Strata-East: The Legacy Begins

Strata-East Records is a label started by trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell in 1971.

This radio documentary, produced and presented by Angélika Beener, celebrates the profound cultural and artistic legacy of Strata-East Records, delving into its founding, influence, and future. Through rich interviews, curated music selections, and historical context, the program will trace Strata-East’s evolution from its groundbreaking inception in the 1970s to its resurgence through a new partnership with Mack Avenue Music Group. The series will underscore Strata-East’s importance as a bastion of Black entrepreneurship, creative freedom and cultural expression.

In this hour long special discover the cultural and social state of jazz in the 1970s, balancing the preservation of tradition with the emergence of avant-garde and fusion styles and the role of Strata-East in supporting both rising voices and established legends finding new creative directions. Strata-East was not left out of story of hip hop, as it contributed some of the most important and iconic samples of the genre’s golden era.

Guests include George Cables, Terri Lyne Carrington, DJ Spinna, Robert Glasper, Keyon Harrold, Billy Hart, Cecil McBee, Christian McBride, Jason Moran, T.S. Monk, Marcus J. Moore, Jeremy Pelt, Camille Thurman, Charles Tolliver, Ched Tolliver, Charenee Wade and Kamasi Washington.