Basin Street Records

Basin Street Records is an independent record label based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The label is associated primarily with jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, blues, brass-band music, and other forms of New Orleans and regional roots music. Its catalog and artist roster have connected contemporary performers with the city’s long jazz and popular-music traditions, while also reaching national and international audiences through recorded releases, touring artists, and award recognition. The company was established in 1997 by Mark Samuels and Tom Thompson. Its origins lay in an agreement to release a live album by New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist Kermit Ruffins, whom Thompson managed. That project provided the basis for a broader label operation. In mid-1998, Samuels acquired Thompson’s interest, leaving Samuels to lead the business and shape its development as an independent label. Basin Street’s roster has included artists and ensembles associated with several strands of New Orleans music and modern jazz, including Kermit Ruffins, Los Hombres Calientes, Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Michael White, The Headhunters, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Theresa Andersson, Jeremy Davenport, Rebirth Brass Band, and Davell Crawford. Rather than operating around one narrowly defined genre, the label’s identity has centered on the musical culture of New Orleans and on artist-led projects spanning jazz, funk, R&B, blues, Latin-influenced jazz, and brass-band traditions. The label faced a major operational disruption in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina flooded its New Orleans office and Samuels’ home. Samuels continued the company’s activities while rebuilding, working from temporary locations including computers in coffee shops. The episode became an important part of the label’s history and reflected both the vulnerability of New Orleans cultural businesses and the resilience of independent music companies. Basin Street Records has received industry and regional recognition. Los Hombres Calientes won the Best Latin Jazz Album category at the 1998 Billboard Latin Music Awards. OffBeat magazine recognized Basin Street as Best Record Label in multiple years, including 2000, 2002–2005, 2009, and 2012–2015, and named it Music Business of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2013. Rebirth Brass Band’s Rebirth of New Orleans won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2012. These distinctions helped establish Basin Street as one of the better-known independent labels associated with contemporary New Orleans music.

Basin Street Records emerged in New Orleans in 1997 from a proposed live recording by Kermit Ruffins, a trumpeter and vocalist closely associated with the city’s jazz scene. Tom Thompson, who managed Ruffins, and Mark Samuels agreed to establish a label around the release. What began as a project for one artist developed into an independent company with a wider commitment to New Orleans music and adjacent American roots genres. The label’s early development included a change in ownership. In mid-1998, Samuels purchased Thompson’s interest, becoming the principal figure responsible for Basin Street Records. Under Samuels’ direction, the label expanded its activity across jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, blues, Latin-influenced jazz, and brass-band music. Its roster came to include performers such as Kermit Ruffins, Los Hombres Calientes, Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Michael White, The Headhunters, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Theresa Andersson, Jeremy Davenport, Rebirth Brass Band, and Davell Crawford. Basin Street’s catalog reflects New Orleans as both a geographic home and an artistic organizing principle. The label has worked with established musicians and ensembles whose styles draw on the city’s jazz, parade, brass-band, funk, and R&B traditions, while also presenting contemporary and cross-genre projects. Its releases have therefore occupied a space between specialized jazz publishing and broader regional-roots music, giving the company an identity distinct from a mass-market generalist label. Hurricane Katrina created the most severe disruption in the company’s history. In 2005, floodwaters damaged Basin Street Records’ office and also flooded Samuels’ home. Despite the loss of its normal facilities, Samuels continued operating the label from improvised locations, including coffee shops equipped with computers, while rebuilding the office and residence in New Orleans. The recovery demonstrated the small company’s dependence on its founder but also its ability to maintain operations during a major regional disaster. The label gained recognition through both music-industry awards and New Orleans cultural institutions. Los Hombres Calientes received the Best Latin Jazz Album award at the 1998 Billboard Latin Music Awards. OffBeat magazine named Basin Street Best Record Label in 2000, 2002 through 2005, 2009, and 2012 through 2015, and selected it as Music Business of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2013. Rebirth Brass Band’s Rebirth of New Orleans won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2012. These awards reinforced Basin Street Records’ position as a significant independent label for New Orleans-centered jazz and roots music.

• 2012

  Rebirth of New Orleans wins a Grammy

  [1]Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Rebirth Brass Band receives the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album for Rebirth of New Orleans.

• 2005

  Hurricane Katrina disrupts operations

  [1]Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Flooding damages the label’s office and Samuels’ home; operations continue from temporary work locations during reconstruction.

• 1998

  Samuels becomes sole principal owner

  [1]Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Mark Samuels purchases Tom Thompson’s interest in the company.

• 1998

  Los Hombres Calientes receives Billboard Latin Music Award

  [1]Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Los Hombres Calientes wins Best Latin Jazz Album at the Billboard Latin Music Awards.

• 1997

  Basin Street Records is established

  [1]Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Mark Samuels and Tom Thompson found the label following an agreement to release a live album by Kermit Ruffins.

An independent New Orleans label focused on artist-driven jazz, funk, R&B, blues, brass-band, and regional roots music, with a catalog that emphasizes the city’s living musical culture.

• Jazz and live recordings

  Kermit Ruffins releases

  The label’s origins are tied to a live-album project for New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist Kermit Ruffins. Ruffins’ work represents Basin Street’s early connection to contemporary New Orleans jazz and to performance-centered recordings rooted in the city’s club and festival culture.

• Latin jazz

  Los Hombres Calientes releases

  Basin Street has released music by Los Hombres Calientes, a group associated with jazz shaped by Latin and New Orleans influences. The group’s recognition at the 1998 Billboard Latin Music Awards helped demonstrate the label’s reach beyond a strictly traditional jazz audience.

• Brass band and regional roots music

  Rebirth Brass Band releases

  The label’s Rebirth Brass Band catalog connects New Orleans parade and brass-band traditions with funk, R&B, and contemporary roots music. Rebirth of New Orleans became the label’s Grammy-recognized release when it won Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2012.

• Jazz, funk, R&B, blues, and roots recordings

  New Orleans jazz and roots catalog

  Beyond individual artist projects, Basin Street Records maintains a broad catalog spanning jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, blues, brass-band music, and related regional styles. The roster has included Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Michael White, The Headhunters, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary, Theresa Andersson, Jeremy Davenport, and Davell Crawford.

• 2005

  Continue operations after Hurricane KatrinaStrategy

  Background

  Hurricane Katrina flooded Basin Street Records’ office and Samuels’ home in New Orleans.

  Action taken

  While rebuilding the office and residence, Samuels kept the label functioning from temporary locations, including coffee shops with computer access.

  Aftermath

  The company remained operational despite the loss of its normal facilities and later resumed work from rebuilt premises.

  Source

• 1998

  Samuels consolidates ownershipStrategy

  Background

  After the label was founded as a partnership connected to the Kermit Ruffins live-album project, Tom Thompson held an interest alongside Mark Samuels.

  Action taken

  Samuels purchased Thompson’s interest in mid-1998 and continued operating Basin Street Records as its principal owner.

  Aftermath

  The transaction placed the label’s direction and day-to-day continuity under Samuels’ leadership.

  Source

1. 1Basin Street Recordsen.wikipedia.org