This article was first published at All About Jazz in March 1999.

For almost as long as there have been record labels, many labels have sought to build a reputation or a brand identity for themselves in terms of the genre of music presented on their labels or the technical quality of their product. Some of the largest and longest-running labels, such as Columbia, RCA, and Warner Brothers, have taken a "big tent" approach in which major artists across the musical spectrum have all appeared on the same label; so while consumers could not know for sure what type of music would be contained on an album on one of these labels, they could at least know that the performer and the performance was deemed to be of sufficient quality and market appeal that the album could be reasonably expected to sell well. While the majors can be accused of making their artist roster decisions based more on the bottom line than on the preservation and advancement of the art form, they also have the established distribution channels and the promotional resources to improve the chances of an album's success.

Smaller independent labels are much more likely to cater to a narrower bandwidth of musical tastes. These labels are often started by producers, jazz-loving record execs or other business people, or even the artists themselves. Sometimes they retain their independent status, and in other cases they are either bought by one of the major record conglomerates or they sign distribution deals with one of the majors. Some large and medium size labels spin off sub-labels to differentiate the various genres in their catalogs, providing the consumer with a clearer idea of what to expect.

Since this column focuses mainly on contemporary jazz (and I wish to keep it to a managable, readable length), I'll highlight some of the more notable past and present contemporary jazz labels. I'm sure I'll leave many fine labels out, but these few have consistently put out good-quality CDs, and I have been known to buy a new artist solely by the endorsement of being on one of these labels. I've been rarely disappointed.

CTI Records

One of the most remarkable labels in contemporary jazz history was producer Creed Taylor's CTI Records. Creed Taylor was already a well-established producer, having produced many fine recordings throughout the sixties for Verve and A&M. CTI's heyday was the early to mid seventies, and the label was innovative and revolutionary in numerous ways. Taylor created albums with a mostly tasteful blend of traditional jazz structures and more pop-accessible arrangements. The albums were packaged in double gatefold jackets (instead of a single cardboard sleeve, there was a second sheet of cardboard hinged on the left, so the album jacket opened like a book) with glossy, artsy abstract photography, creating a classy, extravagant look. Best of all were the artists on the roster, who often played on each others' albums: