Relative Pitch Records


Relative Pitch Records is an American independent record label specializing in free jazz and avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, and experimental music. Run by Kevin Reilly, Relative Pitch has been ranked among the top jazz record labels in The New York City Jazz Record and DownBeat year-end lists, and praised by publications and organizations including The Guardian, NPR Music, The Brooklyn Rail, and in Bandcamp Daily's label profile, "Relative Pitch is Built on Enthusiasm for Experimental Music".

History

Co-founders Kevin Reilly and Mike Panico first met waiting in line at a show and later spent time together as volunteers at The Stone, an experimental music space then located in the East Village. They eventually decided to start a record label, and co-founded Relative Pitch in 2011.
Both Reilly and Panico attended a large number of avant-jazz performances, as noted by many of the label's artists. In a 2013 feature, Mary Halvorson asserted that “What Kevin and Mike share is an unrelenting dedication to and passion for music, which is evident from the sheer number of concerts they attend"; said, "what makes so special in my mind, is that the people that run the label are faces in the crowd of 90% of the shows you play in New York", and described the two as "missionary in their desire to get the music they think is transcendent out to people that don't have the chance or impetus to go to six or seven shows a week in Brooklyn". They traveled to see shows as well, and the label's roster includes both local and international artists; Reilly has said, "I like the idea that you could look at our catalogue and not know where the label is based".
In 2018, Panico's body was found in Flushing Bay; his death was ruled a suicide. A memorial concert was held at Brooklyn performing arts space Roulette, with performances by a number of artists on the Relative Pitch label. Reilly took over operations following Panico's death.

Reception

The Guardian has described Relative Pitch as "a label whose roster is the perfect place to start if you're looking to take the pulse of the best jazz and improv players currently on the scene". NPR Music has called Relative Pitch "a small label that has made a big impact in avant-garde and free-improv circles", saying its roster "includes some of the most acclaimed artists in the style , like guitarists Mary Halvorson and Susan Alcorn; bassists Joëlle Léandre and Michael Bisio; and saxophonists Evan Parker, Vinny Golia and Matana Roberts". The publication also noted Matthew Shipp, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Tom Rainey, and Kirk Knuffke as among the "dozens of prominent artists who have released albums on the label".
Wooley invited cofounder Reilly to contribute to "The Listeners Issue" of the journal Sound American, describing him as "represent a model of listening: the critical audience member" who "approaches every concert and, as you will see, every recording with the rigor of an academic and the intensity of a man possessed".

Notable releases

The annual NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll has included Mary Halvorson's Reverse Blue, James Brandon Lewis's An UnRuly Manifesto, and the Susan Alcorn Quintet's Pedernal. Lewis's An UnRuly Manifesto was also included in year-end lists in JazzTimes, The New York City Jazz Record, and DownBeat; the New York Times counted Alcorn's Pedernal in their Best Jazz Albums of 2020.
Along with Lewis, many Relative Pitch releases have received a top rating in DownBeat: Continuum by Book of Three, the trio of Taylor Ho Bynum, John Hébert, and Gerald Cleaver; Greg Cohen's Golden State ; Evan Parker and Sylvie Courvoisier's Either Or And ; Courvoisier and Halvorson's Crop Circles ; and John Butcher's Last Dream Of The Morning.
Other critically-acclaimed albums include Matthew Shipp and Michael Bisio's Floating Ice ; Jemeel Moondoc's The Zookeeper's House ; Tomas Fujiwara's Variable Bets ; the Matthew Shipp Trio's Root of Things ; Matana Roberts' Always ; Halvorson's Reverse Blue ; Alcorn's Soledad ; Pulverize The Sound, the self-titled debut of trio Peter Evans, Tim Dahl, and Mike Pride ; Mette Rasmussen and Chris Corsano's All The Ghosts At Once ; Bisio and Kirk Knuffke's Row for William O. ; The Out Louds, the eponymous debut of trio Halvorson, Fujiwara, and Ben Goldberg ; Steph Richards' Fullmoon ; Geometry of Caves and Geometry of Distance, both by the improvisational quartet of Tomeka Reid, Kyoko Kitamura, Taylor Ho Bynum, and Joe Morris; and Gregg Belisle-Chi's ‘Koi’: Performing the Music of Tim Berne. Relative Pitch also released Nate Wooley's quartet project with Laubrock, Matt Moran, and Courvoisier in the albums Battle Pieces, Battle Pieces 2, and Battle Pieces 4.

