Kokopelli Records

Kokopelli Records was established in 1994 by jazz flautist Herbie Mann and Jim Geisler. Its creation followed Mann’s extensive career as a performer, bandleader, and recording artist, as well as his earlier role in founding Embryo Records while working with Atlantic Records. Kokopelli consequently began with a strong artist-led identity: Mann was not merely associated with the label as a recording artist, but was one of its founders and a central presence in its initial catalog. The label’s earliest documented releases appeared in 1994. Mann’s Deep Pocket and Opalescence were issued alongside albums by other artists, including Jimmy Rowles’s Lilac Time, David “Fathead” Newman’s Mr. Gentle Mr. Cool: A Tribute to Duke Ellington, and Bobby Myhre’s I’ll Be Seeing You. The Newman tribute featured Ron Carter and Lewis Nash, illustrating the label’s emphasis on recognized jazz musicians and collaborative projects rather than a catalog limited solely to its founding artist. Kokopelli continued to expand its catalog during the mid-1990s. Releases documented for 1995 included Mann’s Peace Pieces, Trio da Paz’s Black Orpheus, Steve Barta’s Blue River, Sarah Vaughan’s The Planet Is Alive...Let it Live!, Bobby Watson’s Urban Renewal, and Ricardo Silveira’s Storyteller. These titles indicate a broad stylistic range, moving between mainstream and contemporary jazz, Brazilian-influenced music, vocal repertoire, and socially themed or ensemble-oriented projects. The label also issued material associated with performers such as David “Fathead” Newman and other established figures in the jazz world. The catalog broadened further in 1996 with releases including Edward Simon, Under Woodstock Moon by David “Fathead” Newman, Dark Hero by Sam Riney, Bop N Blues by Cornell Dupree, Facing Wes by Ronald Muldrow, and Portrait of Silk Thread by the Dutch Jazz Orchestra. This period shows Kokopelli operating as a multi-artist imprint with interests in instrumental jazz, blues, orchestral jazz, and projects connected to influential jazz traditions. Later documented releases include Nicolas Bearde’s Nic Nacs in 1997, followed in 1998 by Steppin Out from the Braxton Brothers, Sliding In by Pete McGuinness, and Best Kept Secret by Positive ID. The available reference material records Kokopelli activity through this 1998 catalog but does not provide a clear account of its subsequent releases, distribution, ownership, merger history, closure, or continuing operations. Accordingly, the label’s historical catalog is better documented than its present status. No reliable public information in the supplied material identifies current executives, a surviving corporate parent, a current website, or a confirmed operating market beyond its American origin.

• 1998

  Latest releases documented in the supplied discography

  [1]Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The recorded catalog includes releases by the Braxton Brothers, Pete McGuinness, and Positive ID in 1998.

• 1996

  Broader instrumental and ensemble catalog

  [1]Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label issues releases by Edward Simon, David “Fathead” Newman, Sam Riney, Cornell Dupree, Ronald Muldrow, and the Dutch Jazz Orchestra.

• 1995

  Expansion into Brazilian, vocal, and contemporary jazz

  [1]Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Kokopelli’s documented 1995 releases include albums by Trio da Paz, Steve Barta, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Watson, and Ricardo Silveira, alongside Herbie Mann’s Peace Pieces.

• 1994

  Kokopelli Records is established

  [1]Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Herbie Mann and Jim Geisler establish Kokopelli Records in the United States.

• 1994

  Initial catalog launch

  [1]Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label’s documented launch-period catalog includes Herbie Mann’s Deep Pocket and Opalescence, Jimmy Rowles’s Lilac Time, David “Fathead” Newman’s Duke Ellington tribute, and Bobby Myhre’s I’ll Be Seeing You.

An artist-associated jazz and contemporary music label with a catalog centered on Herbie Mann and extending to established and emerging performers across jazz, Brazilian music, blues, vocal music, and related instrumental styles.

• Jazz recordings · 1994

  Herbie Mann catalog

  Herbie Mann was a founder and the label’s most prominent recurring artist. Documented Kokopelli releases include Deep Pocket and Opalescence from 1994, followed by Peace Pieces in 1995. These albums form the clearest core of the label’s artist-led identity and connect Kokopelli to Mann’s broader history in jazz recording and independent label activity.

• Jazz tribute album · 1994

  Mr. Gentle Mr. Cool: A Tribute to Duke Ellington

  A documented 1994 Kokopelli release credited to David “Fathead” Newman, Ron Carter, and Lewis Nash. The album is a tribute to Duke Ellington and represents the label’s interest in repertory-based jazz projects performed by established musicians.

• Brazilian and jazz ensemble recording · 1995

  Black Orpheus

  Released in 1995 and credited to Trio da Paz, Black Orpheus reflects Kokopelli’s documented engagement with Brazilian-influenced repertoire and ensemble music alongside its more conventional jazz releases.

• Vocal music recording · 1995

  The Planet Is Alive...Let it Live!

  A 1995 release credited to Sarah Vaughan in the supplied discography. Its inclusion demonstrates that Kokopelli’s catalog was not restricted to instrumental jazz and also encompassed vocal-oriented projects.

• Orchestral jazz recording · 1996

  Portrait of Silk Thread

  A documented 1996 release by the Dutch Jazz Orchestra. The title illustrates the label’s expansion into larger-ensemble and orchestral jazz projects during the middle of the decade.

1. 1Kokopelli Recordsen.wikipedia.org