About
PARTNERSHIPS ALLIANCES SPONSORS
Mission
Sonic Portraits Jazz is a portal for the fulfillment Dream Projects around the creation of a small, but vital multi-generational community of mostly Chicago-based jazz artists with a commitment to artistic excellence through the exploration of music expressionism that transcends the mundane. SPJ mission larger mission is to act a facilitator and historical archivist of the above activities for posterity.
Vision
We begin with the premise that music has the power to shift the atmosphere to change individuals, audiences and calm the world. Our vision is that musical storytelling through sound paintings can capture the imagination to inspire higher perspectives and inner-travel in exploration of possibility, beyond our, oftentimes, stress-filled existence on the planet. Then intended result of our undertaking is the renewal and transformation of the human spirit through therapeutic sound that also facilitates the continuum of great jazz legacies while cultivating the creation of new ones; looking back-to-move forward. By supporting of this artistic community, we are hopeful that the NexGen of great jazz artists will thrive because of mentoring and nurturing by those of the previous generations that have the experience to provide valuable guidance.
Importance
It is recognized that the pre-elder veteran musicians of our current generations are the last to have had direct contact with and mentorship by the founders, creators and innovators of the American art form referred to as Jazz. It is the flickering flame of this uniquely empirical torch that we are responsible for preserving and passing down to the next generation of young artists with a sense of integrity from authentic sources.
Methodology
SPJ exists to provide an outlet, a platform, a spotlight–to give voice to new music expression and to archive these creations for future generations. SPJ works with partners such as The Jazz Institute of Chicago, Chicago Academy of Music a Conservatory, NexGenJazz and others with a commitment to artistic excellence through the exploration of music expressionism that transcends the mundane.
History
Sonic Portraits Entertainment originally launched in 2007 as and Atlanta based LLC with principal partners Robert Irving III (nine-year Miles Davis collaborator), Terri Lyne Carrington, Robert Hebert Esq., Daniel Halpern (CEO Jackmont Hospitality) and other silent partners. Irving chose the name based on words that Miles Davis spoke to him, “Music is a painting you can hear and a painting is music you can see.” The 2007 inaugural debut release was the Robert Irving III trio project, “New Momentum” produced, by now multi-Grammy Award winners, drummer/vocalist, Terri Lyne Carrington and Executive Producer Robert Hebert. This project featured bassist, Buster Williams with Yuseff Ernie Adams on drums and appearances by bassist, Marlene Rosenberg. Dick Crockett-Bopndicks wrote, “…New Momentum CD is expansive and dramatic in it’s all encompassing scenery. The kind of majesty that film makers John Ford and David Lean were able to convey.”
The re-emergence of the label as Sonic Portraits Jazz coincided with the subsequent Robert Irving III-Generations’ debut release, “Our Space In Time” with a street date of 11/11/15 and an international radio promotion campaign ensuing on 10/21/15. This CD received extensive airplay around the world generating editorial attention by several prominent jazz publications including 4 stars in DownBeat Magazine with a review by Howard Mandel, president of the International Jazz Journalist Association. The official CD release event happened at The Promontory in the Hyde Park area of Chicago near U of C. This venue known for it’s elegance and for its presentation of internationally known recording artists across genres. WDCB Jazz Radio was the media sponsor of the event in partnership with SPJ. Chicago based jazz writer, Lloyd Sachs compared Irving’s group as a modern day Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers as members of this group have gone on to successful solo careers.
Interim Activity–During the interim period, in 2009, Robert Irving III was commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs to create “Sketches of Brazil,” an orchestral suite, which premiered at Millennium Park in Chicago with Irving’s 34-piece Sonic Portraits Orchestra featuring trumpeter, Wallace Roney and Fareed Haque on classical guitar to a crowd of 12,500 with three standing ovations. To date, no commercial recording as yet been release due to licensing issues. Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich wrote,“…Brilliant colors and rhythmic drive a tour de force of orchestral writing.” The piece was created in homage to Irving’s mentors, Gil Evans and Miles Davis on the 50th anniversary of the pair’s seminal Sketches Of Spain recording.
In 2011 Chicago bassist, Frank Russell released his second solo project, “Circle Without End” on the Sonic Portraits imprint. This is currently cataloged on SPJ. His next project, “Influences”, now in production will be released during the late 2nd Quarter of 2016 and is a tribute to electric jazz bass masters.
Our Latest Release is a new project from French saxophonist, Lolo Irving, entitled “No Limit” with her unique creation of Romantic Classical/Jazz Fusion (see Featured Artist page). She is the wife of Robert Irving III. A live album project will follow from the Irving couple’s collaboration with French musicians, bassist, Joachim Florent and drummer, Dennis Fournier featuring saxophonist, Ari Brown and guitarist Jeff Parker in a program of spontaneously created music recorded before a live audience at PianoForte Studio in November 2014 as a part of “The Bridge” project that fosters collaborations between creative musicians from France and Chicago.