Discography

Relative Pitch Records (RPR)

Cat. NumberArtistTitleYear
RPR1001Joey Baron Just Listen2013
RPR1002Joëlle Léandre & Phillip GreenliefThat Overt Desire Of Object2011
RPR1003Vinny Golia Quartet Take Your Time2011
RPR1004Aych As The Crow Flies2012
RPR1005Michael Bisio & Matthew ShippFloating Ice2012
RPR1006Way Out Northwest The White Spot2012
RPR1007Urs Leimgruber & Roger TurnerThe Pancake Tour2012
RPR1008Joe Morris,, From The Discrete To The Particular2012
RPR1009Jemeel Moondoc & Connie CrothersTwo2012
RPR1010Joëlle Léandre & Jérôme BourdellonEvidence2013
RPR1011Chris Abrahams & Magda MayasGardener2013
RPR1012Book Of Three Continuum2013
RPR1013Estamos Trio People's Historia2013
RPR1014Sifter Sifter2013
RPR1015FPR All At Once2013
RPR1016Vinny Golia & Urs LeimgruberEmpiricism In The West2013
RPR1017Jack Wright & Ben WrightAs If Anything Could Be The Same2014
RPR1018Ingrid Laubrock & Tom RaineyAnd Other Desert Towns2014
RPR1019Paul Flaherty & Randall ColbourneIronic Havoc2014
RPR1020Greg CohenGolden State2014
RPR1021Bogan Ghost Zerfall2014
RPR1022Matthew Shipp Trio Root of Things2014
RPR1023Stephen Gauci / Kirk Knuffke / Ken FilianoChasing Tales2014
RPR1024Evan Parker & Sylvie CourvoisierEither Or And2014
RPR1025Mary Halvorson Reverse Blue2014
RPR1026Jemeel Moondoc The Zookeeper's House2014
RPR1027Michel DonedaEverybody Digs Michel Doneda2014
RPR1028Tomas Fujiwara Trio Variable Bets2014
RPR1029Joe MorrisSolos Bimhuis2015
RPR1030Birgit Ulher & Leonel KaplanStereo Trumpet2015
RPR1031Battle Pieces2015
RPR1032Susan AlcornSoledad2015
RPR1033Dead Neanderthals Worship The Sun2015
RPR1034Leila Bordreuil & Michael FosterThe Caustic Ballads2016
RPR1035Matthew Shipp Chamber Ensemble The Gospel According to Matthew & Michael2015
RPR1036Matana RobertsAlways2015
RPR1037Mette Rasmussen & Chris CorsanoAll The Ghosts At Once2015
RPR1038Jessica PavoneSilent Spills2016
RPR1039Pulverize The Sound Pulverize The Sound2015
RPR1040Michael BisioAccortet2015
RPR1041Thollem / Wimberly / ClineRadical Empathy2015
RPR1042Fujiwara / Goldberg / HalvorsonThe Out Louds2016
RPR1043Michael Bisio & Kirk KnuffkeRow For William O.2016
RPR1044Corsano / Courvoisier / WooleySalt Task2016
RPR1045Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary HalvorsonCrop Circles2016
RPR1046Mazur / NeuringerDiachronic Paths2016
RPR1047Jemeel Moondoc & Hilliard GreeneCosmic Nickelodeon2016
RPR1048Ingrid Laubrock & Tom RaineyBuoyancy2016
RPR1049Catherine SikoraJersey2016
RPR1050Joe MorrisShock Axis2016
RPR1051Perch, Hen, Brock, Rain Live @ The Jazz Happening Tampere2016
RPR1052Forebrace Steeped2016
RPR1053Tristan Honsinger / Nicolas Caloia / Joshua ZubotIn The Sea2017
RPR1054Thollem & MazurekBlind Curves And Box Canyons2017
RPR1055JR3 Happy Jazz2017
