The prevailing wisdom in the music industry right now is that even though people seem to engaging with a broader variety of music thanks to the Internet, there’s never been a worse time to be a record label, if things like profit are what’s on your mind. But what if one was to launch a non-profit record label whose primary aim was to reissue live recordings already in the can? That’s the thought Philly’s Ars Nova Workshop would seem to be having these days. Ars Nova, the non-profit jazz and experimental music presenting organization that’s been in operation since 2000, announced today that they’re starting up a label focused on live concert recordings of shows they’ve presented; initial releases are promised later this year, and the first round includes Stephen Bernstein’s Spanish Fly, Min Xiao-Fen Asian Trio, Marshall Allen / Louis Moholo-Moholo Duo, John Tchicai / Mary Halvorson / Ches Smith Trio and Scorch Trio. Heady stuff, to be sure, but completely in line with Ars Nova’s mission of “showcasing divergent and challenging musical traditions and perspectives.” We can’t wait to hear the first round.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am.