Known worldwide as the “Jazz Detective”, Zev Feldman has built his reputation through the meticulous recovery of rare and previously unreleased recordings by artists such as Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Art Blakey, Art Tatum, Albert Ayler and Charles Mingus, to name just a few. Now he is expanding his field of investigation, turning his attention to important albums that were once released but have long since disappeared from circulation and slipped into near-obscurity.
To pursue this new mission, Feldman has launched a new label, Time Traveler Recordings. Its first releases, issued under the Muse Master Edition banner and available exclusively on vinyl, revive three titles from the historic Muse catalogue, the label that flourished throughout the 1970s and 1980s: The Free Slave by drummer Roy Brooks (recorded live in 1971), Sunset to Dawn by pianist Kenny Barron (1973), and Cosmos Nucleus by Panamanian tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, featuring a twenty-year-old Kenny Kirkland on keyboards (1976).
Produced in collaboration with Craft Recordings and The Mastering Lab, these reissues offer restored audio, deluxe packaging, historical essays and exclusive interviews. We spoke with the man behind the project.
Zev Feldman, why embark on this new adventure – this “journey into the past”, as the label’s name suggests – focused on reissuing previously released albums rather than uncovering unreleased recordings, as you’ve done so successfully with Elemental Music and Resonance Records? What does this project represent for you, and what inspired you to pursue it?
Time Traveler Recordings is dedicated to creating meaningful and creative archival projects in a straightforward way, and that’s something I’m deeply passionate about. Whether it’s bringing an out-of-print catalogue back into circulation or releasing previously unheard material, there’s room for both approaches on this label. Time Traveler gives me another avenue to do something I love and share it with the world. What remains constant, of course, is a deep respect for the music and for the stories that surround it.
This will naturally run alongside your other activities. Is that correct?
Absolutely. Nothing changes regarding the rest of my work. I continue producing records for all my other clients, particularly Resonance Records, where I’ve served as co-president for seventeen years, as well as Elemental Music, Blue Note, Verve and, from time to time, Reel to Real Recordings. I’m very busy, and I’m fortunate to work with a talented team – project managers, designers and editors – who help oversee every aspect of these productions.
Why did you decide to begin with the Muse catalogue? Was it simply an opportunity that presented itself, or had you specifically targeted Muse from the outset?
Because Muse Records has always been one of my favourite record labels, and its catalogue has been unavailable for far too long. When the opportunity arose to make an offer and become, in a sense, an ambassador for the catalogue, I jumped at it. I’ve been collecting these records for decades, and they absolutely deserved to be brought back into print. Some of these albums had never been reissued since their original release. I wanted to do something meaningful and give jazz fans the opportunity to rediscover them.
Why did you choose these particular titles from Muse’s extensive catalogue – The Free Slave by Roy Brooks, Sunset to Dawn by Kenny Barron and Cosmos Nucleus by Carlos Garnett?
They’re all classic albums that have been unavailable for far too long. There’s no reason people should have to spend huge amounts of money on second-hand copies when we can create new editions of superior quality. I also felt that these three albums represent the remarkable diversity of the Muse catalogue.
Could you choose one of the three and give us a brief appraisal?
Well, Roy Brooks’s The Free Slave is an extremely important album in jazz history, and until now it has been very difficult to find. Original copies are highly sought after by collectors and command very high prices – I’d even say excessively high. I want listeners to appreciate the brilliance of this record and to hear how natural and spontaneous great musicians can sound when they play together. We’re talking about Roy Brooks on drums, Woody Shaw on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor saxophone, Hugh Lawson on piano and Cecil McBee on bass. The Free Slave should be the first album selected for any project involving Muse Records – no question about it. It has been rightly celebrated for decades, and it was time to bring it back into the spotlight.
You’re speaking like the record collector I know you are. Yet today, through YouTube and other platforms, people can access virtually the entire history of jazz without owning a single record. How do you view this phenomenon?
I think people miss something important if they experience music exclusively through streaming platforms. There’s something magical about holding a record in your hands, studying the cover art, looking at the photographs, reading the liner notes and learning something along the way. For a jazz enthusiast – or any music lover, regardless of genre – that’s an essential part of the experience. Streaming certainly has its place and can be a valuable research tool. I understand that it works perfectly well for many listeners, but for me it’s simply not comparable to the experience of physical media.
How important is sound quality – the original analogue recording, preservation and condition of the source material – when deciding whether to release a title?
For the Muse Records Master Edition series, sound quality is outstanding across the board because the original recordings were professionally made and have been expertly remastered for Time Traveler Recordings. Their fidelity is beyond question. This series is about honouring the music and the artists who created it by presenting their work in the best possible way. Previously unreleased live recordings are a different matter. That’s where things can become complicated, because the quality varies considerably. Sometimes issues can be addressed, and sometimes they cannot. My goal is always to present the artist in the best possible light.
How did you work with Craft Recordings and The Mastering Lab to ensure sonic fidelity and authenticity?
We licensed the recordings, and Craft provided us with the original master tapes. Matthew Lutthans handled the direct-to-lacquer cutting at The Mastering Lab in Salina, Kansas. Quite simply, that’s as high a standard as you can achieve.
More generally, what kinds of obstacles – technical, legal, archival or rights-related – do you face when releasing older recordings?
For a reissue, you need a licence from the record label. For an unreleased recording, you have to clear all copyright and ownership issues with the musicians, their heirs, the tape owner and, where applicable, any label with which the artist held an exclusive contract at the time of the recording.
