nuscope recordings
Web Site
November 2000

"What makes this all worthwhile is contributing to an art form that deserves wider exposure and better presentation. This music is seen as a fringe art, but it doesn't necessarily have to be packaged as such. Working towards enhancing the image of the music is a real joy, and it has been worth every moment."

By Allen Huotari

Beauty is unbearable, driving us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time. -- Albert Camus

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed. -- Albert Einstein

It has been reported that the average person strolling through an art gallery or science museum will spend no more than 30 seconds looking at each object or exhibit. No matter if it is a painting, photograph, tapestry, or sculpture, or whether it is an interactive demonstration of a principle in nature, the time taken for “appreciation” is approximately equal to that needed to bite, chew, and swallow a mouthful of food. Personally, I’m not certain which lack of sustained focus is the most surprising, alarming, or saddening (i.e., being unwilling to savor the myriad visual aspects inherent in art, being resistant to the innumerable thought provoking concepts in science, or being too hurried to relish the multiple flavors and scents in one’s meal).

Is this a consequence of living in a world and society where “speed is life”? Where “beauty” has been reduced to the demand for instant and immediate gratification or confused with sheer entertainment? Where pausing to wonder simply takes too much time? (no relativity jokes please)

Or is it that the average person must readily avert the mysterious? That fleeting glimpses of eternity are all that can be endured? That being overwhelmed by splendor has been mistaken for impatience or indifference? Well…probably not.

Although the definition of beauty is, of course, completely and utterly subjective (“is in the eye of the beholder”, ya dig?), the simple truth is that beauty is all around us. A casual survey of one’s immediate surroundings will reveal beauty in a variety of forms. For this writer, on this October evening, it is to be found in the smile of a child, a gentle touch from my wife, the flash of lightning illuminating the neighborhood landscape, the reverberant echoes of it’s thunder moments later, and the sound of rain. All are experiences that deserve to be lingered over. At the continued risk of sermonizing, just as the body consumes food for nutrition and digests it for physical nourishment and growth, so should the senses take in sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches as memories for the nurturing of heart, mind, and soul.

On the other hand, it could be argued that artists and scientists are simply those individuals who have been blessed with the gift of being able to gaze into the infinite and articulate upon what they have seen. Who can pause to wonder, stand rapt in awe, and willingly and repeatedly risk despair as they bear the unbearable.

Or perhaps, more simply and less dramatically, these are folk who are simply sharing their own personal experiences with beauty as revealed within their immediate lives and surroundings.

Russell Summers, executive producer of nuscope recordings, may understand this concept better than most founders of independent labels. Mr. Summers “started nuscope recordings in 1998 to document the daring and life-affirming musics of musicians whose goals are to stimulate, mystify, and move.”

Although only 8 recordings have been released to date, nuscope is already making an indelible impression. With an unswerving diligence to quality in both sonics and graphics, nuscope can take its place among larger and better established labels such as Winter and Winter, Songlines, Tzadik, Hat Hut, and ECM.

To help celebrate the imminent release of a trio recording by Sten Sandell, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang, All About Jazz is pleased to present the following interview with nuscope recordings founder and executive producer, Russell Summers. This interview was conducted via e-mail in October 2000. Special thanks to AAJ Modern Jazz Editor Glenn “Baby Tuna” Astarita for facilitating this interview.

ALL ABOUT JAZZ: Would you please give us a brief history of nuscope? Please include an explanation as to why or what inspired you to found this label.

RUSSELL SUMMERS: There is not much to tell about the history of nuscope, except that I finally collected the funding and began the label in 1998 after several years of contemplation. I also experienced many dreams that continued to haunt me throughout the years. My first release included two musicians of significant notoriety--pianists Fred van Hove and Georg Graewe--so that helped establish nuscope as a significant label in the marketplace from day one.

The artistic integrity of the artists involved is what inspired me to start the label. For me, the arts in general has been one way for me to enjoy life immensely--perhaps I am too fond of Schopenhauer, but his thought certainly helped lead the way for me to further immerse myself in the arts to remove me somewhat from a simultaneously bland, violent, and quite frankly often tacky world. Having said that, however, there is a lot of beauty in life if you search for it. Starting the nuscope label is my way of contributing to that beauty.

