Screwgun Records is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

record label founded by saxophonist

Tim Berne Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones. Biography Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said t ...

in 1996. Most releases on the label have been by Berne, though some have been by Berne's associates and bandmates. Steve Byram has designed and illustrated the artwork for many of the label's albums.''Eye'', Number 42, Volume 11, Winter 2001. After attending college in Oregon, Berne moved to New York City in the 1970s to meet saxophonist

Julius Hemphill Julius Arthur Hemphill (January 24, 1938 – April 2, 1995) was a jazz composer and saxophone player. He performed mainly on alto saxophone, less often on soprano and tenor saxophones and flute. Biography Hemphill was born in Fort Worth, Texas, ...

, whose music had inspired him to become a jazz musician. Hemphill became his mentor, giving him saxophone lessons and helping him find his way in the music business. Berne founded Empire Records in the late 1970s to issue own albums. He released five albums, and his work was noticed by Giovanni Bonandrini, an Italian producer who issued Berne's next two albums on

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

. Berne signed with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

in the 1980s, then recorded for

JMT Records JMT Records (an acronym of Jazz Music Today) was a German record label founded by Stefan Winter. It was based in Munich, Germany, specialized in contemporary jazz, and operated from 1985 until 1995. History JMT released debut albums by Steve ...

until it shut down in 1995. Then Berne founded Screwgun to get control of his work again. Screwgun albums were initially distinguished by their brown, cardboard covers decorated with the line drawings of Steve Byram. The unorthodox artwork fit Berne's unorthodox music and business tactics.

Discography

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control American independent record labels Vanity record labels Jazz record labels

Discography

See also

References

External links