CTI Videos
German CTI Reissues 
Past Perfect Silver Line (German CTI Reissues)

CTI Records: 1989-1998

After a rather lengthy absence from recording, Creed Taylor reintroduced the CTI label in October 1990. Nearly a decade had passed since CTI's last new release. In that time, the CD had been introduced and completely overtook the LP medium, where CTI had once thrived.

Taylor's return was aided in no small measure by a $3.3 million settlement from Warner Bros. over a George Benson contract dispute and the support of Tokyo-based hotel and department store financiers, the Saison Group. He arranged distribution through the huge, worldwide power of Polygram. But after the first two releases  (Rhythmstick, Song Of The Sun), he had made a new distribution arrangement with the California-based Mesa/Bluemoon. This lasted for the label's first ten releases (those with catalog numbers preceded by "R2"), then Taylor arranged for Koch International, a very powerful Canadian distributor and jazz label in its own right, to take over distribution.   

Predictably, Taylor started big. All-star aggregates were collected for studio sessions at Rudy Van Gelder's (Rhythmstick), a first-call touring band was formed (Chroma) and new, emerging talent was welcomed into the now-legendary CTI stable (Jim Beard, Charles Fambrough). 

Certainly the vision was as grand as ever. Indeed, Taylor even helmed six high-definition video productions for the then-emerging laser disc market (distributed by the now-defunct A*Vision for the US and Pioneer for Japan). 

But the results weren't as grand as they once were. Taylor was, perhaps, straddled by an era of jazz dominated by re-boppers and modal copycats and nothing really exciting happening with the music. Also, CD packaging didn't permit the visual impact Taylor once had when his records hit the stores. 

Perhaps, too, Taylor misjudged a new generation of listeners or, possibly, the listening needs of his longtime fans. The predominate direction of the new CTI was designed for the smooth jazz, "NAC" or "quiet storm" radio formats. But none of the releases fashioned for this audience (Lost Voices, The Power Of Cool, I'll Be Over You or Vineland Dreams) caught on. 

Still, Taylor produced some especially fine music during this period, notably Larry Coryell's superb Live From Bahia, the Don Sebesky-arranged Fallen Angel, pianist Ted Rosenthal's tremendous Calling You and Charles Fambrough's energetic and exciting Blues At Bradleys. 

CTI Records: 2002-2009

In the early part of the 21st century, producer Creed Taylor launched a web site devoted to his half-century legacy as a musical proginetor. While the site - once located at www.ctijazz.com and www.ctirecords.com - was intended to be a CTI Records resource, Taylor provided a retail sales outlet for readily available CD issues of his many Bethlehem, ABC, Impulse, Verve and CTI albums and several other discs that Taylor himself favored.

Taylor also provided many of Chuck Stewart's session photos, personal reminisces and critical plaudets on the site and an opportunity to order such late-period CTI CDs as the Absolute Brass compilation and Jürgen Friedrich's fine (yet hastily compiled) Summerflood (first issued in Europe in 1998).

Creed Taylor's CTI Jazz site disappeared from the Internet in early 2010.

CTI Records: 2009-Now

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