{{Short description|Record label}} {{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music --> | name = JAPO Records | image = <!-- logo, such as "LABEL-LOGO.jpg" --> | image_size = <!-- size --> | image_alt = <!-- WP:ALT text describing the image --> | caption = <!-- a caption for the image --> | parent = ECM Records | founded = {{start date|1970}} | founder = <!-- name of founders, separate with commas or <br /> --> | fate = <!-- explain the reason of the closing--> | defunct = {{end date|1985}} | status = <!-- leave blank unless "Inactive" --> | distributor = <!-- distributors, separate with commas or <br /> --> | genre = Jazz | country = Germany | location = Munich | url = <!-- such as "{{URL|www.atlanticrecords.com}}" --> }} '''JAPO Records''' was a German record label founded in 1970 that specialized in jazz. It was a division of ECM Records. JAPO stands for Jazz by Post.<ref name="New Grove">{{cite book|last=Kennedy|first=Gary|title=The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1|year=2002|publisher=Grove's Dictionaries Inc.|location=New York|isbn=1561592846|edition=2nd|editor=Barry Kernfeld|page=356}}</ref> The label existed from 1970 until 1985 and produced over 40 jazz fusion and free jazz records from musicians all over the world, the majority of them European. It was based in Munich, Germany.
==History== JAPO's catalogue includes Dollar Brand, Mal Waldron, Elton Dean, George Gruntz, Barry Guy, Alfred Harth, Ken Hyder, Herbert Joos, Bobby Naughton, Manfred Schoof, Barre Phillips, Jiří Stivín & Rudolf Dašek, Stephan Micus, Enrico Rava, Lennart Åberg, Edward Vesala, and the Globe Unity Orchestra.<ref>All Music Guide To Jazz, 2010</ref>
==Production== Production for the label was overseen by musicians and established producers, and included work by Jack DeJohnette, Manfred Eicher, and Håken Elmquist. Many of the records were produced by Thomas Stöwsand.<ref name="New Grove" />
==Engineering== The engineering for the recording sessions was carried out by established recording engineers from Germany and Norway. Some of them, like Martin Wieland and Jan Erik Kongshaug had already worked with Manfred Eicher at ECM Records, which was one of Germany's most progressive jazz record labels at the time and had musicians like Jan Garbarek, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett on its roster.
==Legacy== Most of the JAPO catalogue was originally released on LP and many of the titles have yet to be re-issued on CD or any other format, although reissues have been seen as recently as 2006.
==External links== * JAPO Records discography [https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184817/http://trovar.com/ECM/JAPO.php]
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:German jazz record labels Category:Record labels established in 1970 Category:IFPI members Category:German companies established in 1970 Category:1985 disestablishments in West Germany Category:Record labels disestablished in 1985 Category:ECM Records Category:Defunct companies based in Munich Category:Defunct record labels of Germany Category:Free jazz record labels Category:1970 establishments in West Germany