ears&eyes Records: From Chicago to the World

So while respecting the artist's choice on how to record, I can dig aspects of all methods. There are a couple of favorite studios in Chicago for me: Strobe Studio and Uptown Recording. I've recorded quite a bit at both and love the vibe of both, though quite different. Strobe has a great open space with exposed brick and high ceilings. Plus they hold a regular event, Strobe Sessions, where it becomes a performance space and they curate concerts in the main room, but only up to about 25 folks can attend so it's very intimate. Rock, folk, jazz, etc. music. Brian Blade performed his Mama Rosa project there once. They also audio and video record it and give it to the artist to use; super cool. Via Tania and my Tomorrow Music Orchestra actually premiered the series way back in 2008 and that's the moment Tania had the idea she wanted to collaborate. I also played the series with Bill MacKay/Dominic Johnson and Zing! on separate occasions. ears&eyes artist and collaborator Charles Rumback actually played a really big role in curating the beginning of the Strobe Sessions.

AAJ: What is the ideal record to you? What kind of records do you admire yourself and why?

MG: I love records that fascinate me in some way or another; maybe it's the emotion it pulls out, maybe there are new sounds that I can't place how they were created (thinking James Blake), maybe it grooves so hard, maybe the compositional writing is daring in some way, maybe I can imagine myself loving to sub in the band, maybe after a minute of listening I have to stop and either practice or compose as it's inspired me a lot.

AAJ: You have a very eclectic catalog. Is this a conscious choice? Is there any type of music that wouldn't fit in on your label and do you still see yourself primarily as a jazz label, if so, why?

MG: I think it's nice to be eclectic. I like to choose music that inspires me and that I think would inspire others. So of course because a lot of my professional background is in jazz, similar folks became my community, and so it makes sense ears&eyes is jazz/creative music-oriented. Other than that, when ears&eyes does venture out of jazz it's mostly because my jazz musician friends have started a rock/pop band and already have a knowledge and love for ears&eyes. So I lend a hand. I will say that most of the connections and followers are creative music, "weird" jazz folks so it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to release, say a country album; I wouldn't be able to do much with that. Luckily for the most part, the artists that approach me for releasing have done their homework and think their music would fit in with our family.



AAJ: You release music from many parts of the world. How do you find your artists and what does it take to become a part of the roster?

MG: Most artists find me. I'm not trying to be snobby! It's just that I have so much on my plate getting everything ready for my future releases, I don't spend time looking for more. I have plenty. Of course, there are a lot of artists I'd love to work with and maybe one day I'll decide to act on it and reach out, but for now, the next year is scheduled.

AAJ: ears&eyes is described as a community. What defines this community spirit and how does it influence the label?

MG: As you can tell by now, most of our artists are Chicago-based and though Chicago is a large city, the creative music scene is closely knitted and they feed off one another. I haven't done the exact math on how many common musicians that appear on all the releases, but you'll see that a lot of the ears&eyes releases share the same artists. The musicians in the scene I help release really work together to accomplish similar goals, like a community would.

AAJ: What is your take on the new digital technology? Do you see it as an opportunity or a hindrance?

MG: I think there are positive and negative aspects of the new digital technology, but the bottom line is that it's here and it can be accepted, ignored, magnified, and/or manipulated as you see fit. I think it's both an opportunity and a hindrance. For example, I'm able to share albums with press folks quicker, easier and cheaper. For another, the customers that have made the decision not to own a CD, cassette, and/or record player can still participate in our music. The folks that choose to have their music library in hand while jogging, taking the bus, etc. can participate in what we're doing, and that's totally cool with me.

But I also believe there are a lot of folks that believe in actual ownership, in having the music they pay for in physical formats. These folks may or may not be conscious to the fact that if all their music is on an app or website and a company, like Spotify, decides that a certain album or artist isn't generating income (plays) and they decide to delete it or not offer it, that consumer doesn't participate in that decision and loses out. So ownership is also important and we make sure it's an option for our audience. I also believe that the jazz audience is a different audience than, say the typical rock/pop audience member in that I think they understand the time, energy, effort, cost, and love that goes into becoming a competent jazz musician, and they're more happy to participate in the relationship; ie. they're more likely to pay for music.

AAJ: But is it possible to survive economically as an independent jazz label today?

