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Biography

Strata

BBE breathes new life into Detroit’s Strata Records.
In association with New York’s 180 Proof records, UK independent imprint BBE is to reissue classic titles and unveil previously unreleased music from the catalogue of highly infuential Detroit record label Strata.
A precursor to New York’s Strata East, Detroit’s Strata Records was founded in the late 1960s by former Blue Note artist Kenny Cox. Starting life as a music-led community organisation, coffee shop, studio and live venue, Strata released only a few titles as a record label, gaining it a cult following among record collectors and jazz lovers all over the globe. A testament to the defance local artists showed toward the urban decay and social unrest around them at the time, Strata was run passionately on a shoestring budget. The iconic, minimalist black and white artwork’s aesthetic derived from attempts to reduce printing costs; unreleased music has ended up sitting on studio tapes for decades because the label’s owners simply ran out of money.
Stumbling across Lyman Woodard’s Strata album ‘Saturday Night Special’ while trading records, BBE artist DJ Amir became intrigued by this most mysterious of labels, so he travelled to Detroit to fnd out more. While working on the Scion iQ Museum project to document the history of the label and its artwork, Amir befriended Barbara Cox, widow of Strata founder Kenny Cox, who granted him exclusive rights to the label’s entire catalogue. What Amir unearthed amounts to a treasure trove of music and art; a signifcant chapter in Detroit’s story which has never been fully told.
Commencing with last year’s 10” vinyl release of a strange and beautiful demo tape titled ‘Time Is Wasting’ by a mysterious artist known only as TJ, BBE has begun the process of bringing Strata’s special magic to the world. Summer 2017 will see the reissue of Bert Myrick’s 1974 live album ‘Live ‘n Well’, much sought after by collectors for the mesmerizing 14-minute jazz epic ‘Scorpio’s Child’. Next up, Lyman Woodard’s seminal and unique LP ‘Saturday Night Special’ will be released, complete with cover photo taken by revered music photographer and activist Leni Sinclair. After that things get even more interesting, with the frst time CD releases of CJQ’s Location & Black Hole.

Discography

Black t-shirt "The Lyman Woodard Organization - Saturday Night Special". Our T-shirts are produced in limited quantities and professionally screen-printed by hand.

Black t-shirt “The Lyman Woodard Organization – Saturday Night Special“. Our T-shirts are produced in limited quantities and professionally screen-printed by hand. We print with Plastisol inks for a long lasting finish. Our shirts are manufactured by Continental, a brand…

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The Contemporary Jazz Quartet (CJQ) album ‘Location’ dropped on Cox’s own Strata imprint back in 1972. Recently described by Jazzwise magazine as “one of the best kept secrets in jazz”, the classic LP is reissued on BBE Music.

Following on from the welcome revival of Lyman Woodard’s classic ‘Saturday Night Special‘ and drummer, Bert Myrick’s ‘Live ’n Well’ – which features the epic ‘Scorpio’s Child’ – BBE Records continue to dig deeper into the vaults of Detroit’s Strata…

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These rare tapes discovered by DJ Amir Abdullah capture Charles Mingus and his jazz quintet during a residency at the Strata Concert Gallery Detroit, 1973.

EXCLUSIVE: THE LOST TAPES!! MINGUS MEETS STRATA: LIVE FROM THE GALLERY “I’m trying to play the truth of what I am. The reason it’s difficult is because I’m changing all the time.” Charles Mingus The radical discovery by Amir Abdullah…

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Released by Strata in 1974, Bert Myrick’s ‘Live ‘n Well’ was recorded by Strata founder and former Blue Note artist Kenny Cox at a live concert in Detroit.

Rescued from relative obscurity by DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE is delighted to present a gem from the tiny yet highly influential catalogue of Strata Records. Preceding New York’s Strata East, Detroit’s original Strata label issued only a handful…

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Possibly the best known of Strata’s releases, The Lyman Woodard Organization’s ‘Saturday Night Special’ is rightly heralded as a jazz fusion classic.

In association with DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE is honoured to present another gem from the small yet significant Strata catalogue. A precursor to New York’s Strata East, Detroit’s Strata Records was founded in the late 1960s by former…

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TJ - Time Is Wasting

It’s the crate digger’s dream or nightmare. The modern day musical archaeologist is always in search of that elusive piece of a musical puzzle. Dusting off a slice of unknown vinyl or a mystery tape in a battered box might…

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