PM Records

PM Records is an American jazz record label established in 1973 by bassist Gene Perla. The label's catalogue is centered on contemporary jazz and small-group, ensemble, and live recordings by musicians associated with the North American jazz scene. Its releases include work by Dave Liebman, Steve Grossman, Elvin Jones, Bernie Senensky, Don Thompson, Pat LaBarbera, Ed Bickert, Doug Riley, Sonny Greenwich, Kathryn Moses, Nina Simone, and other artists. The label's early catalogue developed around musicians and groups connected to Perla's professional network. Its first release was Open Sky by the trio Open Sky, whose members were Bob Moses, Dave Liebman, and Frank Tusa. The initial pressing was limited to 500 copies, giving the label an explicitly independent and small-scale profile from the outset. Open Sky was followed by Steve Grossman's Some Shapes to Come, an album that helped establish the label's association with prominent modern-jazz performers. PM Records subsequently issued a mixture of studio and live albums. Elvin Jones appeared on Live and On the Mountain, while the group Stone Alliance—featuring Gene Perla, Don Alias, and Steve Grossman—recorded several releases for the label. The catalogue also extended to Canadian jazz figures such as Don Thompson, Pat LaBarbera, Ed Bickert, and Bernie Senensky, as well as releases by Doug Riley, Sonny Greenwich, and Brazilian trumpeter Márcio Montarroyos. The presence of Nina Simone's A Very Rare Evening shows that the label's activity was not restricted exclusively to newly recorded small-group jazz, although jazz remained its defining musical field. By the end of 2018, PM Records had released 46 albums, according to the cited Wikipedia account. Gene Perla played bass on 31 of those albums, underscoring the close relationship between the label's identity and its founder's work as a musician, producer, and participant in its recording projects. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current corporate owner, headquarters, distribution arrangement, official website, or whether the label remains actively issuing new recordings. Its documented catalogue nevertheless represents a focused independent jazz imprint with a substantial connection to 1970s and 1980s modern jazz.

PM Records was founded in 1973 by Gene Perla, an American bassist involved in the modern jazz community. Rather than presenting itself as a broad commercial music company, the label operated as an independent jazz imprint whose releases were closely connected to the musicians and ensembles with whom Perla worked. The label began its catalogue with Open Sky, the 1973 album by the trio Open Sky. The group consisted of Bob Moses, Dave Liebman, and Frank Tusa. The first pressing was limited to 500 copies, a scale consistent with the label's independent beginnings and specialist audience. PM Records then issued Steve Grossman's Some Shapes to Come in 1974, followed by further Open Sky and Elvin Jones projects in 1975. These early releases established a catalogue combining original contemporary-jazz projects with performances by already recognized musicians. During the mid-1970s, PM Records broadened its roster and repertoire. Releases included Doug Riley's Dreams, Don Thompson's Country Place, Pat LaBarbera's Pass It On, and Ed Bickert's self-titled album. The label also documented Elvin Jones through Live and On the Mountain. Its association with Stone Alliance became another important thread in the catalogue. Stone Alliance included Gene Perla, percussionist Don Alias, and saxophonist Steve Grossman; the group released Stone Alliance in 1976 and Heads Up in 1980. A 1977 release associated with Márcio Montarroyos also carried the Stone Alliance title in the documented discography. The catalogue continued into the late 1970s with albums by Steve Grossman, Sonny Greenwich, Kathryn Moses, and Nina Simone. Later listed releases include Bernie Senensky's Free Spirit, David Liebman's Solo: Memories, Dreams and Reflections, and Shut Yo' Mouth! by Slam Stewart and Major Holley. These titles show the label's interest in both contemporary jazz and recordings that drew on earlier jazz traditions. PM Records' identity remained strongly linked to Perla. The cited account states that he played bass on 31 of the 46 albums released by the end of 2018. This unusually high level of direct participation distinguishes the label from an imprint operating only as an external corporate brand; its catalogue reflects a personal artistic and production network built around its founder. Public reference material does not document a formal sale, merger, parent company, current executive structure, or a definitive closure. It also does not establish whether all catalogue titles remain commercially available. The available record therefore supports describing PM Records as a historically significant independent American jazz label founded in 1973, while its present operating status remains uncertain.

• 2018

  Catalogue reaches 46 albums

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The cited reference reports that PM Records had released 46 albums by the end of 2018, with Gene Perla playing bass on 31 of them.

• 1980

  Stone Alliance releases Heads Up

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Stone Alliance released Heads Up through PM Records, continuing the label's association with the Perla-led ensemble.

• 1976

  Expansion into Canadian jazz

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  PM Records released albums by Don Thompson, Pat LaBarbera, and Ed Bickert, alongside the Stone Alliance album.

• 1975

  Elvin Jones releases

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label issued Elvin Jones's Live and On the Mountain, expanding its documented catalogue of major modern-jazz performers.

• 1974

  Steve Grossman joins the catalogue

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  PM Records released Steve Grossman's Some Shapes to Come as its second numbered release.

• 1973

  PM Records is established

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Bassist Gene Perla founded PM Records as an independent American jazz label.

• 1973

  First release: Open Sky

  [1]PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label issued Open Sky by the trio Open Sky, featuring Bob Moses, Dave Liebman, and Frank Tusa. The first pressing was limited to 500 copies.

An independent, musician-centered jazz label focused on modern jazz performers, ensemble projects, and live or studio recordings.

• Jazz album · 1973

  Open Sky

  The label's first documented release, issued in 1973 by the trio Open Sky. The group comprised Bob Moses, Dave Liebman, and Frank Tusa. Its initial pressing was limited to 500 copies, establishing PM Records' small-scale independent character.

• Jazz album · 1974

  Some Shapes to Come

  Steve Grossman's second-numbered PM Records release followed the label's debut and helped define its early modern-jazz catalogue. It is documented as PMR-002 and was released in 1974.

• Live and studio jazz albums · 1975

  Elvin Jones releases

  PM Records documented drummer Elvin Jones through Live and On the Mountain, both listed among the label's 1975 releases. Together they represent the imprint's emphasis on high-profile modern-jazz performance.

• Jazz ensemble recordings · 1976

  Stone Alliance

  Stone Alliance was an ensemble featuring Gene Perla, Don Alias, and Steve Grossman. PM Records issued the group's self-titled album in 1976 and Heads Up in 1980, making the project one of the label's recurring catalogue strands.

• Solo jazz album

  Solo: Memories, Dreams and Reflections

  A David Liebman solo recording listed among PM Records' numbered releases. The title reflects the label's continuing support for individual improvisers and musician-led projects.

1. 1PM Recordsen.wikipedia.org