More specifically, ECM's Manfred Eicher and Hat Hut's Werner Uehlinger have been inspirational. Both producers have made leading a record label an art as opposed to merely another profit-mongering exercise.

The graphics of each label have been very inspirational as well. A huge influence for the graphics on nuscope were the first CDs on the Hat Art 6000 series, for which their graphic artists--most notably Walter Bosshardt, used modern art works with tasteful font types. Obviously, Peter Pfister's sonic imprint on most Hat Hut releases and Jan Erik Kongshaug's engineering with ECM were large influences as well.

AAJ: Are there any underlying and/or unifying aesthetic policies or criteria that define what is or is not fitting for nuscope to release? If so, could you please explain these?

RS: I waver between lyricism and complete abstraction in my tastes, so I like to embrace both. For example, I recently released a tuneful and through-composed Ben Goldberg project along with a disc with Georg Graewe, Peter van Bergen, and Barre Phillips, which is completely improvised and much more abstract.

As for criteria, I accept very few tapes for projects that I am not involved in directly. My preferences are to release recordings by visionary musicians who are also gifted technically.

I also prefer music that makes excellent use of space. One disc that I am about to release--a session with Swedish pianist Sten Sandell, Chicago-based cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, and percussionist Michael Zerang--makes incredible use of space and silence--there are many passages with pauses, sustained notes, and pianissimo playing. That silence is counterbalanced by dense clouds of activity that make the silences more profound--it is almost like looking at a painting by Cy Twombly.

Also, it is essential to have an excellent recording. Improvisation would be elevated as an art if more recordings were of excellent quality. Yes, it is important and even essential to "get the music out there," but it is difficult for me to listen to recordings with poor resolution, "buried" instruments, and even dropouts from the source tape. For instance, I remembered not wanting Music and Arts to release the Graewe/Reijseger/Hemingway disc View from Points West because it came from days in which, as a producer, I was less experienced in understanding sonics. I still have some ways to go, but so far, I have been pleased with the majority of recordings on nuscope.

Lastly, I hope to continue to keep the graphics, artwork, and presentation consistent. I do not have the technical knowledge of many graphic artists, but I do believe that I have a fairly good eye for a unified graphic direction. I prefer labels that pay attention to consistency without becoming monotonous in its execution. ECM is a fine example of this sort of aesthetic.

AAJ: What demands or obligations does nuscope place on you personally and professionally?

RS: Obviously, running any label places great demands upon one's life. For me, it means sacrificing significant time and money to keep the label going. Until I am able to break even, or better yet, make money, there is a great degree of struggle involved in keeping things together at times. However, sales have almost tripled within the past year, so there is a lot of hope in this direction.

Also, I have certainly learned to become a better business person. Dealing with manufacturing agents, musicians, publishing agents, and the like has been a great experience. Balancing quality with a low budget is a significant challenge, and I have been able to do so to a degree that I am quite happy with. I would eventually like to receive support from an individual or company that is willing to allow me to continue to exercise artistic control and devote more quality time to running nuscope.

AAJ: What is your favorite story about life with nuscope? What is the most satisfying or rewarding part of your job? What makes all this effort worthwhile? (i.e., WHY do you do this?)

RS: Well, I would have to say that working with the musicians has been the most rewarding part of the job. Many of these musicians have been quite willing to trust me and work with me to collaborate towards the finished disc. Sitting in a studio and hearing the music evolve for the first time can be a monumental experience. I certainly felt this recently in Chicago as Sten Sandell recorded his new solo piano disc, which nuscope hopes to release in the Spring of 2002. Sten's playing was fresh, concise, powerful, and quite frankly moving.

What makes this all worthwhile is contributing to an art form that deserves wider exposure and better presentation. This music is seen as a fringe art, but it doesn't necessarily have to be packaged as such. Working towards enhancing the image of the music is a real joy, and it has been worth every moment.

AAJ: If possible, could you briefly describe the process that a recording might go through from being a "release candidate" to a "finished product"?

