RE: contacting Tzadik??

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

At 09:39 AM 2/2/99 -0500, Seth wrote:

>Sending one free copy of each of a label's release to DJs who specifically
>play your style of music (as opposed to a mass mailing to every radio
>station, or even every college station) or to reviewers with a track record
>of reviewing your specific genre is a very good and inexpensive investment.
>I bet for every ONE person who turns around and as a result buys a CD at
>retail cost the label more than covers its expense for sending out every
>three or four CDs, maybe even more.

[...]

>Part of a record label's duty or responsibility to its artists is to
>"market" the recordings, by getting them in front of as many potential
>buyers as possible. There aren't many DJs and reviewers out there who focus
>on the kind of stuff Tzadik and Knitting Factory put out. It doesn't seem
>like brain surgery to figure out in whose hands those CDs should wind up
>where they will be aired or reviewed as opposed to sold to the nearest used
>CD store. (How many radio shows specialize in Jewish music, klezmer or
>avant-klezmer, or even all three?) I don't see how a policy of refusing to
>send out promos under any circumstances (which as I understand it is the
>case with Tzadik) serves the interests of the recording artists.



Sounds like a convincing argument for Sara (or whomever) to take to the
record companies- maybe they don't know you're out there unless you tell
them. Maybe one way to go would be to have the artists themselves suggest
this. The only problem for the record companies would be to decide who gets
the disks- that probably would take a bit of research on their part. 


>
>Just  as an example, I wrote about Brave Old World's "Blood Oranges" several
>times in the last year in our regional newspaper, The Berkshire Eagle,
>including most recently in my year-end Top 10 list (which includes rock,
>pop, folk, jazz,everything but classical). Ever since, I get at least one
>phone call or Email a week from people asking me where they can find the CD.
>Obviously it was a good investment on the part of BOW or Pinorrek or whoever
>originally paid for my copy of the CD.

Cream rises to the top- that Brave Old World album was on my top 10 list too. 
                                        EK

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