K2B2 Records was formed in 1979 by reedman Marty Krystall and bassist Buell Neidlinger as an outlet for the distribution of their unorthodox yet locally popular avant-garde jazz that the narrow-minded major jazz labels weren't interested in. Both musicians were accustomed to blending genres and idioms - Neidlinger had performed with Thelonious Monk, Igor Stravinsky and the Boston Symphony and both had recorded with Frank Zappa. By that time bassist Neidlinger had become a modern-jazz legend recording with Cecil Taylor and Billie Holiday in the '50's but his recording as a leader was limited to the 1961 Barnaby disc New York City R&B with Taylor and other New York jazz greats. Neidlinger introduced the young Krystall (who had already assimilated his tenor sax style after John Coltrane and Albert Ayler) to the music of Duke Ellington and Ben Webster. Their first group as co-leaders was Krystall Klear and the Buells (K2B2, or K-squared B-log) which gave K2B2 its debut release - READY FOR THE 90'S (since reissued as THIS WAY IS WEST) with drummer Billy Higgins featuring all original compositions that received great critical acclaim and launched the label into record stores worldwide. By 1982 drummer Peter Erskine joined Krystall Klear and the Buells and they recorded OUR NIGHT TOGETHER (also re-issued as THIS WAY WEST) with organist Jerry Peters and Gene Cipriano. That release was followed by Buell's brilliant fusion of jazz and bluegrass: BUELLGRASS - BIG DAY AT OJAI which added Richard Greene (violin), Peter Ivers (harmonica), and Andy Statman (mandolin) to the previous trio performing works of Monk, Ellington and Bird. This ground breaking lp is now reissued on cd entitled BUELLGRASS - ACROSS THE TRACKS. By 1986 Krystall and Neidlinger devoted their energies exclusively to the music of Thelonious Monk (with whom Buell had played in the '50s) and formed a new band - THELONIOUS, which recorded for K2B2 that year. These four releases were later reissued in sampler form on the CD REAR VIEW MIRROR. For the next four years THELONIOUS and BUELLGRASS toured the U.S., Italy, Germany, and Holland - culminating in the live album THELONIOUS ATMOSPHERE. By 1988 the compact disc conspiracy delivered a left hook to the label. The first seven recordings were all LPs. The inventory was piling up as record stores refused to order any recording not in CD format. But K2B2 signed Brazilian tenor man Ivo Perelman in 1990 for his debut CD - IVO, which turned out to be a successful fusion of Brazilian children's songs and modern jazz with the addition of Airto and Flora Purim, John Patitucci, Don Preston, Peter Erskine and Buell (two basses!) Next K2B2 presented pianist Sandra Tsing Loh in her debut recording of her original compositions - PIANOVISION - sounding like a cross between Art Tatum and Francis Poulenc! That was followed by a live recording of Neidlinger's quartet with Marty, Hugh Schick on trumpet and drum sensation Vinnie Colaiuta - BIG DRUM, now famous as Vinnie's only avant-garde jazz record. And finally, 30 years after promising Herbie Nichols he'd record his music with strings and brass, Buell did just that on K2B2: BLUE CHOPSTICKS - A PORTRAIT OF HERBIE NICHOLS with Richard Greene-violin, Jimbo Ross-viola, Hugh Schick-trumpet, and Marty Krystall-tenor sax and bass clarinet. This is the real 90's chamber music of the new jazz - Herbie's music will always be modern. In addition to recording musicians we deem worthy of immortalizing on wax, we also feature independent labels that deserve wider recognition in the jazz, classical, children and world formats through our catalog.