Survival Records

American record label
Survival Records
Founded1972 (1972)
FounderRashied Ali
GenreFree jazz
Country of originUnited States
LocationNew York City
Official websiterashied-ali.bandcamp.com

Survival Records is an independent record label that was founded by drummer Rashied Ali, and that focuses on free jazz.

History

Ali co-founded Survival with saxophonist Frank Lowe in 1972 after experiencing frustration with being unable to secure a release with a major record label.[1] He recalled: "I wasn't turned down flatly all the time, but it was like a prolonged kind of thing. It was like 'now's not the time – unless you want to do something like this or that'."[2] Survival's inaugural release was Duo Exchange, an Ali / Lowe duet recorded in the fall of 1972 and issued in 1973.[3][4] Lowe's involvement with the label ceased following the release of the album, but Survival would go on to issue a total of ten albums prior to Ali's death in 2009,[5] along with CD reissues of original Survival LPs, released in conjunction with Michael Dorf's Knit Classics label.[6]

In 2020, Survival was revived thanks to the efforts of Ali's family.[4][5] That year saw the release of two recordings remastered from the drummer's massive recorded archive: Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions, an expanded version of the original 1973 release,[7] and First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967, a live album featuring an early incarnation of Ali's Quintet.[8] The family plans to continue expanding the Survival catalogue with the addition of "further treasures."[5]

Releases

Catalog # Release year Recording year Album name Personnel Notes
SR 101 1973 1972 Duo Exchange Rashied Ali and Frank Lowe Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3020)
SR 102 1973 1973 Rashied Ali Quintet Rashied Ali Quintet Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3021)
SR 104 1973 1971 New Directions in Modern Music Rashied Ali Quartet Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3022)
SR 109 1976 1975 Moon Flight Rashied Ali Quartet / Quintet Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3023)
SR 110 1976 1975 What Would It Be Without You Joe Lee Wilson and Bond Street Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3024)
SR 111 1976 1975 N.Y. Ain't So Bad: Ali Plays the Blues Rashied Ali featuring Royal Blue Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3025)
SR 112 1976 1975 Swift Are the Winds of Life Rashied Ali and Leroy Jenkins Reissued on CD by Survival / Knit Classics in 1999 (KCR 3026)
SR 100 2001 1992 No One in Particular Rashied Ali Quintet
SR 121 2006 2005 Judgment Day Vol. 1 Rashied Ali Quintet
SR 122 2006 2005 Judgment Day Vol. 2 Rashied Ali Quintet
SR 126 2009 2007 Live in Europe Rashied Ali Quintet
SR 501 2020 1972 Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions Rashied Ali and Frank Lowe Expanded version of Duo Exchange (SR 101)
SR 551 2020 1967 First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967 Rashied Ali Quintet

Sources:[9][10]

References

  1. ^ Wilmer, Val (2018). As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free Jazz Revolution, 1957–1977. Serpent's Tail. pp. 325–326.
  2. ^ Wilmer, Val (2018). As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free Jazz Revolution, 1957–1977. Serpent's Tail. p. 325.
  3. ^ "Rashied Ali - Duo Exchange (with Frank Lowe)". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Rodríguez, Alex W. (May 20, 2020). "The Durability Of Drummer Rashied Ali's Survival Records". DownBeat. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Survival Records Returns with New Jazz Releases". JazzTimes. January 22, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Koenig, Steve (February 2001). "Rashied Ali's Survival Records". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ^ "Rashied Ali & Frank Lowe - Duo Exchange Complete Sessions". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "Rashied Ali - First Time Out: Live at Slugs 1967". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  9. ^ "Survival Records discography". JazzLists. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  10. ^ "Rashied Ali: Discography". RashiedAli.org. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
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