by cobwebsandstrange

The rights and property of musicians has been disputed since money started changing hands. Jazz is really no different than any other musical idiom in this regard and perhaps the travails that jazz players endured – partially due to race – seem almost beyond belief. Oddly enough, the one person who has the ability to help players maintain their property is a lawyer. And there is probably no other person beyond Bernard Stollman that can be credited with helping some of the most important players in the last fifty years.

Stollman moved to New York City and began his career as a gofer for a law firm there. He acquired the job through contacts he made during his stint at Columbia as an undergrad student and eventually in law school. The timing seemed to work that very shortly after obtaining his position, Stollman worked with the estates of not only Billie Holiday, but also of Charlie Parker.

Word quickly spread.

Soon enough, Stollman was approached by a friend of Cecil Taylor and that really began the lawyer’s personal relationship with artists of the time. Stollman worked with companies to grant sponsorship deals and the like, but he also moved to wrangle the works of musicians from publishers, band leaders and labels. His work quickly endeared him to the new guard of jazzbos playing the wrong notes at the right time. And because of these relationships, Stollman was able to found one of the truly forward looking labels of the ‘60s: ESP Disc.

If Stollman only released the works of Albert Ayler, probably ESP would be a notable label still today. Ayler, perhaps even a more emotional player than John Coltrane, unleashed squalls of noise from his sax. Seeking refuge from not only cultural and racial issues in the US, Ayler toured extensively in Europe – as did many jazz musicians of the time. Unfortunately, Ayler was not long for this world, but a great many of his works are still available on cd.

Stollman, though, recently re-opened ESP for business after the label folded during the mid ‘70s. Using the same trade marked adventurous nature as the original imprint, ESP has began an extensive re-issue project as well as putting out some fine, new discs.

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