RS: Again, I prefer to initiate my own projects for the label, although there are exceptions, such as Hornets Collage by the trio of Scott Fields, Francois Houle, and Jason Roebke. Scott has terrific taste and great ears, so that project landed into my lap complete.

The new disc that I am about to release with Swedish pianist Sten Sandell, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, and percussionist Michael Zerang is a similar but even more interesting case. Fred sent me a tape with another quartet, which wasn't to my taste, but I asked him if he had recorded with Sten and Michael during their tour in 1998, which he did. And, not so amazingly, the music was electrifyingly fresh and the recording superb, so I sequenced the disc and we all collaborated on the final mix.

For most of my projects, however, I come up with ideas myself, which often evolve as I am daydreaming. Sometimes, the idea literally comes to mind as I wake up in the morning, as it did when I realized that Ralph Towner would be the perfect foil for a trio project with Bill Bruford and Eddie Gomez. That project, which Bill Bruford agreed to do, came out Robert Fripp's Discipline label a couple of years back.

Anyway, for nuscope, I contact the musicians, many of whom are quite receptive to my ideas. There have been some notable exceptions, but I have been pleased about the percentage of interested parties. I get the best results when I combine musicians that have worked together with those who have rarely or never performed with the others. Therefore, you have the freshness brought about by the infusion of a new voice into the group along with the stability that only comes when musicians have worked together for some time.

After I contact the musicians, I usually arrange the recording sessions. To that end, I communicate with the engineer to discuss my concept of the sound and of microphone techniques, et al. I am no technophile, but fortunately, the engineers have understood enough to help me forge a consistent sonic vision. I attend most of the sessions that I initiate, because I want to have personal contact with the musicians and make certain that the sound meets nuscope standards. I occasionally contribute artistically, but not during every session.

After the session, the musicians and/or I come up with the sequence. Next, I usually send the session tapes to my engineer, Alan Bise, for mastering, draft the graphics, arrange the use of artwork and photos, complete the packaging, and send it off to the manufacturer. After the disc is complete, I send copies to the press, etc.

AAJ: If you could change one aspect of the recording industry at large, what would it be?

RS: Strangely, I do not have anything that I would like to change about the industry. I mean, I think that some of the decisions that major labels make seem strange to me, but they are in it primarily for the money. Why complain? Things will always remain as they were, which enables small labels such as nuscope to survive and hopefully thrive.

AAJ: Do you think that digital recording technology has made it easier for independent recording labels to be founded and to continue to operate? Why or why not?

RS: Yes, I believe that the digital domain has made it easier for labels such as nuscope to thrive. It is less expensive than analog, yet the resolution from digital recording has become every bit (no pun intended) as strong as analog, which took some time to happen.

Also, I have a tendency to find flaws in master tapes before I am to send them for manufacture, so this technology makes it easy for me to have the engineer solve the problem quickly. And, thank goodness, the artist can at least review a recording more clearly on a digital audio tape (DAT) or CD-R instead of having to wade through the consistent drop-outs and hiss from an analog cassette tape. Digital has been a god-send.

AAJ: Do you feel that the continued growth of the Internet is making it easier for independent recording labels to be founded and to continue to operate? Why or why not?

RS: Yes, the Internet has helped independent recording labels quite a bit. First, it is relatively easy for me to provide running updates about the label on my website http://www.nuscoperec.com. Also, because of websites such as Peter Stubley's fine European Free Improvisation site, news of artists and new releases become much more easily disseminated for music followers.

Also, there are many web sites that feature articles and reviews such as One Final Note and All About Jazz that are effectively reviewing discs and interviewing musicians and other people in the business. Most of these web sites have many visitors, and is yet another means by which the music press can reach people. All of these factors make it much easier for a label to continue to operate.

AAJ: What have been the best and worst aspects of the Internet for nuscope? Please elaborate.

RS: The best aspect of the Internet, as I mentioned, is the exposure that the music receives. The worst case scenario would be that people would take music from the Internet and create discs from those sound bytes. But, to be honest, I am really not very worried about this scenario stunting sales.

AAJ: How do you anticipate that the availability of economical high speed Internet access is going to change the music industry? Is it evolution or revolution? Or merely big business hype?

