Mack Ave. Records Acquires Rendezvous Entertainment
MACK AVENUE RECORDS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF RENDEZVOUS ENTERTAINMENT Rendezvous Entertainment Artists Wayman Tisdale, Kirk Whalum, Jonathan Butler, Brian Simpson & others Move To Artistry Music, Mack Avenue’s Contemporary Jazz & R&B Imprint
DETROIT, MI., August 2008 – Mack Avenue Records, Inc., has announced the acquisition of the assets of Beverly Hills, California-based Rendezvous Entertainment, the recording company launched in 2003 by a consortium consisting of musician/broadcaster Dave Koz, radio executive Frank Cody, and music business executive Hyman Katz. The acquisition, effective immediately, was announced by Denny Stilwell, president of Mack Avenue Records. Mack Avenue Records was founded in the late nineties by Detroit businesswoman Gretchen Valade and businessman Tom Robinson.
“We are especially excited that Rendezvous Entertainment has chosen Mack Avenue Records as the future home for their recordings and artists,” said Stilwell. “In a short period of time, Rendezvous’ Hyman Katz, Frank Cody, and Dave Koz have established an impressive track record for their company in contemporary jazz. This recent addition to the Mack Avenue family adds marquee talent to our roster in the genre and greatly broadens our existing catalog. We feel fortunate to have found this perfect fit at just the right time.”
Rendezvous co-founder Dave Koz noted, “My partners Frank Cody, Hyman Katz and I feel blessed that the vision and integrity of what we started at Rendezvous is now in the hands of an exciting, forward-thinking group of folks. We have great respect for the company that Gretchen Valade, Denny Stilwell and Mack Avenue Records are building. Finding a home that puts artists and music first was of utmost importance to us, and we have found that home with Mack Avenue.”
Under the new agreement, Mack Avenue will add Rendezvous artists Wayman Tisdale, Brian Simpson, Kirk Whalum, and Jonathan Butler to its roster. The company will assume all promotion and marketing efforts under its Artistry Music Group imprint for Tisdale’s brand-new CD, Rebound, which debuted at Number One on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart after its June release.
The acquisition also transfers to Mack Avenue the Rendezvous Entertainment catalog, which includes contemporary jazz releases by popular artists like guitarist Marc Antoine, saxophonist Michael Lington, bassist Kyle Eastwood, and vocalist Patti Austin’s Grammy winning 2007 CD Avant-Gershwin. Also in the catalog are popular Rendezvous Lounge and other chill and lounge compilations, as well as the all-star Golden Slumbers series spearheaded by Koz.
Mack Avenue Records entered a new phase of expansion in 2007 with the acquisition of Los Angeles based Artistry Music. Last year the label released the Grammy-nominated 2007 CD Downright Upright by noted bassist and producer Brian Bromberg and Wines & Spirits by neo-soul artist Rahsaan Patterson, who will also release his first holiday CD, The Ultimate Gift, in the fall of 2008.
The Mack Avenue roster includes Stanley Jordan, who released the critically acclaimed State Of Nature in April 2008, as well as trumpeter Sean Jones, vocalist Sachal Vasandani and six-time Grammy nominee Gerald Wilson. The label recently signed critically acclaimed saxophonist Kenny Garrett, whose CD Sketches Of MD: Live At The Iridium is due for release on September 23rd.
