCD 159 The Attic (Rodrigo Amadfo / Gonçalo Almeida / Onno Govaert) - Love Ghosts
NBCD 160 Triangle (
Peter Brötzmann and
Sabu Toyozumi ) - Live at OHM, 1987
NBCD 161 Kim Dae Hwan and Choi Sun Bae - Korean Fantasy
NBCD 162 The Pyramid Trio - Visitation Of Spirits
NBCD 163
Barry Altschul ,
David Izenzon , and
Perry Robinson -
Stop Time: Live at Prince Street, 1978
NBCD 164 Jouk Minor, Josef Traindl, Jean Querlier, Christian Lété, and Dominique Regef - Enfin La Mer
[30]
LP releases
[31]
EP releases
[31]
Contemporary Classics Series
NBCC 1 Works by
Osvaldas Balakauskas performed by the Chordos String Quartet
NBCC 2 Works by
Onutė Narbutaitė performed by the Chordos String Quartet
NBCC 3 LENsemble Vilnius - Horizons
NBCC 4 Thomas Hummel - For Vykintas
NBCC 5–6 Liudas Mockūnas - Polylogues
NBCC 7 Contemporary Music From Ukraine
NBCC 8 Vykintas Baltakas - Sandwritings
NBCC 9
Bronius Kutavičius - Magic Squares
NBCC 10 LENsemble - Contemporary Music Series: Orient
NBCC 11
Karlheinz Stockhausen -
Prozession
[11]
References
^
a
b
c
d
e
f Allen, Clifford (July 2010). "NoBusiness". All About Jazz - New York . p. 12.
^
a
b
c Margasak, Peter (February 2011).
"Lithuanian Label Contradicts Nation's Aesthetic Status Quo" . DownBeat . p. 17.
^
"Mats Gustafsson - The Vilnius Implosion" . Jazz Music Archives . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Mats Gustafsson - The Vilnius Explosion" . Jazz Music Archives . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
a
b Allen, Clifford (July 2010). "NoBusiness". All About Jazz - New York . p. 42.
^
"Commitment: The Complete Recordings 1981–1983: Releases" . AllMusic . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Jemeel Moondoc: Muntu Recordings: Releases" . AllMusic . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"William Parker: Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976–1987: Releases" . AllMusic . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"No Business Records Chap Chap Series" . ChapChap Music . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"NoBusiness Records Begins Sam Rivers Archive Series With A Previously Unreleased Trio Recording From 1971" . All About Jazz . May 20, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
a
b
"Contemporary Classics Series" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Osvaldas Balakauskas - Chordos String Quartet" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Onutė Narbutaitė - Chordos String Quartet" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
a
b Acquaro, Paul; Burris, Tom; Chapin, Gary (February 10, 2023).
"Sam Rivers Archive Series / Q&A with NoBusiness's Danas Mikailionis" . The Free Jazz Collective . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Downloading" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Fischlin, Daniel (2020). Rebel Musics: Human Rights, Resistant Sounds, and the Politics of Music Making . Vol. 2. v. pp. 15–16.
^ Chinen, Nate (November 19, 2012).
"Easy to Wrap, Ready to Rock 'n' Roll" . The New York Times . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Spicer, Daniel (2012).
"William Parker Centering: Unreleased Early Recordings 1976-1987 Review" . BBC . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"2019: The Year's Top-Rated Albums" . DownBeat . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Walmsley, Derek (March 2019).
"Adventures In Sound And Music NoBusiness special hosted by Derek Walmsley" . The Wire . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"Best of 2021: Albums of the Year" (PDF) . The New York City Jazz Record . January 2022. p. 24.
^ Hull, Tom.
"The Best Jazz Albums of 2021" . Tom Hull – on the Web . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Davis, Francis (January 14, 2021).
"The 2020 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll" . WBUR . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"The Year in Review: Top 50 Albums of 2019" . JazzTimes . December 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Whitehead, Kevin (December 2015).
"Moment's Notice: Reviews of Recent Recordings" . Point of Departure . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Rosenstein, Michael (July 19, 2017).
"Paul Rutherford / Sabu Toyozumi — The Conscience (NoBusiness Records Chap Chap Series)" . Dusted . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^ Rusch, Robert D. (October 2020).
"Papatamus" (PDF) . Cadence . p. 143.
^ Waxman, Ken (December 18, 2021).
"Itaru Oki Quartet" . Jazz Word . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"44th Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Awards Announced" . ASCAP . October 9, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
"CD Catalog" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .
^
a
b
"LP Catalog" . NoBusiness Records . Retrieved March 13, 2023 .