Strata-East at 50: How a Revolutionary Record Label Put Control in Artists' Hands

'About 50 years ago, pianist Stanley Cowell and trumpeter Charles Tolliver embarked on a bold venture together. In the face of a tough business climate, at a time of constriction in the record industry, they started their own label, Strata-East Records, breaking in its catalog with the self-titled debut by their own working band, Music Inc. More than just an indie record label, Strata-East was one of the first artist-driven collectives; ownership of the music remained with the composer or bandleader. It was a revolutionary model at the time (and still hardly the norm today), and appealed to a range of Black creative artists, from saxophonist Clifford Jordan to poet Gil Scott-Heron and keyboardist Brian Jackson, whose 1974 album Winter in America brought Strata-East a breakout hit.' -- Jazz Night in America