MG: Pertaining to "is it possible to survive as an indie jazz label"? I'm not sure. I guess that it is; I just haven't figured it out yet. A funny conversation topic I have with all new artists is that jazz musicians don't follow the economic structure/law of "supply and demand." When there's a demand for something, someone offers the supply and therefore a product or service with a monetary exchange, and thereafter a profit. Do we really need more jazz records? I mean, sure of course, but at the rate they are being produced today? I doubt it. How big is the jazz-listening audience? Some 2% of all music sales. Yet, jazz musicians are churning out more and more records than ever before. I joke because I'm a musician too and know that we aren't always creating art for the profit margin; it's something in the blood, a desire and yearning. It's creating to express. And obviously I support the production of more creative music records, I run a jazz-based indie label. But it's a funny topic equally.

AAJ: You both release digital and physical products. Could you elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of these two formats?

MG: I try as much as possible to make sure first and foremost, e&e has something physical to offer our followers and fans; something physical that can, in theory, immortalize this music. Of course, some folks choose a simpler, smaller consumption: ie. digital downloads. I don't want to eliminate these folks from enjoying our releases either. And it's easy to offer digital versions of our releases, I say, why not? I will also say, and this is just a gut feeling without any real data to back it up, but sometimes I think our audience doesn't necessarily take a digital-only release as seriously as something alongside something physical. As if they're thinking, "well if this artist isn't dedicated enough to produce something physical, it must not be of high quality." Though untrue, and even though this customer buys digital downloads anyway, it's just a frame of mind. Again, just a theory. But that's why we try to release physically as much as possible. And I contradict myself as my last release on ears&eyes, Gustav 29 Hanna Concerto, was digital-only!

AAJ: Could you say something about your release schedule and some of your upcoming projects? What music are you excited about right now? What can the listeners look forward to hearing?

MG: I'm really excited, as I always am, about the upcoming releases! Between July and September we've got two new vinyl LPs and one cassette release. On vinyl, Kurt Elling's longtime bassist Clark Sommers is leading a stellar cast with his group Lens that includes folks like Jeff Parker and Kendrick Scott! There's an annual birthday celebration of Chicago legend George Freeman at the Green Mill that includes Bernard Purdie! Guitarist Mike Allemana and I have been working on getting this vinyl LP released to celebrate George's 90th birthday, and it's been some 40 years since George and Bernard have recorded together. It comes out on the opening day of the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Humbly the cassette release is my own, Cuentos, Volumes 1 & 2; an ongoing project of me recording musical "short stories" in the various cities I've lived with some close friends and improvisers. When I was living in Oakland, I recorded with ex-Chicagoan Aram Shelton, along with vibraphonist Mark Clifford and cellist Crystal Pascucci as Volume One. Volume Two includes trumpeter and longtime band mate James Davis, guitarist Bill MacKay and bassist Jeff Greene. The rest of year, you'll hear from an amazing guitarist/composer, Dan Bruce and his Beta Collective which includes Clark Sommers, Rob Clearfield, Russ Johnson and Jon Deitemyer, as well as Phil Schurger with Greg Ward, Jeff Greene and Clif Wallace.

AAJ: Finally, how would you evaluate the story of ears&eyes so far and what are your dreams for the future?

MG: What ears&eyes did in the early years was to sort of give a platform to musicians in Chicago to release their music and connect it to the family they were a part of and to encourage them to release the music versus letting it go to the wayside. In that sense, I think it's nice that we were able to preserve those records in physical and digital worlds, as something we can all look back on as important moments in our musical growth.

Over the past couple years, I hope that we've been reaching a much larger audience in that I've dedicated myself to ears&eyes full time, and that we will continue to grow and release music we believe in. I have big dreams for the future as we've been planning most of 2018 already. Living in Buenos Aires now, I'm hoping to expand the TMO and e&e reach to include some of the creatives here as there is a lot going on that should be supported and spread worldwide.

ears&eyes: Selected Discography

Tomorrow Music Orchestra
Neon Jesus Garage (2006)

Matthew Golombisky's Tomorrow Music Orchestra is a meeting of different musical worlds. One of the Orchestra's earliest efforts, Neon Jesus Garage, is a fully realized canvas of sound that incorporates elements of jazz, cinematic soundscapes and modern classical composition. The track "Slakeshore" sounds like Steve Reich playing jazz.