Can you describe one of the most complex cases you’ve encountered while searching for master tapes or securing rights?
It would be impossible to summarise that in a short interview. What you’ve mentioned represents only part of the process involved in archival releases. Some projects take years before every piece falls into place, while others come together much more quickly.
Regarding the Muse catalogue specifically, were there any major obstacles in bringing these albums back into circulation?
The biggest challenge was simply reaching an agreement with the company that controlled the rights. It’s mostly bureaucracy, but bureaucracy takes time. The same is true of raising the necessary funds and coordinating with my team and business partners to bring a project to fruition.
All of your releases, including those on Time Traveler Recordings, are produced with extraordinary attention to detail – sound quality, artwork, liner notes and photography. “Deluxe edition” seems entirely appropriate. How does a carefully curated edition change the listening experience compared with a standard reissue? And how does Time Traveler differ from projects you’ve undertaken with labels such as Resonance or Elemental?
Thank you for the kind words. The philosophy is actually quite simple. For a reissue, my goal is to preserve the look and feel of the original package while enhancing it with newly commissioned liner notes by respected journalists or authors, along with additional photographs. That’s exactly what we’ve done with the Muse reissues – faithful recreations of the original albums enriched with new writing and imagery. For previously unreleased recordings, I apply the same deluxe approach, commissioning original essays, including rare photographs and gathering reflections from colleagues and musicians who knew the artists personally or were inspired by them.
Which albums have been released so far?
Following the first three releases in 2025, two more titles arrived at the end of January: Love Dance by Woody Shaw, featuring Billy Harper, Steve Turre, René McLean, Cecil McBee and Joe Bonner, originally produced in 1976 by the great Michael Cuscuna; and Double Exposure by Joe Chambers, recorded in 1978 and featuring the legendary organist Larry Young.
As mentioned in the press release, will Time Traveler Recordings explore genres beyond jazz?
Absolutely. For Black Friday Record Store Day last November, I released previously unheard live recordings by the seminal punk band Bad Brains, recorded at the Bayou Club in Washington, D.C., in 1980 and 1981, before the group’s first official release. There are also previously unreleased recordings by the “King of the Blues”, B.B. King, including Broadcasting the Blues, a live collection recorded in Germany and Sweden in 1968 and 1973 in collaboration with Reelin’ In The Years Productions, which owns the original video archives and granted access to the recordings. Once again, this label allows me to pursue projects I’m genuinely passionate about. I collect and listen to a very wide range of music.
Are there particular unreleased recordings you still dream of finding and releasing?
Many. Among the most important are the recordings John Coltrane made with Larry Young, as well as Eric Dolphy’s rehearsal concert for Out to Lunch. There is certainly no shortage of archival material waiting to be discovered and shared with the world.
Let me suggest one specific project that would be quite a coup if you could bring it to fruition. The album is Nina Mae by J.J. Johnson, recorded with his regular quintet – plus a few guests – in late 1995 for Gitanes (Verve), around the same period as Heroes and Tangence. The album was completed, had artwork and a catalogue number, yet was never released, while Heroes and Tangence appeared as planned. The producer was Jean-Philippe Allard. Releasing those recordings would also be a fitting tribute to one of the greatest trombonists in jazz history, whose legacy seems somewhat overlooked today. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for the suggestion – I genuinely appreciate it. J.J. Johnson was unquestionably an important artist. Jean-Philippe Allard was a friend of mine, and sadly he passed away in 2024. There are often very logical reasons why certain albums remain unreleased and ultimately end up on the shelf. Usually it’s because they do not present the artist in what was considered their best light. Jean-Philippe was a brilliant man, and I regret that I never had the opportunity to discuss that particular recording with him.
A few personal questions. Who gave you the nickname “Jazz Detective”? Do you think it suits you? I know you also used it as the title of your SiriusXM radio show. Have you had any other nicknames?
Yes, I think it fits. The press has always been very kind to me, and I feel extremely fortunate. I believe the first journalist to call me the “Jazz Detective” was Derek Ansell of Jazz Journal International, though I’m not entirely certain. Stereophile also referred to me as “The Indiana Jones of Jazz”. Those are wonderful compliments, and I’m deeply grateful for the support and interest these projects receive around the world. It takes a collective effort and the support of a community. That’s why writers like you are so important.
What is your investigative method? Do you approach each case differently?
Absolutely. Every project is unique, and my approach changes according to its particular requirements. I’ve travelled extensively to visit archives all over the world, and I always conduct exhaustive research and thorough fact-checking for every project I undertake.
How did your career as a “Jazz Detective” begin, and who influenced you the most along the way? George Klabin, for example?
Yes, George Klabin was the person who gave me the opportunity to start producing records. Before working with him, I had already spent fifteen years in the music industry in sales and marketing. George told me that if I could find previously unreleased recordings genuinely worthy of release, I could produce them for Resonance. That was exactly what I needed to hear. From that moment on, it was like pouring gasoline on a fire. I began at Resonance overseeing distribution, and everything evolved from there.
What are your memories of Michael Cuscuna? Was he partly responsible for your entry into this field?
Michael was a mentor to me in many ways and an enormous source of inspiration. He was one of my favourite record producers of all time, and I was fortunate to know him well over the years. He also had a longstanding relationship with George Klabin dating back to the mid-1960s, so there was a natural connection between us. I always took every opportunity to spend time with him. I would call him regularly to ask questions and seek his advice on various matters. I had tremendous respect for him. He left an extraordinary legacy, not only in jazz but across many areas of music. He was a truly special man, and many of us miss him deeply.
