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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKEYNOTEA legendary jazz record label formed in 1940 by music shop owner Eric Bernay, recording mostly folk music, etc appealing to the left: Paul Robeson, Almanac Singers (see Pete Seeger). Harry Lim (b 23 February 1919, Djakarta, Indonesia, then called Batavia; d 26 July 1990) came to the USA in 1939, began recording jazz for Keynote '43, financing sessions himself. Keynote became known for good music and good pressings (made by Capitol); had problems getting pressings '46 (when Capitol was too busy), bought a West Coast pressing plant but had quality problems; Lim left '47, the label was taken over by Mercury '48 and Lim lost all rights. The most famous sessions were with Lester Young, one each with Count Basie and Johnny Guarnieri on piano; several Coleman Hawkins dates including the All American Four with Teddy Wilson, John Kirby, Sid Catlett; his Sax Ensemble with Tab Smith, Don Byas and Harry Carney plus Guarnieri, Catlett, Al Lucas on bass. Many of these were 12-inch 78s, unusual at the time, allowing extra blowing room. Lim recorded sidemen from the Woody Herman band, Red Norvo, trumpeter Joe Thomas (b 24 July 1909, Webster Grove MO; d 6 August 1984 NYC), guitarist George Barnes (b 17 July 1921, Chicago Heights IL; d 5 September 1977), Milt Hinton, many more who rarely got a chance to record as leaders; also Lennie Tristano's first sessions, Neal Hefti, ex-Fats Waller sideman Gene Sedric, Benny Carter, Juan Tizol, Bud Freeman, Willie Smith, many more. A few Keynote sessions were reissued but most were effectively lost until 1986, when Polygram issued a sumptuous complete box of 21 LPs plus a 7-inch disc with newly discovered Tristano 'Untitled Blues', all pressed in Japan: 334 tracks, 115 previously unissued; excellent booklets with notes by Lim, Bob Porter, Dan Morgenstern, indexes, rare photographs. Most Keynote tracks are first-rate; others are still very good and fascinating period stuff. Lim recorded Al Haig in 1949 for his own short-lived HL label, produced sessions for Seeco including one with Wardell Gray, worked at Sam Goody NYC record shop '56-73, formed the Famous Door label and recorded Norvo, Barnes, Hinton, Paul Quinichette, Scott Hamilton, Mundell Lowe, trombonists Carl Fontana and Bill Watrous, tenor saxist Eddie Barefield (b 12 December 1909 Scandia IA; d 3 January 1991 NYC: a highly valued sideman on hundreds of records), others. Lim knew what he was doing and always got good sound with no gimmicks. |