Strata East Records

Strata East was founded by trumpeter Charles Tolliver, and pianist Stanley Cowell in the early 1970s, and was a critical outpost for the post-bop, spiritual jazz movement. Despite the short lifespan of the imprint, the label managed to produce over 50 releases. While these albums were by and large not a commercial success (with a big asterisk next to Gil-Scott Heron & Brian Jackson's "the Bottle" from 1974's Winter In America), the iconic sunrise logo planted in the corner of the jacket became a beacon of light for record collectors and music producers for decades to come.