While the passing of Storyville Records founder Karl Emil Knudsen in 2003 marked the end of an era and the company’s subsequent acquisition by The Music Sales Group has marked the birth of a new one, the original ethos that made the label such a respected and enduring success continues under the aegis of his long-time co-workers Anders Stefanson and Mona Granager, who remain central to the running of the business.

They spoke briefly to Jazznotesuk about their roles and aspects of the label’s past.

THE INTERVIEW

When did you join Storyville? How did it come about?

AS: I joined Storyville 1992 after I had stopped my jazz club at the Tivoli in Copenhagen. It was Karl Emil Knudsen who asked me to come and work as a producer. I have known Karl Emil for more than fifty years and briefly worked with him at Storyville/Sonet in the late 50s.

MG: I started to work for Karl Emil at Storyville in 1976 – I was actually employed together with my former boss Walther Klæbel – a Danish concert promoter. I started to work as a secretary for both Walther & Karl Emil.

What was the jazz scene like in Denmark around 1950?

AS: The jazz scene in the 50s was very healthy with jazz clubs in all major cities in Denmark. It was traditional jazz that was the most popular music. It was great fun to record American musicians in the 50s. We used ¼" tape two tracks. Later we had multi- track tapes and later again DAT tape. It was the same everywhere. I promoted the American Folk Blues Festival for 10 consecutive years and after the concert we recorded 3 or maybe 4 of the blues musicians. We were able to make 2 or 3 LPs during the night. Karl Emil told me which artists he would like to record and I worked out a deal with the musicians, mainly Willie Dixon or Memphis Slim.

MG: During the first years we made a lot of recordings with American jazz musicians visiting Copenhagen – most of them were recorded at our studio – Studio 39 – situated next to our office. We recorded among others: Ralph Sutton, Teddy Wilson, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz. And of course many Danish musicians – during the late 70s and the 80s we were practically the only label to record Danish jazz. Storyville was the first to record Niels Lan Doky and his brother Chris but now they have found other partners.

Storyville's Anders Stefanson, Mona Granager with Karl Emil Knudsen from their 50th anniversary party in 2002

And what is the jazz scene like today?

AS: The current state of jazz in Denmark is very good. I am on the board of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and during the 10 days in July we are arranging app. 800 concerts in Copenhagen. All different styles of jazz are represented - also hip hop, techno, drum and bass, latin, tango etc.

The Festival is a big event and many people are coming from all over Europe, Japan and USA. Furthermore we are arranging Winterjazz and a Spring Festival plus single concerts during the year. All year you can find numerous clubs featuring jazz music.

A lot of jazz labels were created out of the founders’ sheer love for the music and developed in spite of difficult circumstances. Was this the motivation for Karl Emil Knudsen and Storyville?
AS: Karl Emil and myself were jazz fans and our motivation was love for the music and not commercial interests.

Jazz was growing throughout the UK in the 1950s and early 60s but the upsurge in pop music from the mid-1960s into the 70s made life very difficult for both UK jazz artists and jazz labels in terms of work and sales.

Was this also the case in Denmark in general and with Storyville in particular? If so how did you cope during this period?

MG: Yes you are quite right - the jazz market was not very successful during 70's and even the 80's and it was a struggle to survive. But Karl Emil was also the owner of the pop label Sonet and it was really only because of that that Storyville could keep going. When Sonet was sold to PolyGram in 1991 KEK used his money - even his pension - to keep Storyville alive and during these years we did expand the catalogue to the size it has today.

It is a shame that he did not live to see the result of all his efforts now that Music Sales has taken over! Storyville’s earliest original recording sessions featured traditional jazz by the likes of Ken Colyer and Chris Barber’s bands.

Given the music’s enduring popularity, why did you not release more trad sessions over the years?

AS: Storyville has always released traditional jazz over the years. From the original New Orleans Jazz to the Revival Jazz most popular in Europe. Papa Bue, Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Ken Colyer etc.

MG: It has been my privilege and pleasure to work with a man like Karl Emil. He was a fiery soul so dedicated to the music not out of commercial interest but for the love of the music. The Storyville repertoire also indicates his taste in music – with main emphasis on traditional jazz, although the 80s and 90s also brought a lot of material from later periods of jazz.

At the beginning you must have felt like pioneers cutting a trail through uncharted territory but as time went by presumably things became easier, in technical and logistical terms at least?

AS: Of course it became easier along the line when it became more business like and the company had many best sellers. Papa Bue was the biggest thing that happened to Storyville. They sold millions of records throughout the years.

MG: But the most important part of Storyville is the huge back catalogue of treasures that Karl Emil Knudsen had such a fine nose to dig up through his network of collectors all over the world. He was a passionate collector – he collected everything relating to jazz, which his private collection is testimony to. For Storyville the foundation of the catalogue was that he was so good at finding unreleased material.

The Storyville catalogue is full of jazz great from the Golden Age of 1920-1970 but you have also championed many contemporary artists. Who would you say have been particularly noteworthy?.

AS: In recent years we have not made many studio recordings with new talent but one was exceptional. That was the young piano player Carsten Dahl who made his first recordings for Storyville. Unfortunately he is not with us anymore. He went to the major companies. We have talked with him and hope to record him again.

To find out about the star-studded 2006 Copenhagen Jazz Festival taking place 7-16 July visit www.jazz festival.dk