Remaining Intakt

Independent record labels are one of jazz’s indispensible support systems, fuelled by the brave willingness of the enthusiasts who run them to buck the odds. My own early tastes were largely shaped in the 1960s by the work of Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff at Blue Note, Bob Weinstock at Prestige, Dick Bock at Pacific Jazz, Lester Koenig at Contemporary and Orrin Keepnews at Riverside. It’s now more than 50 years since Manfred Eicher reimagined what an independent jazz label could be in terms of focus, identity and appeal, and today we have International Anthem, Pi, Rune Grammofon, Hubro, ACT and others swimming lustily against the current.

And there’s the outstanding Intakt Records, founded in 1984 by Patrik Landolt, who stepped back in 2021 after 37 years of producing records and, in retirement, has just received the honorary award of the Deutsche Schallplattenkritik — the organisation of German record critics. His story of those years is contained in a new book, (A)tonal Adventures, containing short extracts from his journals, vividly describing the pleasures and problems of running such a label, travelling between Europe and America.

Intakt’s catalogue of about 400 releases captures a hefty slice of the creative music of our time, from the first release by the great Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer through many recordings by Barry Guy’s London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Cecil Taylor’s epic Willisau concert, the Globe Unity Orchestra and the great solo sessions of its leader, Alexander von Schlippenbach, plus Anthony Braxton, Oliver Lake and Elliott Sharp and a galaxy of drummers including Pierre Favre, Gunter Baby Sommer, Andrew Cyrille, Louis Moholo, Han Bennink and Lucas Niggli, to newer generations of artists including Ingrid Laubrock, Chris Speed, Sylvie Courvoisier, Alexander Hawkins, James Brandon Lewis, Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid and the mindbending trio Punkt.Vrt.Plastik (Kaja Draksler, Petter Eldh and Christian Lillinger).

In presentational terms, Intakt’s releases conform to no house style (à la Blue Note or ECM), but the sense of strong graphic design is very evident. Despite the absence of visual uniformity, somehow they speak with the same voice. And equal care is taken with the sound. Again, there’s no equivalent here of the signature (and very effective) reverb penumbra of Blue Note or ECM. Just clarity.

Among the newer artists there’s Ohad Talmor, the American/Swiss tenor saxophonist whose new album, Back to the Land, is one of the highlights of the year. Over two CDs, Talmor reimagines compositions and motifs from the work of Ornette Coleman in a variety of settings: trios for tenor, bass (Chris Tordini) and drums (Eric McPherson), quartets (one with tenor, two trumpets and drums), the duo of Joel Ross on vibes and David Virelles on piano, and a couple of tracks for a septet including sparing use of electronics.

The music is full of air and light, evoking without mimicry some of the south-western feeling Ornette brought to the music. Joy and pain are both present, always delineated with subtlety. The playing is sensationally good by all concerned (particularly Tordini), and the programming retains the listener’s attention without resorting to tricks. In his short preface to the sleeve notes, Talmor mentions the influence on his own playing of Lee Konitz, Dewey Redman and Wayne Shorter; his solos are extruded without apparent effort but with a notable richness of melodic and rhythmic ideas. This is his third album for the label, and it would be a surprise if he were not to become one of the artists to whom Intakt’s commitment is for the long term.

Since Landolt’s retirement, the label’s reins have passed to a team including Florian Keller, whose postscript to (A)tonal Adventures takes us out on a note of optimism. “Intakt Records has never been an ivory tower,” he writes. “It is about setting topicality to music, where the political and social issues framing the music are also considered.” With albums as thoughtful and eloquent as Back to the Land, it’s fair to assume that the mission is in safe hands.

* Ohad Talmor’s Back to the Land was released in October: https://www.intaktrec.ch/408.htm. (A)tonal Achievements is published in English and German editions by Versus Verlag: bit.ly/49rIjla