Music Inc.

The inaugural release on the artist-run Strata-East label, 'Music Inc.' is a powerful statement of purpose from trumpeter Charles Tolliver and pianist Stanley Cowell. Expanding their core quartet to a full big band, the album is a masterclass in ambitious, post-bop composition and arrangement. It seamlessly blends the freedom and fire of small-group improvisation with the orchestral power and rich textures of a large ensemble, creating a sound that is at once innovative, swinging, and deeply soulful. The album set the tone for Strata-East's legacy of artistic independence and uncompromising creative vision.