Pedway
Subventure (2006)

Matthew Colombisky is also involved with the eclectic groups Quintopus and Zing! but Pedway, his trio with drummer Quin Kirchner and saxophonist Caroline Davis, is melodic improvisation boiled down to its core. It is a thrill to hear their freewheeling, acoustic improvisations on the album Subventure, a live recording from a concert where they never run out of ideas.

Bill MacKay
December Concert (2014)

Bassist, producer and sound wizard Matt Lux is a prominent figure on the Chicago jazz scene and here is a chance to hear him in an intimate setting with guitarist Bill MacKay. It is all about strings on this release and the sounds and melodies they can make. Lux and MacKay also work together on another release on ears&eyes, Altamira by MacKay's band, Darts & Arrows, with Lux in the producer's chair.

Sun Speak
Sacred Rubble (2015)

The range of musical colors, melodies and textures created by the minimal line-up of guitarist Matt Gold and drummer Nate Friedman is impressive, spanning the acoustic fingerpicking and shuffling drums on "Juno" and the advanced juxtaposition of a distorted stoner rock riff and breezy saxophone from guest Ben Schmidt-Swartz on "Solar Beast."

Caroline Davis Quartet
Doors: Chicago Storylines (2015)

The best jazz records often become a part of jazz history, but it is rare that an album literally writes jazz history. However, this is what saxophonist Caroline Davis does on Doors: Chicago Storylines where she covers jazz in Chicago 1980-2000 through tales from musicians that were there to witness the scene while she adds her own musical interpretation of the Chicago sound. What emerges is an original mixture of oral jazz history and contemporary jazz with a profound sense of tradition.

Dave Miller
Old Door Phantoms (2016)

Guitarist Dave Miller's album Old Door Phantoms steals unashamedly from the great book of rock to create its own brand of dusty, adventurous instrumental rock. The band covers the instrumental classic "Telstar," and "Last Call" echoes Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" while the ragged guitar excursions owes a debt to Neil Young. It is a wonderful psychedelic déjàvu dressed in new, hip robes.

Hood Smoke
Rough Around the Hedges (2016)

It is no wonder that a city that has produced such an elegant art pop outfit as The Sea and Cake could also create a band like Hood Smoke. Catchy Chicago soul pop music in the spirit of Quadron and Rhye that has plenty attention to details and texture. A delightful record for early morning coffee and late night mellowness and everything in-between.

Rob Clearfield
Islands (2016)

Pianist Rob Clearfield plays in Hood Smoke and the emphasis on song-structure is shown in the simple ballad "Child, Awake" from the album Islands. However, complex breaks and straightforward lyricism exist side by side on an album that is an eclectic take on the jazz trio.

Nate Lapine
Quartet: Vortices (2016)

After many years as a sideman, Nate Lapine steps into the spotlight with a quartet where his tenor saxophone is complemented by alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and the tight rhythm section of bassist Clark Summers and drummer Quin Kirchner. The music is both energetic, swinging, serious and cool, but as the title "Even Yeti's Ready for Springtime" indicates, it has a solid pinch of playfulness.

Matija Dedic
Dedicated (2017)

A fine example of the global reach of ears&eyes, Dedicated is an album by Croatian pianist Matija Dedic. It features saxophonist Chris Cheek, who plays with a fragile, transparent tone. The album is an homage to Dedic's late father, Arsen Dedic, and is filled with gentle balladry, although things heat up on "Afmazur," with soprano saxophonist Jure Pukl.

Ashley Summers
True North (2017)

While her album is called True North, Canadian-born bassist Ashley Summers does not play music that is Nordic in the style of Norwegian saxophonist, Jan Garbarek. Instead, she tells her own musical stories, a brand of modern lyrical jazz, with prominent help from saxophonist Seamus Blake.

Charles Rumback
Threes (2017)

Drummer Charles Rumback's trio with bassist John Tate and pianist Jim Baker creates original music of the highest order that is able to compete with the best piano trios of the past and present. Threes is short on tracks (only four), but contains a wealth of sparkling creativity with the musicians stretching out on epic compositions.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Matthew Golombisky

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