Arkadia Records
Business Categories
Record Label, Brand, Business Management, Consulting, Distributor, Label Services, Licensing, Marketing, Music Publishing, Professional Consulting/Marketing, Record Label, Video Service
Bio
Arkadia Records was founded in 1995 by Bob Karcy, a lifelong music lover, musician and entrepreneur, when he realized that some of the most esteemed artists in jazz—all among his favorites—had recorded frequently, but without long-term label relationships. Karcy decided to offer those musical nomads a home.
The first release on the Arkadia Jazz imprint, pianist Billy Taylor’s The Music Keeps Us Young, appeared in spring 1997.
From its inception, it was Arkadia Records’s mission to offer music from across the genre’s full gamut. Earliest signees ranged from the straight-ahead likes of Billy Taylor and Benny Golson to the idiosyncratic stylists Joanne Brackeen and Dave Liebman. Arkadia Records also welcomes lesser known but superlative talents in any style, including alto saxophonist T.K. Blue, pianists David Lahm and Uli Lenz, guitarist Nigel Clark as well as Brazilian bands Nova Bossa Nova and Pe De Boi. Its releases quickly received critical recognition for their high artistry, including four Grammy Award nominations in addition to numerous other accolades and awards. Arkadia Records most recent signing at the end of 2022 is outstanding vocalist JD Walter.
The label’s early success—coupled with Karcy’s eclectic tastes—soon allowed it to expand and broaden. Arkadia Jazz was quickly followed by Arkadia Chansons: an imprint created to house an important catalog of classic French popular music (including historic recordings by Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, and Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier among others).
The first release on the Arkadia Jazz imprint, pianist Billy Taylor’s The Music Keeps Us Young, appeared in spring 1997.
From its inception, it was Arkadia Records’s mission to offer music from across the genre’s full gamut. Earliest signees ranged from the straight-ahead likes of Billy Taylor and Benny Golson to the idiosyncratic stylists Joanne Brackeen and Dave Liebman. Arkadia Records also welcomes lesser known but superlative talents in any style, including alto saxophonist T.K. Blue, pianists David Lahm and Uli Lenz, guitarist Nigel Clark as well as Brazilian bands Nova Bossa Nova and Pe De Boi. Its releases quickly received critical recognition for their high artistry, including four Grammy Award nominations in addition to numerous other accolades and awards. Arkadia Records most recent signing at the end of 2022 is outstanding vocalist JD Walter.
The label’s early success—coupled with Karcy’s eclectic tastes—soon allowed it to expand and broaden. Arkadia Jazz was quickly followed by Arkadia Chansons: an imprint created to house an important catalog of classic French popular music (including historic recordings by Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, and Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier among others).