RPR1056John Butcher, John Edwards, Mark SandersLast Dream Of The Morning2017
RPR1057Christian Lillinger & Tobias DeliusDicht2017
RPR1058Nate WooleyBattle Pieces 22017
RPR1059Fred Van Hove & Roger TurnerThe Corner2017
RPR1060Isabelle Duthoit & Franz HautzingerLily2017
RPR1061Magda Mayas & Jim DenleyTempe Jetz2017
RPR1062Ben Hall's Racehorse Names The New Favorite Thing Called Breathing2018
RPR1063Brandon Lopez, Matthew Nelson, Andria Nicodemou, Gerald CleaverThe Industry Of Entropy2018
RPR1064Kirk Knuffke & Ben GoldbergUncompahgre2018
RPR1065Mark Nauseef All In All In All2018
RPR1066Stephanie RichardsFullmoon2018
RPR1067Rudi Mahall & Alexander von SchlippenbachSo Far2018
RPR1068Tomeka Reid, Kyoko Kitamura, Taylor Ho Bynum, Joe MorrisGeometry of Caves2018
RPR1069Flamingo LOUD2018
RPR1070Tatakai Trio Happī2018
RPR1071Irene Aranda, Johannes Nästesjö, Núria AndorràInner Core2018
RPR1072Samara Lubelski & Bill NaceSamara Lubelski / Bill Nace2018
RPR1073Benjamín Vergara, Keefe Jackson, Jim Baker, Phil SudderbergThe Hallowed Plant2018
RPR1074Paul Rogers, Olaf Rupp, Frank Paul SchubertThree Stories About Rain, Sunlight And The Hidden Soil2018
RPR1075Fish-Scale Sunrise No Queen Rises2018
RPR1076Ingrid Laubrock & Tom RaineyUtter2018
RPR1077Michael Foster, Michael Zerang, Katherine YoungBind The Hand That Feed2018
RPR1078James Brandon Lewis An UnRuly Manifesto2019
RPR1079Bruce Ackley, Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser, Aram SheltonUnexpected Twins2019
RPR1080Guillermo Gregorio & Brandon Lopez12 Episodes2019
RPR1081Tomeka Reid / Filippo MonicoThe Mouser2019
RPR1082Jessica PavoneIn The Action2019
RPR1083Eugene Chadbourne & Henry KaiserWind Crystals: Guitar Duets By Wadada Leo Smith2019
RPR1084Michel Doneda & Lê Quan NinhThirty Ways To Avoid Talking2019
RPR1085Paul FlahertyFocused & Bewildered2019
RPR1086Zeena Parkins & WobblyTriplicates2019
RPR1087Steve Baczkowski, Brandon Lopez, Chris CorsanoOld Smoke2019
RPR1088Christine Abdelnour & Chris CorsanoQuand Fond La Neige, Où Va Le Blanc?2019
RPR1089Udo Schindler & Jaap BlonkHillside Talks2019
RPR1090Hook, Line And Sinker Fishy Business2019
RPR1090EPVirginia GentaAmplified Sopranino Sax2019
RPR1091Tipple Cartoon Heart2019
RPR1092Masahiko Satoh, Otomo Yoshihide, Roger TurnerSea2019
RPR1093Ramon Lopez & Mark FeldmanTrappist-12019
RPR1094Ig Henneman, Jaimie Branch, Anne La BergeDropping Stuff And Other Folk Songs2019
RPR1095Joanna MattreyVeiled2020
RPR1096Kyoko Kitamura, Joe Morris, Tomeka Reid, Taylor Ho BynumGeometry of Distance2019
RPR1097Nate WooleyBattle Pieces 42019
RPR1098Susan Alcorn, Leila Bordreuil, Ingrid LaubrockBird Meets Wire2021
RPR1099Neuringer, Dulberger, MasriDromedaries II2020
RPR1100John Blum & Jackson KrallDuplexity2020
