RKM Music Poised for 2003

Since the inception of the jazz business over 80 years ago, progressive-minded jazz musicians have yearned for both the artistic freedom and career control that the creation and ownership of their own recordings would provide. Today, with label cutbacks resulting from the retail crisis and the availability of free product on the Internet, combined with the access to affordable high quality recording technology, more and more musicians are talking about self-empowerment through issuing their own recordings.

But two outstanding musicians - reedmen Ravi Coltrane and Michael McGinnis, along with Ravi's wife and business partner, Kathleen Hennessy- have united to turn talk into action by forming RKM Music. Originally conceived by Ravi in 1999, it was the music of McGinnis and trumpeter/fluegelhornist Ralph Alessi that provided the catalyst for him to finally get things in motion.

Founded upon the principle of allowing each artist to have total control over the recording from start to finish, every CD issued will be produced by the artist and recorded in a manner that best facilitates and captures the sound of his or her group creating music in the moment. While the initial plan was to form a web-based label, the three visionary founders recognized the importance of having a presence in retail outlets to work in coordination with touring and promotion. To that end, RKM is proud to announce a national distribution agreement with the longstanding San Rafael, California-based distributor City Hall Records for its initial release of three extraordinary CDs.

This release includes two CDs by Ralph Alessi