Disappeared on May 19 at the age of 79 years, the American Bruce Lundvall took over the reins of the legendary label Blue Note there are 30 years until early 2010. And he especially helped the renaissance Blue Note. Established in New York in 1939 by Alfred Lion (molten German jazz) and led by a visionary quartet (Alfred Lion artistic director, Francis Wolff for pictures, Rudy Van Gelder behind the console, Miles Reid design), Blue Note revolutionized the aesthetics of jazz, enhanced creativity, accompanied career Monumental musicians, Art Blakey to Thelonius Monk through Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Don Cherry – to name only the best known
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The Golden Age of Jazz (50-60 years) has largely been engraved for posterity on Blue Note LPs, those wonderful discs with sublime covers themselves seemed to announce the color – blue and funky. At the turn of 70-80 years, Blue Note was in the prime of life, but with a heart murmur, one knee. The historical pillars of the label have slipped away, some musicians have disappeared, jazz music is no longer the time, the label lost its independence and undergoes turbulence of the music industry.
But salvation and rebirth is therefore occur in 1984, when Bruce Lundsvall (and Michael Cuscuna) resumed the reins. Reissue program more or less forgotten treasures of the label, and an open policy and successful new signatures – Cassandra Wilson, Al Green, Norah Jones (among many others) join the team, with the success that we know . We met Bruce Lundvall in 2009, here is the interview.
What was your first contact with Blue Note records?
Bruce Lundsvall – Blue Note has always been my favorite jazz label. When I was a kid in New York in 1950, I bought two 78s, a Criss Cross and another Milt Jackson. After I bought every record label without even listening. I was in the audience when they recorded One night in Birdland in 1954 with Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Art Blakey. This is one of my favorite discs Blue Note, plus I was there. Whenever a Blue Note LP came out in its beautiful pouch designated by Reid Miles, we did not need to listen to feel like. I remember in 1953 when I was in high school, I went to the store where there was a jazz specialist. He advised me a disk Herbie Hancock. I did not know, but I bought it with money I had earned during my summer jobs. It was very avant-garde. And Blue Note label was the first to show a glamorous image of black musicians. Before, there were mostly girls and cars on the jazz album art. Blue Note showed true artists and made the stars, thanks to the photos of Frank Wolff and Reid Miles design. And then the album titles were very trendy, the glue with the language of musicians. This is probably Alfred Lion was the title, he liked to use slang of jazz musicians in his language.
Who created the Blue Note logo we know today ‘ hui?
I have no idea! They changed the logo in the 50, then 60, then 70.
Can we speak of a sound Blue Note? How to define it?
Yes. The producer Rudy Van Gelder said it is the ear of Alfred Lion created the Blue Note sound, in fact: Alfred wanted to hear things in a certain way and Rudy adjusted the sound for it please the sensitivity of Alfred, what he heard. It’s true that Alfred invented the Blue Note, working on the position of the drum, brass, microphones.
How would you define Blue Note, relative to other great jazz labels such as Verve, Impulse or Prestige? What was the specificity of Blue Note? Blue Note there was a hype label in the 50s?
They also stayed with their artists for long periods, they were documenting people who were very original in the best possible sense. I think the focus on the composition was important. We do not hear much from Prestige Records.
In the 60s, Blue Note has not opened its catalog to soul, blues or pop, unlike a label like Atlantic. Why is the label is it required to jazz?
It was an independent label, so no one could put pressure on them for expanding the catalog, over what they could do better.
When you join Blue Note, what was your mission?
I repeat, Blue Note has always been my favorite label. When I was in my final year of college, we had talks with Xerox, IBM and all these big companies who hired interns on campus. I went to a few meetings and I hated it, I wanted to be in the music industry. I left college with no job. During the summer 57, I went to his office Alfred Lion at Blue Note with a CV, asking him if he had a job for me. He said: “We committed person, it’s just Frank and I” He showed me the door, and that’s where I went.. I did not think that many years later I would direct the label. When I proposed to revive Blue Note, the big challenge was: how we replace Alfred Lion? It is not possible … And we did not have Franck Wolff, he was dead. Rudy Van Gelder did commercials for TV, he was no longer available to make pockets. We had to invent a new style, new fans and everything else. And the artists wanted to make available different things, in new studios, all did not want to record with Rudy Van Gelder. Everyone wanted his favorite studio and his favorite engineer. We had to start over with a completely new paradigm.
