Orrin Keepnews interviewed

What you see first when you enter producer Orrin Keepnews' living room is five Grammies and a large record collection, reports Jim Harrington ( Contra Costa Times ). Keepnews produced recordings by Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Art Blakey, Wes Montgomery and Kenny Dorham; he also founded two influential jazz labels, Riverside and Milestone. At 84 he hasn't retired, though, but compiles the "Keepnews Collection" for Concord Records, a collection of recordings of important jazz musicians all originally produced by him.

Keepnews began his career as the managing editor for the periodical Record Changer. Together with Bill Grauer he founded the label Riverside in 1953, for which at first they mostly reissued classic jazz recordings, but later also produced sessions with contemporary musicians. When Grauer died in 1963, Keepnews was forced to close the business. He founded Milestone Records in 1966 which later (just as the Riverside catalog) was bought by Fantasy, a company wise enough to hire Keepnews as the caretaker of their jazz riches. In the 80s he founded a third label, Landmark Records, at first distributed by Fantasy and later by the now defunct Joe Fields' 32 Jazz company (in the meantime, Fantasy was sold to Telarc, and Fields - former owner of Muse Records - created a new label, High Note).

Today with the "Keepnews Collection" he is able to look back with pride on his long producer's career.