Chiaroscuro Records
Parent companyNortheast Pennsylvania Educational Television Association
Founded1970 (1970)
FounderHank O'Neal
GenreJazz
Country of originU.S.
LocationNew York City
Official websitewww.chiaroscurojazz.org

Chiaroscuro Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Hank O'Neal in 1970.[1] The label's name comes from the art term for the use of light and dark in a painting. O'Neal came up with the name via his friend and mentor Eddie Condon, a jazz musician who performed in what were called Chiaroscuro Concerts in the 1930s.[2] O'Neal also got the name from a store that sold only black and white dresses.[3]

O'Neal ran the label from 1969–1977 and produced all but two of the albums. Its catalogue included Earl Hines, Joe Venuti, Teddy Wilson, and Ruby Braff.[4][5]

O'Neal sold the label to Audiophile Enterprises in 1978,[4][5] then bought back the catalogue when he started SOS Productions in 1987. Chiaroscuro released new discs and reissues through the 1990s.[4]

In 2011, Chiaroscuro's founders donated the company to the Northeast Pennsylvania Educational Television Association, owner of WVIA-FM-TV, the PBS and NPR member for northeastern Pennsylvania. WVIA-FM used Chiaroscuro's library to start an all-jazz station on its third HD subcarrier.[6]

Artists

Discography

References

  1. ^ White, Simon. "Chiaroscuro Records Changes Hands Public radio station WVIA plans to expand label's reach". Jazz Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Chiaroscuro Records". www.chiaroscurojazz.org. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. ^ Simon, Elliot (January 12, 2005). "Chiaroscuro Records". www.allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Barry Kernfeld (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 430. ISBN 1561592846.
  5. ^ a b Erlewine, Michael; Bogdanov, Vladimir; Chris, Woodstra; Scott, Yanow (1998). All music guide to jazz : the experts' guide to the best jazz recordings (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. ISBN 0-87930-530-4.
  6. ^ WVIA station history

External links

Authority control databases
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