Babel Label is a jazz record label founded in 1994 by

Oliver Weindling Oliver Weindling (born 1955) is a British jazz promoter and founder of the Babel jazz record label. Background He came from a family that encouraged his interest in music, being taken to the opera and concerts regularly. Originally an economist by ...

. It released more than 130 recordings in its first 20 years, two of which were nominated for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

Formation

Weindling was a banker in England in the 1980s when his interest in jazz expanded beyond a hobby. He became acquainted with musicians from the British big band

Loose Tubes Loose Tubes were a British jazz big band/orchestra active during the mid-to-late 1980s. Critically and popularly acclaimed, the band was considered to be the focal point of a 1980s renaissance in British jazz. It was the main launchpad for the ...

and with

Iain Ballamy Iain Ballamy (born 20 February 1964) is a British composer and saxophonist. He is considered one of the greatest modern jazz saxophonists. Career Ballamy was born in Guildford, Surrey, and educated at George Abbot School, Guildford, from 197 ...

and Billy Jenkins. Weindling began organising concerts for London musicians and found that CDs were essential to generate publicity. In 1994, Motivated by this and by the difficulty of releasing the music that he was interested in, Weindling started the label and named it after the Biblical tower.

Approach and releases

Despite being the label's owner and only full-time employee, Weindling does not seek to influence what the musicians play on the label's recordings. Although Babel is not formally linked with any studio or recording engineers, it tends to use a small number of each. Babel has released both studio and concert recordings. "Most releases are joint ventures with musicians licensing their recordings to Babel and after-cost profits reshared." In 2014, all of the label's releases were available on CD and as downloads, with some also available on vinyl. In its first two decades, Babel released more than 130 albums. Babel's catalogue includes albums by Jenkins,

Steve Argüelles Stephen Argüelles Clarke (born 16 November 1963) is an English jazz drummer, producer and is the proprietor of the Plush record label. He has also worked in film and theatre. He is the elder brother of saxophonist Julian Argüelles. Step ...

Julian Argüelles Julian Argüelles (born 28 January 1966) is an English jazz saxophonist. Coming to prominence in the 1980s and '90s with the ensemble Loose Tubes, Argüelles has worked extensively as a solo performer and with American and European musicians. ...

Huw Warren Huw Warren is a Welsh jazz pianist and composer whose work crosses several genres. He is known as co-leader and founder of the jazz quartet Perfect Houseplants. Career Huw Warren was the co-leader and founder of the jazz quartet Perfect Ho ...

Christine Tobin Christine Tobin (born 7 January 1963, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish vocalist and composer from Dublin who has been part of the London jazz and improvising scene since the second half of the 1980s. She has been influenced by a diverse range of ...

and

Phil Robson Phil Robson is a British jazz guitarist, bandleader, and composer currently based in New York City. Biography Born in Derby (Derbyshire), England in 1970, Robson began guitar studies at age 14. He played in the house rhythm section at the loc ...

. ''Held on the Tips of Fingers'' by Polar Bear and '' Knee-Deep in the North Sea'' by Portico Quartet were nominated for the

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control British record labels Jazz record labels British jazz record labels Record labels established in 1994

Formation

Approach and releases

See also

References

External links