About the label

Outhere, which unites prestigious classical music labels Æon, Alpha, Fuga Libera, Ricercar, Ramée and Zig-Zag Territoires announces the creation of a brand new label devoted exclusively to jazz: OUTNOTE Records. Embracing contemporary musical expression throughout the entire contemporary landscape of creative music, OUTNOTE aims to transcribe the stimulating aesthetic vitality of our age faithfully and in the finest detail...

« because creation is an endlessly evolving act... »

Artistic director, Jean-Jacques Pussiau, is the founder of Owl Records (today part of Universal) and Nightbird Music, both of which witnessed highly creative outings by some of jazz’s most revered and passionate figures such as Michel Petrucciani, Stéphane Grappelli, Helen Merrill, Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, Eric Watson, Kenny Werner and Ray Barretto, among others. OUTNOTE is an exciting venture that emerged from a chance encounter between two kindred spirits; Outhere CEO Charles Adriaenssen very quickly sensed the need to join forces with Jean-Jacques Pussiau and forge a new and unprecedented structure. Within a matter of weeks, artistic policy had been mapped out and the project was launched.

The new label will provide a privileged platform allowing established artists and up-and-coming musicians alike to define «the state of the art». The roster of artists already pledged to the project includes pianists Ronnie Lynn Patterson, Kenny Werner, Eric Watson, the electrojazz group After In Paris; the group Quest others are ready to step in, including, Philippe Le Baraillec, Dave Liebman, Richie Beirach, and even for an unpublished posthumous recording of Steve Lacy. Creating a record label is always an adventure; to borrow from Borges, «We publish in order to avoid spending our whole lives correcting drafts». A record is still the medium through which musicians translate their inspiration from the initial artistic impulse through to the finished work, adding one small – though not immutable – touch to the vast canvas of time. The label’s creators are united in their insistence on an open and pluralistic approach, the hallmark of this growing collection.