Jazz Revelation Records (JR Records) was founded in the Spring of 2003 by Berklee student Paul Im, currently the label's president. The label is made possible by a grant funded by Berklee College of Music and is overseen by Executive Vice President, Gary Burton. The entirely volunteer staff consists of five students and faculty advisor, Kenneth Brass, Chair of the Professional Music Department. The staff also includes Linda Little, vice president; Sarah Huo, public relations; and Aida Austin, information technology. For more information about JR Records, upcoming events, artist bios, and sample music, visit www.jrrecords.com.
JR Records is Berklee College of Music's second student-run label. Heavy Rotation Records, which was launched approximately nine years ago, released Shekinah 13 Artists, a compilation of music by female students and recent alumnae, in 2002 in collaboration with Epic/Sony. The CD was the first commercial recording ever to be jointly released by a major record company and a college label.
The artists on JR Records Rebirth include:
Vocalist Daniela Bauer, born in Vienna, Austria to a Zimbabwean Mother and Viennese father, was raised on an eclectic variety of music, from Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Miriam Makeba, to the music of the '60s and '70s, as well as the swinging sounds of Ella, Louis, and Billie. While still a teenager, Daniela collaborated with some of Vienna's finest musicians and producers, recording many songs, and performing throughout the city. At age 18, Daniela received a scholarship to Berklee, where she has grown musically and personally by collaborating with a multitude of musicians, writing her own music and growing in her own sound. Daniela is uniquely equipped with strong vocal capabilities, emotionally intuitive phrasing, and a synthesis of different styles, reflecting her background and life experiences.
Warr guitarist and composer Kai Kurosawa was born in Maebashi, Japan. Kai mainly writes and performs on a Warr guitar, which enables the player, using a touchstyle or tapping technique, to use both hands to play independent and interlocking guitar and bass parts. Growing up in a small city, Kai's performing situations were limited. A former bass player, Kai picked up the Warr guitar in the summer of 1999 and has developed his own approach to playing in his distinct, jazz-fusion style. While attending Berklee in 2001, Kai met drummer Shin Orita and performed as duo until 2002, when they added saxophonist Ian Rapien (another JRRecords artist) to the group. Currently, Kai is preparing to complete his masters of music at the California Institute of the Arts.
Pianist Mike Laurello's compositions contain elements of jazz, rock, and pop, fused into a uniquely smooth and sophisticated style. A Massachusetts native, Mike began playing piano at the age of 12. After years of studying technique and classical repertoire, he began studying jazz with pianist Ralph Funaro. After only a few years of studying jazz theory and improvisation, Mike knew he had found his calling. Since joining the Berklee community in 2000, Mike has been honing his compositional skills, studying with Laszlo Gardony and fusion icon, Steve Hunt, while staying busy playing gigs, performing with a diverse group of musicians on projects ranging from jazz and funk to rock and hip-hop. In addition, Mike has extensively developed his skills in sound design and recording. Currently, Mike is in his seventh semester at Berklee and plans to complete a degree in Music Synthesis in the spring of 2004.
Vocalist Sara Leib's harmonic approach to scatting, charismatic personality, and endearingly thoughtful stage presence have echoed through the jazz communities of her native Los Angeles and New England. Born and raised in LA, Sara studied at Hamilton Music Academy, where she earned her diploma in 1999 with a concentration in voice and performance. Also in 1999, Sara was selected for the prestigious NARAS Foundation All-American Grammy Jazz Choir, and received a scholarship to Berklee, where she studied for two years. In 2002, Sara performed with renowned saxophonist Dave Liebman, and won the Downbeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Performance by a College Jazz Vocalist, her second honor in the acclaimed publication. Sara has performed at IAJE and at various clubs and concert halls nationwide, and has studied and worked with such notables as Kurt Elling, Kevin Mahogany, Darmon Meader, Sheila Jordan, and Steve Kuhn.
Guitarist and composer Mike MacAllister, who received an ASCAP International Jazz Composers Award for his composition “Guide," was born and raised in Boston. He is currently a Jazz Composition and Performance major at Berklee, where he has studied with Greg Hopkins, Ted Pease, and Ken Pullig. Mike's composition “Three Tones" earned an honorable mention in the IAJE Massachusetts Robert Ayasse Memorial Jazz Ensemble Composition Contest, and his piece “Sailboat" was a finalist in the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Competition. In addition, Mike is the 2003 recipient of the Jazz Composition Department's Herb Pomeroy Scholarship. Mike's big band, the Terrible Brass Explosion, recently opened Berklee's first annual new music festival. Mike's quintet, the Mike MacAllister Group, which recently released its first CD, Urban Sprawl, has headlined shows at numerous venues around Boston.
Saxophonist Gilad Ronen, who graduated from Berklee in 2003, is currently attending the Thelonious Monk Institute in Los Angeles, where he will complete his Masters degree. While a student, Gilad played with various groups at venues in the Boston area and was also a member of the Berklee Rainbow Band and Greg Hopkins's Concert Jazz Orchestra. He was chosen to perform at the Singers' Showcase and the Commencement Concert, as well as headlining his own BPC shows with his group Na-Na. While at Berklee, Gilad had the opportunity to study privately with Hal Crook, Joe Lovano, and George Garzone. Gilad is the winner of the Yamaha Young performing Arts Competition, the American-Israeli Art Foundation Award, The Frederick Cameron Weber Award for outstanding musical achievement, the Alma and Lawrence Berk full-tuition scholarship, and a Henry Mancini Institute Award. Saxophonist Ian Rapien is a native Californian who's been playing the saxophone since the fifth grade. During high school Ian was also selected for many honor groups, most notably the All Southern California All Star Jazz Band. In 2000, Ian received a scholarship from Berklee, where he is currently a member of Phil Wilson's Rainbow Band and the Rainbow All Stars. He has also played in the Urban Outreach Orchestra and Back Bay Brass Jazz Orchestra. Ian has studied with Walter Beasley, Tiger Okoshi, Hal Crook, and George Garzone. He has appeared with various groups at some of New England's finest venues, and has been featured on several recently released albums, including the jazz vocal group Syncopation's self entitled CD, Kai Kurusawa's Doubts, and Paul Im and Remember Rockefeller's Lightness of my Being. Ian's own group, Spectrums, described as a
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