www.beezwax-records.com is a makeshift website pointing to content and history.
I am now in the midst of building a team that can MBGA. I truly welcome not only those who would be willing to evaluate the catalog, but comment on what you listen to and how you became aware of it.
Are you saying that you are the owner of Beeswax but don’t know your own catalog?
I hate most jazz unless Frank Zappa was involved. Other’s like Al DiMiola or Michael Hedges and similar are exceptions and likable.
That improv Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Piano jazz etc. is just freakin’ horrible unlistenable garbage.
It’s interesting that you didn’t mention any of the artists you recorded. Why is that?
Please do not pay too much heed to the cruel Freepers. Congratulations on your accomplishment! I ran profitable radio stations, am a fan of Metheny (generally) and am interested in the ECM story. Maybe we can help you! There are lots of jazz aficionados on FR. Cool thread!
Oh... And as far as audiophiles? I run through twin Hafler Dh101s, a Phase Linear 400 and carefully managed old-school Polk SM10s.
Incoming PM.
Quite interesting! I used to be an avid audiophile. I still listen to just about anything. But. I’m still mostly into funk and blues.
Happy to help here (hear)...
Long time stereo guy currently running a Carver Receiver with Sonic Hologram (offloaded my McIntosh because the Carver sounds better).
Used to have a pair Klipsch La Scala’s in fiberglass — sold them to a band and ordered a custom pair of ‘split’ La Scala’s (the top two horns were in a separate container that would sit on the folded horn base)...now I have an older set of Bose Acoustimass 5 Series...
The Bose work very well in my small home.
Here is a list of musicians whose efforts thus far have gone into the Beezwax Label:
Christopher Amberger
Joy Askew
Eric Atkins
Dale Ballard
Peter Ballin
Lori Bell
Rafe Bradford
Jeff Bush
James Chirillo
Steve Clover
John Cocuzzi
John Colianni
Greg D’Augelli
Melvin Davis
John Donaldson
Kevin Dorn
Henry Franklin
Johnny B. Gayden
Rayford Griffin
Bob Guthrie
Tekanawa Haereiti
Hans Halt
Roger Harris
Steve Harris
Charles Heath
Walter Henderson
Kevin Hennessy
Mike Hepner
Jim Hines
Matt Hughes
Rob Hunter
Robert Irving III
Rob Johnson
David Kates
Kiyoshi Kitagawa
Kevin Koch
Dave Lee
Grant Levin
Victor Lewis
Dave Mackay
Joe Maher
Eric Marienthal
Duncan Moore
John Novello
Duke Payne
John Previti
Scott Robinson
Joe Robinson
Ron Satterfield
Marc Seales
Oscar Seaton
Will Sellenraad
David Seyboldt
Jeffrey Silverman
Harvey Stauffer
Paul Thode
Simon Thorpe
Tom Vaitsas
Jonny Viau
Arturo Velasco
Jake Vinsel
Tony Weaver
Spike Wells
Rocky Winslow
The response has been encouraging though it may appear sparse in this thread.
One Freeper suggested in a PM those who are visually impaired as those who have the best ears. Brilliant! Those contacts are underway.
For them and for those who respond positively here, Beezwax Records aims to put its entire catalog in the cloud together with notes about each album and a survey to gather opinions as to strengths and weaknesses but will limit access because third party publishers constrain the manner and degree of distribution.
Those of you who have responded thus far are welcome and encouraged to suggest what kinds of questions would be pertinent in a survey, and what your experiences in recorded media have been.
Do you seek vinyl? Beezwax Records has only offered CDs, which are outdated by now, but our mothballed stash is, if our spreadsheet is accurate, 31,619 left by 15 artists, 66 musicians, 25 albums, 271 tracks with 17% written and published by yours truly, 37% composed by Beezwax musicians, and 45% composed by third party artists.
The only digital content available online is music written by the undersigned or Beezwax Artists who had no publishing agent at the time of release.
My sense is that the formulation of this assessment and curating will take a few months, but it will go a long way in helping Beezwax Records weed out certain things and enhance others.
By “eclectic” I do not mean “eccentric.”
My hope is that ears applied to refining the Beezwax catalog would have the following artists or similar in range and genre as those in my personal listening library with names starting with the letter “A:”
Aaron Copland & London Symphony Orchestra
Aaron Goldberg
Aaron Rosand & Eileen Flissler
Aaron Zigman
Abbey Simon
Acapella
Acid Blues
Adele
a-ha
AIR
Aisha Duo
Al Green
Al Hirt
Al Jarreau
Al Stewart
Alabama Shakes
Alan Howarth
Alan O’Day
The Alan Parsons Project
Alanis Morisette
Alannah Myles
Albert Collins
Albert Cummings
Albert Hammond
Aldo Ciccolini
Alex de Grassi
Alex Schultz
Alison Balsom
Alive ‘N Kickin’
Allen Stone
Alphonso Johnson
Ambrosia
American Breed
America
Amy Grant
Amy Winehouse
Ana Serrano van der Laan
Anderson East
Andre Cymone
Andrew Gold
Andy Farber and Andrew Williams
Andy Griffith
Andy Kim
Andy Kirk
Andy Santana
Andy Snitzer
Ani Di Franco
Annie Lennox
Anson Funderburgh & Sam Myers
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets
Anthony Braxton
Antonio Hart
April March
April Wine
Arche Bell & The Drells
The Archies
Aretha Franklin
Art Garfunkel
Artie Shaw
Arthur Rubenstein
Ashford & Simpson
Asleep at the Wheel
The Association
Atlantic Rhythm Section
Average White Band
If you enjoy that kind of variety, then you are the type that Beezwax Records would like to have assess our catalog.
It really does require sets of ears other than mine to do this right. Yes, I founded the label in 1997. Yes, I’ve heard the whole catalog more than once. I have my opinion about what is strong and what is weak, and there is some weak stuff on board.
But you know what? This needs to be about other ears than mine.
As a follow up to this:
1.) A fellow Freeper privately suggested a visually impaired audience to evaluate our present and future catalog. That’s just brilliant. Our contact with the American Council for the Blind is not only responsive, but enthusiastic.
2.) Had a conversation yesterday with a gentleman who purportedly ran GRP Records for a while, teaches music marketing and co-authored recent book on the same. He wants to lay ears on our catalog and has offered to assist with setting up the distribution of Beezwax Records content in all formats past present and future.
The concept for Beezwax Records has percolated and formed over 26 years and is based on the premise that, short of life itself, music is God’s greatest gift to man.
I’m just giddy over it, as after 65 years I’ve landed precisely where I should be in the way of vocation.
By the way, the first recorded sound known to man made use of beeswax.