Strata-East Records is Back!
A Quiet Rebirth, One Reissue at a Time...
Until last month, Strata-East Records felt like a mysterious jazz label full of amazing, unreleased, non-streaming music. Founded in 1971 by Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell, it gave a home to artists pushing beyond the boundaries of hard bop, soul jazz, and spiritual expression. Now the label is experiencing a sort of rebirth — one that doesn’t rely just on nostalgia. Instead, it’s grounded in respect for the catalog and its underlying positive message and sound. New digital offerings are emerging on Bandcamp, Qobuz, and Apple Music. Long-awaited reissues on vinyl and CD are officially being released on Friday, April 25, 2025, through Mack Avenue Records.
Among the first arrivals in the reissue series is Live at Slugs’, Volume I & II by Charles Tolliver’s Music Inc., a fiery, live double-set recorded in 1970 at the now-legendary East Village club and released in 1972. The performances capture the rawness and genuine talent of Tolliver’s quartet, featuring Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, Jimmy Hopps on drums, and Tolliver on trumpet. It’s an essential document of the early Strata-East era.
Another gem, due out next Friday, is Two Is One by Charles Rouse. Released in 1974 and long out of print in the United States, the album finds the former Thelonious Monk tenor sax player stepping into more free territory, surrounded by an adventurous lineup that includes legends Airto Moreira, George Davis, and Stanley Clarke. Also featuring David Lee on drums, no, he’s not the father of film director Spike Lee. (That’s Bill Lee, who appeared on other Strata-East releases from Stanley Cowell, Clifford Jordan, The Brass Company, and more. — Thanks to reader Tim Webb for the reminder!) Two is One shows a different side of Rouse, earthy and groove-heavy, but still anchored in melodic invention. Hearing it in full, high-fidelity is a reminder of just how momentous the Strata-East label truly was, and why it remains important today.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper reintroduction to the label without Izipho Zam (My Gifts) by Pharoah Sanders. This session was recorded in 1969 but not released until 1973. It features spiritual jazz at its best: a massive ensemble, euphoric solos, and that unmistakable Pharoah Sanders sound. With contributions from Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Billy Hart, it’s one of the label’s most powerful offerings in my opinion. It was also a limited release last Saturday during Record Store Day. Did you get a copy? Having this LP officially available is a welcome move for longtime collectors of not just Strata-Eat Records but also Pharoah Sanders completists.
Strata-East Records wasn’t just a label; it was an artist-owned cooperative, giving Black musicians creative control at a time when the industry rarely did. Its catalog was wide-ranging: from Gil Scott-Heron’s early collaborations with Brian Jackson to the deeply spiritual work of Shamek Farrah and Stanley Cowell. The sound was expansive, and the politics present. That same spirit remains in these new reissues.
“Is this the label that emerged in the 1970s when Jazz was sort of waning in popularity?”
That’s what a local Jazz fan and vinyl collector asked me on the morning of Record Store Day. He may be right, but I wasn’t born until 1973. Was Jazz waning in popularity in the early to mid-1970s?
Strata-East promises additional physical and digital releases in 2025, which means that more rare titles may finally be within reach for listeners and collectors who have been piecing together this somewhat mysterious but delightful story for years. Strata-East didn’t just document a moment—it helped define it. Now, as these reissues and digital releases become available, there’s a chance for a new audience to discover what made this label so vital, even for those who missed it the first time.
The playlist is also available on Apple Music.
Thanks for reading. More to come!
