Black Jazz Records

US spiritual jazz label founded in Oakland, CA, by Gene Russell in 1971, and active until 1975. Financing and distribution for the label were provided by Dick Schory's Ovation Records. The label was founded in order to showcase black musicians, invoking a more political and spiritual tone, and explored styles such as funk, free jazz, and soul jazz. In 1986 the label and its catalog were purchased by James Hardge. While only one new album by Doug Carn was released, the entire catalog was reissued on CD. While for a time the label maintained a website and purported to offer items for sale, there were numerous problems with customers not receiving their merchandise.