RPR1101Estamos Trio Dire Warning2020
RPR1102Samara LubelskiPartial Infinite Sequence2020
RPR1103Tim Berne & Nasheet WaitsThe Coandă Effect2020
RPR1104Peter Brötzmann & Fred Lonberg-HolmMemories of a Tunicate2020
RPR1105Alex WardFrames2020
RPR1106Alex Ward Item 4 Where We Were2020
RPR1107Birgit Ulher & Franz HautzingerKleine Trompetenmusik2020
RPR1108Brad Henkel & Jacob WickLovely Bag You Have2020
RPR1109MoE with Mette Rasmussen and Ikuro TakahashiPainted2020
RPR1110gabby fluke-mogulthreshold2020
RPR1111Susan Alcorn Quintet Pedernal2020
RPR1112Leap Of Faith Principles Of An Open Future2020
RPR1113Signe EmmeluthHi Hello I'm Signe2021
RPR1114Frode Gjerstad & Isach SkeidsvollTwenty Fingers2021
RPR1115Two Much: Reut Regev & Igal FoniNever Enough2021
RPR1116Hermione JohnsonTremble2020
RPR1117Schubert / Schlippenbach / BlumeForge2020
RPR1118Zeena Parkins, Mette Rasmussen, Ryan SawyerGlass Triangle2021
RPR1119Jooklo Trio It Is What It Is2020
RPR1120Magda Mayas' Filamental Confluence2021
RPR1121Michel Doneda, Frédéric Blondy, Tetsu SaitohSpring Road 162021
RPR1122Barre Phillips, John Butcher, Ståle Liavik SolbergWe Met - And Then2021
RPR1123López Trio Live At Roulette2021
RPR1124Liz AllbeeRille2021
RPR1125Ava MendozaNew Spells2021
RPR1126Robbie Avenaim, Chris Abrahams, Jim DenleyWeft2021
RPR1127Cranes: Matthias Müller, Eve Risser, Christian MarienFormation < Deviation2021
RPR1128Jessica PavoneWhen No One Around You is There but Nowhere to be Found2022
RPR1129Violeta García & Chris PitsiokosUanmortaim2021
RPR1130Alex Zethson Ensemble Some Of Them Were Never Unprepared2021
RPR1131Ingrid Laubrock & Tom RaineyCounterfeit Mars2022
RPR1132Steph Richards with Joshua WhiteZephyr2021
RPR1133Cecilia LopezRed2021
RPR1134Gregg Belisle-Chi Performing The Music Of Tim BerneKoi2021
RPR1135Cath Roberts & Olie BriceConduits2022
RPR1136Lisa Ullén, Elsa Bergman, Anna LundSpace2022
RPR1137Masked Pickle 72022
RPR1138Child Of Illusion Khimaira2022
RPR1139Matthew Bourne & Emil KarlsenThe Embalmer2022
RPR1140Kaluza & Roder Am Frankfurter Tor2022
RPR1141gabby fluke-mogulLove Songs2022
RPR1142Forbes Graham Another Day, Another Vector2022
RPR1143Joanna Mattrey & gabby fluke-mogulOracle2022
RPR1144Reid, Kitamura, Bynum, MorrisGeometry Of Trees2022
RPR1148Tamio Shiraishi月 2022
RPR1149Rasmussen / Flaherty / Rowden / CorsanoCrying in Space2023
RPR1151Tristan Kasten-Krause & Jessica PavoneImages of One2023
RPR1157Pulverize The Sound Black2022
RPR1158Kelsey MinesLook Like2022
RPR1159Fred Moten, Brandon López, Gerald CleaverMoten / López / Cleaver2022
RPR1160Susan Alcorn, Patrick Holmes, Ryan SawyerFrom Union Pool2023
RPR1161Dimitriadis, Dörner, Freedman, Parkins, WilliamsBeingFive2022
RPR1179Fie Schouten, Vincent Courtois, Guus JanssenVOSTOK Remote Islands2023