RS: At this time, I do not see this trend as affecting the music industry, even for high-profile popular artists. The Internet itself has been solid enough to boost interest in this and other musics.

AAJ: What do you think are the greatest artistic and business challenges (problems and/or opportunities) for nuscope as it heads into the year 2001 and beyond?

RS: I see no artistic problems with the years ahead. If anything, the sky is the limit artistically. As long as people are buying the CDs, I can afford to continue to run a label with high artistic standards.

As for business challenges, I am cautiously optimistic. There seems to be an audience for this music, and it is not about to end anytime soon. There are some exciting changes happening with improvised music, and the so-called "old masters" (and I use that term with much tongue in cheek) such as Evan Parker continue to find new ways with which to construct and present their music.

So, I see the old (but by no means retroactive) ideas keeping pace with new developments, and the audience becoming open to both, which bodes well for the future. For example, I am noticing some former die-hard acoustic music fans are warming to electronics, something that I thought I would never observe. That is a healthy sign that the business end--that is--selling CDs is not about to wain.

Whether the support comes from individuals or corporations, there is enough of a market to sustain the music. For nuscope, I firmly believe that it will weather any small recession or dip in the market that we may experience.

AAJ: Aside from nuscope recordings, what would be on your Top 10 Desert Island Discs?

RS: Below are the discs, although not necessarily in any particular order:

Giuffre/Bley/Swallow--1961 (ECM)

Giuffre/Bley/Swallow--Free Fall (Columbia Legacy)

Graewe/Reijseger/Hemingway--Sonic Fiction (Hat Art)

Graewe/Reijseger/Hemingway--Saturn Cycle (Music and Arts)

Dave Douglas--Parallel Worlds (Soul Note)

Anthony Braxton--Willisau (Quartet) 1991 (Hat Art)

Guillermo Gregario--Approximately (Hat Art)

Bley/Parker/Phillips--Time Will Tell (ECM)

Schippenbach Trio--Elf Bagatellen (FMP)

Leimgruber/Crispell/Leandre/Hauser--Quartet Noir (Victo)

And those are only the "improvised" new music choices! There are actually many more--I would require a lot of luggage if I were stranded...

AAJ: What upcoming projects from nuscope should AAJ readers be aware of?

RS: Well, nuscope is about to release the trio with Sten Sandell, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang. Next Spring will see the release of the new Graewe/Reijseger/Hemingway disc from their 10th anniversary tour. We recorded that trio live in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the fall of 1999. In September of 2001, nuscope will release a CD featuring John Butcher, Phil Durrant, and cellist Peggy Lee that was recorded in Vancouver this past summer.

We are also about to record a new trio with Fred van Hove, Frank Gratkowski, and Tony Oxley in Germany, which we also plan to release in the fall of 2001. Of course, the Sten Sandell solo piano disc that was mentioned earlier in this interview will be released in the Spring of 2002 along, I hope, with a second Scandinavian project.

AAJ: Thanks for your time and effort during this interview.

RS: Thanks for the questions, and for your interest in nuscope recordings!

For more information, please refer to the following:

nuscope recordings http://www.nuscoperec.com

nuscope discography (with links to AAJ reviews)

George Graewe/Barre Phillips/Peter van Bergen Other Songs(nuscope 1008) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/r1000_088.htm

Ben Goldberg/John Schott/Trevor Dunn Almost Never(nuscope 1007) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/r0900_023.htm

George Graewe/Marcio Mattos/Michael Vatcher Impressions of Monk(nuscope 1006) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/r0300_088.htm

Scott Fields/Francois Houle/Jason Lee Roebke Hornets Collage(nuscope 1005) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/r0200_114.htm

John Butcher/George Graewe Lights View(nuscope 1004) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/R0699_65.HTM

Barry Guy/Robert Dick/Randy Raine-Reusch Gudira(nuscope 1003) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/R0699_139.HTM

George Graewe/Marcio Mattos/Michael Vatcher Subsymbolism(nuscope 1002) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/R0199_51.HTM

Fred Van Hove Passing Waves(nuscope 1001) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/REVIEWS/R0199_53.HTM