There are also plans to release a remastered version of “Midnight Dream” the 1988 debut album of Robert Irving III with several tracks featuring vocalist Phil Perry, guitarist, John Scofield, bassist Darryl Jones and drummer, Buddy Williams. When this album was released in it sold 30,000 units and received extensive radio airplay. Famed DJ Frankie Croker played the track, “Time Won’t Tell (All Time Is Now) to open his morning show on KISS FM in New York for two-weeks with commentary. The tune’s social commentary on the cold war made it very popular for his listeners. This track has been remixed with added live bass and drums, Fender Rhodes and a rap verse by Irving himself. It is licensed for release on the Neo Gospel Music Group label under the group name Ephiffony (a group collective of various artists). Irving is the producer of this project as wel
The Sonic Portraits Jazz Initiative
The stated mission of SPJ is to act as a portal for the fulfillment of artistic dreams that bridge the generations and perpetuate great jazz legacies while creating new ones (see Mission Statement). We have recognized that the building blocks towards these aspirations begin with engagement in music education and mentorship of young artists including the cultivation of apprenticeships and collaborations in related areas of music business entrepreneurship. All the above is encapsulated into time-capsules we call CD’s that survive our generations and carry these legacies forward to future generations. But any given recording project is like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest, raising the question, “did it really did happen, if no one was there to observe it.” We invite you to be a witness and a participant
A professor of music business at Columbia College in Chicago recently asked for a show of hands from students who had heard the name Miles Davis. Only two out of 50 raised their hands. Interrelated to this is a National Endowment for the Arts study showing a direct correlation to the current generational decline in audience attendance for, especially, classical music, which parallels exactly to the elimination of music programs in our schools during the early years of that same generation. Interestingly, both Jazz and Classical music account for only about 1.4% each of total sales revenue with the largest shares going to country music, Latin, Rock and Gospel music. Clearly there is a need for proactivity around music education and appreciation towards the goals of cultural enrichment and preservation of our cultural heritage; the precious American art form we call “Jazz.” This is why SPJ is partnering with organizations that are actively making a difference in the above mentioned areas.
When The Record Industry Actual Existed
In 1988 the Robert Irving III debut album, “Midnight Dream” was released configured as vinyl, cassette tape and CD. At this time, cassette tape sales represented about 50% of the market for music sales, with vinyl at about 30% and CD a minuscule 20% market share. The album sold 30k units, which was considered to be under-performance at that time because, in 1988, the expectations for a successful jazz release was 100k units sol
Everything Changed Within Our Space In Time
During the 1990’s vinyl and cassette tape disappeared, displaced by CDs. Contemporary and traditional jazz radio thrived. Until the mid 1990’s, record labels signed new jazz artists, allocating production budgets ranging from 35k to 95k. Jazz artist tours were numerous. Shortly after this, technology “advancement” with digital downloading brought all of this to a halt. Subsequently, the new millennium, brought about the demise of the Smooth Jazz radio format followed by the dissolution of many commercial and listener supported traditional jazz radio in general.
Up By Our Bootsraps
The SPJ inaugural album “Our Space in Time” by Robert Irving III Generations was funded, in part, by an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign. Many hard cost were externalized with the additional donation of some studio time, the discounting of and/or the deferring of fees to vendors and the limitation of packaging features for the CD, etc. All-in-all, it is the management of limited resources that made it possible for this album to be released on schedule with a radio campaign and marketing visibility.
New Record Label Models
Labels like Artist Share turned to a business model of crowd funding of specific projects, which are released digital only (with no physical product). More and more artist are using crowd funding platforms like Indiegogo and KickStarter to fund production, manufacturing, distribution and promotion of projects for release on their own personal production company imprint. Another emerging boutique label model has the artist (with finished masters) to pay the label $3,500 to $5,000 for CD art and graphic design, manufacturing and limited distribution, radio mailing only and marketing only on the label’s website. Such distribution is limited to digital outlets such as CDBaby and TuneCore which act as aggregators to digital outlets like iTunes, Amazon and CD Universe.
Your Support Makes a Difference
We appeal to music lovers, jazz aficionados, patrons of the arts and our corporate neighbors for support of our work via donations to our Dream Projects and educational and mentorship initiatives. As you support the work of SPJ, we pledge to directly aggregate 20% of that support to our NFP partner organizations, while also taking an active part in their programming by providing education (masters classes, workshops etc), mentorship and apprenticeships with SPJ. The remaining 80% of funding goes to cover the hard costs of every aspect of the Dream Projects from production to manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion. All along this process we mentor bright students as apprentices as they gain valuable experience and insights along with nominal compensation. This is our contribution to rebuilding a sustainable artistic community in our corner of the jazz world.