Oblivion Records is an independent American record label that focuses on under recorded blues and jazz musicians. The company was originally based in Huntington, New York and the WKCR-FM studios at Columbia University in New York City, with a post office box (Box X) in Roslyn Heights, New York from 1972–1976."We had a business, so, we needed business cards, right?" It now operates out of Los Angeles. After almost 50 years, Oblivion announced a new release in November 2021.
History The company was formed based on a casual conversation between Long Island, New York hippie record shop co-owner,Seibert, Fred. "Interview with Kropotkin Records Owners Tom Pomposello & Rob Witter" Summer 1970 musician,"Discogs Profile" and blues scholar"Tom never gave up the flame: Mississippi Fred McDowell" Guitar Player Magazine November 1977 Tom Pomposello, and college student, former musician, and amateur recording engineer Fred Seibert, when Pomposello was musing about the best way to record and release his band's music. Seibert suggested a major label was a thing of the past and the way of the future was that Pomposello should record himself. The two quickly formed a partnership.Seibert, Fred. "A Very Brief History of Oblivion Records."
Seibert hosted a Columbia University, WKCR-FM radio show,"Audio by Alice Coltrane in Jazz Archive"Seibert, Fred. "WCKR and Oblivion." and had recorded Pomposello when he accompanied legendary country blues artist Mississippi Fred McDowell at The Gaslight Cafe in November 1971.Seibert, Fred. "Our first recording." They agreed that the tapes were a commercial offering that could be used to launch the label. Pomposello suggested the tongue-in-cheek name Oblivion, cadged from an obscure Leo Kottke album, mistakenly believing the name to be a satire.Seibert, Fred. "Why Oblivion?"
Along with third partner Dick Pennington, who provided the initial financing, Oblivion released its maiden album, Mississippi Fred McDowell: Live in New York in the spring of 1972. 1972 also saw the release of the label's only 45rpm single, "Johnny Woods: Mississippi Harmonica"Kathleen Loves Music "Johnny Woods > Mississippi Harmonica." from Fred McDowell's sometime musical partner, harmonica player Johnny Woods.Johnny Woods @ The Oblivion Records Blog
Seibert's interest was jazz, and by the end of 1972 the first jazz session was recorded, pointing the company towards the future. Marc Cohen (who eventually changed his last name and primary instrument) was a former Columbia student and mainstream jazz alto saxophone playerSeibert, Fred. "Marc Cohen, electric alto saxophone and tenor saxophone." who came to WKCR with a trio and his saxophone plugged into an Echoplex and amplifier.Seibert, Fred. "The perfect combo for the next steps beyond." Seibert heard kinship with Miles Davis', Tony Williams', and John McLaughlin's electronic experiments, and with the addition of guitarist John Abercrombie recorded one of the earliest "electronic jazz" records, soon to be known as jazz fusion. The album (five stars from Down Beat Magazine) was named "Friends" (Copland felt it was a collective effort), with a cover by a Columbia University based "outsider" Sam Steinberg,Seibert, Fred. "Sam Painted the 'Friends' Cover."Obituary, April 21, 1982. "Sam Steinberg, 85, a Peddler At Columbia for Generations" it was Oblivion's third release.Friends @ The Oblivion Records blog
Pomposello's blues scholarship was increasingPomposello, Tom. "Mississippi Fred McDowell"Pomposello, Tom. "Blues from the Big Apple" and one area of particular interest was the state of the form in the immediate New York City metropolitan area, Oblivion's home territory. Never a deep hotbed of traditional blues (Chicago, Illinois was the Northern U.S. center of the music), nevertheless New York had a reliable output over the postwar years by such artists as Elmore James, Wilbert Harrison, and Buster Brown. When guitarist & vocalist Charles Walker visited WKCR, Pomposello made it his mission to record him over a year's time with various configurations of a dozen local players. Blues from the Apple came out in 1974Blues from the Apple @ The Oblivion Records blog and fittingly credited to "Charles Walker & the New York City Blues Band."Kathleen Loves Music. "Charles Walker & the New York City Blues Band > Blues from the Apple"
Joe Lee Wilson was a mainstream jazz vocalist who was making his name in Manhattan's loft scene of the 1970s. He recorded a highly buzzed session at WKCR in 1972, which Oblivion launched as Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes, a New York jazz radio sensation in the autumn of 1974.Kathleen Loves Music. "Joe Lee Wilson > Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes"
Oblivion's last album was its inspiration. Honest Tom PomposelloKathleen Loves Music. "Honest Tom Pomposello" was an album of Americana "roots music", spanning from the expected blues, to folk and R&B, utilizing nine musicians recorded over two years."Honest Tom Pomposello" @ The Oblivion Records blog
With only two mildly reliably commercial records, Fred McDowell's Live in New York and Joe Lee Wilson's Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes, Oblivion found it could no longer be sustained off the passions and industry ignorance of its founders, the saga of many independent labels with inadequate capitalization. The company ceased initial operations in 1976.
Activities in the digital era Dick Pennington left company operations after Blues from the Apple, Tom Pomposello died after a car accident in 1999, and Fred Seibert went on to work in television, becoming a leading independent animation producer and a pioneer in digital video.
In 2001, Seibert—having led MTV Networks' Internet division"Seibert makes virtual return to MTV roots" and founding trailblazing video programmer Next New Networks"Fred Seibert of Frederator Studios and Next New Networks"—revived Oblivion's catalog, first in downloads and eventually in streaming audio on all global platforms. The company's activities are chronicled on a Tumblr blog. It dropped a new digital release in early 2022, and will make its final release, a limited edition 12" vinyl dance single in late 2026.
Discography All titles available on streaming services. Cat. No. Artist Title 1st Oblivion release Addition Information OD-1 Mississippi Fred McDowell Live in New York 1972 His last recording OD-2 Johnny Woods Mississippi Harmonica "Johnny Woods - Mississippi Harmonia""Johnny Woods > Mississippi Harmonia" 1972 Field recording OD-3 Marc Cohen, John Abercrombie, Clint Houston, Jeff Williams Friends "Friends - Friends", John Abercrombie, Clint Houston, Jeff Williams"]"Friends > Marc Cohen [Copland, John Abercrombie, Clint Houston, Jeff Williams"] 1973 2021 bonus tracks added to digital release OD-4 Charles Walker & The NYC Blues Band Blues from the Apple 1974 OD-5 Joe Lee Wilson Livin' High Off Nickels & Dimes "Joe Lee Wilson > Livin' High Off Nickels and Dimes" 1974 live radio performance OD-6 Tom Pomposello Honest Tom Pomposello "Honest Tom Pomposello" 1975 OD-7 Cecil Taylor Unit Spring of Two Blue-J's 2021 partial 1973 concert recording OD-8 Cecil Taylor Unit The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert 2022 complete 1973 concert recording OD-9 Oblivion Records Box Set Complete 1972-1975 2015 OD-11 Joe Lee Wilson BEST Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul 2022 Curated from the 1975 release; 4 tracks OD-12 Mississippi Fred McDowell BEST Live Country Blues 2022 Curated from the complete 1971 recording; 12 tracks OD-13 Charles Walker & The NYC Blues Band BEST Blues from the Apple 2022 Curated from the 1975 release; 6 tracks O#14 Mississippi Fred McDowell/Tom Pomposello/David Baron Bull Dog Blues-Dance Mixes Autumn 2026 2 tracks; limited edition 12" vinyl
References
External links The Official Oblivion Records website