It was tough because at the beginning we wanted to try to have Rudy Van Gelder for each disc, Reid Miles for all album art, but we could not. We tried with others and we ended up creating a team that matched the label. But the main thing was to start with the right artist. We started the label with two freshly signed artists, and was then brought other former Blue Note artists such as Kenny Burrell, Tony Williams, Stanley Turrentine. The label was rebuilt by re-signing many of these people. That’s how it all started, and is still there, it always works, the company makes money, it’s amazing. When Norah Jones came, we thought she was going to make a jazz record, but it was not pure jazz. They sold more than Capitol Records and Virgin Records at the time of our first album with Norah Jones, it was the most profitable of the group label. And they all wanted to know when the next album would come out of Norah Jones.
It has opened the door to other artists who were not pure jazz, like Al Green and Anita Baker, who insisted be on Blue Note. What are we supposed to do? Say no? Certainly not! I am very proud to have people like Norah Jones or Al Green on my label, I do not think we have distorted the label with these people, they are brilliant artists. We got rapped on the knuckles for being distant from jazz, but it has always been very loyal to jazz. Our responsibility is jazz. But from time to time, we sign someone whose form is jazz but not pure jazz.
Blue Note has even signed the country singer icon Willie Nelson …
When Jerry Wexler (the Atlantic label) fell ill, he was about 90, I had the phone a few times a year. He was talking about Willie Nelson and said he was really a jazz singer, and say “You know Bruce” , I answered “Yes I can not say otherwise” . Willie Nelson has a great sense of rhythm, melody, phrasing. He also recorded with Norah Jones.
Would you say the renaissance of Blue Note was made possible by the appearance of the CD, which was a new medium in the 80?
Of course, when the CD arrived, it was a boom for Blue Note and other labels. Everyone redeemed in its CD collections.
What were the largest sales in the history of Blue Note? Norah Jones?
Norah Jones, yes. And Blue Train Coltrane, it was the biggest selling reissue. Anita Baker has sold 600,000 copies. We card with Bobby McFerrin, Do not Worry Be Happy . In fact, it was released on the Manhattan label, but was recorded on Blue Note budget. We thought it would be a hit so we posted on the label pop rather than jazz label. He ended up selling several million copies.
What are your criteria when you sign a new artist?
Essentially originality, it seeks only people who are original. Which have their own voice, their own musical direction and with a little luck, can also dial. Of course it is not easy to find. We listen to a lot of music, but rarely is signed, it must be very, very selective. In addition, our first commitment is to the jazz catalog of Blue Note, not towards pop. When it happens, it happens for a reason. Willie Nelson has happened for a reason.
What jazz today do you think?
There are important groups that are emerging right now, like always. And that is what keeps the business alive and label. New people, new ideas. And it’s been long proven that jazz is not only a form of American art, there are artists who record everywhere.
What was the most rewarding thing since you work on Blue Note?
Working with people who are good artists, is very important. But the most exciting thing for me is the next one out the door. We spent six months with nothing to listen well and all of a sudden, wow! That’s what’s exciting for me, that’s when everything starts at home. It never happens predictably. You hear nothing good, and after we hear of a three shot that we like. It’s rare, but it happens.
Last question, can you imagine the 100th anniversary of Blue Note? How do you dream the future of the label?
I will not be around for the 100 years of the label, unless they invent a new pill … Keep the idea of finding the original musicians. I hope that those who come after me will have a creative streak and a passion for music. Not a passion for business, but a passion for music first and foremost. And a good sense of business. So the label will be in good hands for a long time.
Were you a musician before working in music?
I was a player Misfire tenor saxophone.
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