Severn Records is an American

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

that concentrates on

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

music. Its motto is "Roots Music for the 21st Century".

History

On July 11, 1997, a company named Echo Records was incorporated in Maryland by David Earl. By the time of its founding and first releases in 1998, the new company had changed its name to Severn Records. This change eliminated any possibility of confusion with

Ecko Records Ecko Records is an American blues and soul blues record label, founded in 1995 by John Ward in Memphis, Tennessee. Ecko Records has released albums by Rufus Thomas, Barbara Carr, Denise LaSalle, Lee "Shot" Williams, Bill Coday, Earl Gaine ...

Founding in Crownsville, Maryland

Severn released three albums in 1998: Darrell Nulisch's ''The Whole Truth'', Big Joe Maher's ''I'm Still Swinging'', and Benjie Porecki's ''Servin' It Up''. The demise of Black Top Records had left the first two of these artists available to record on the new label. Subsequently, they have recorded six more albums with Severn. Porecki has recorded two more albums and provided keyboard backup on many Severn projects. In 1999, Severn reissued Steve Guyger's ''Past Life Blues''. To produce these four albums, as well as ten more early ones, Severn made use of recording, mixing and mastering facilities at several commercial studios. Eventually, all these functions were carried out at a studio in the basement of Earl's house on the Severn River in Crownsville, MD.

Growth in Severn, Maryland

In 2001, Severn Records moved to Severn, MD. Here, its new offices were fitted out with better equipment, isolation booths, and rehearsal space. These facilities improved the production of albums and attracted new musicians to the label. These include: Mike Morgan, Sugar Ray Norcia, Lou Pride, and

Tad Robinson Tad Robinson (born June 24, 1956) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter. Robinson was born and raised in New York City. He graduated the New Lincoln School and attended Indiana University's school of music and graduating in 1 ...

. Together with the four founding artists, they have created the core albums of the Severn discography. Soon, unaffiliated musicians came to use Severn's facilities and personnel for their own recording projects. One of these was Norwegian accordion player J. T. Lauritsen, who recorded his album ''Squeezboxing'' in 2006. Another project, in 2006, was Mikey Jr's ''Look Inside My Pocket''. In 2005, Severn sponsored the "Chicago Blues Harmonica Project", which spotlights veteran

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

harmonica artists. From this association, came the album ''Diamonds in the Rough'', which was followed, in 2009, by ''More Rare Gems''. Later, Severn released another compilation, ''The Blind Owl'', that documents the work of Alan Wilson with the band

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group is noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists and rock music. It was founded by two blues enthusiasts Alan Wilson and Bob ...

Tenth anniversary celebration

On September 27, 2008, Severn celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party at the Fish Head Cantina in Arbutus, MD. This event, which was co-sponsored by the Baltimore Blues Society, featured Guyger, Norcia, Nulisch, Maher, Morgan, Porecki, Pride, Robinson, The All Mighty Senators, Kevin Anker, Steve Gomes,

Willie Henderson William Henderson (born 24 January 1944) is a Scottish retired footballer. He played most of his career for Rangers, and spent the latter part of his career with Sheffield Wednesday, in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Rangers and with Airdrieonians ...

, Alex Schultz,

Clarence Spady Clarence Spady (born July 1, 1961) is an American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist from Paterson, New Jersey. His unique musical style combines blues, jazz, funk, latin and rock. He has released three studio albums, ''Nature of the Beast'' ...

, Robb Stupka, and

Monster Mike Welch Monster Mike Welch (born June 11, 1979) is an American electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Welch has released seven albums to date, and is a member of Sugar Ray & th ...

Annapolis, Maryland

In 2010, Severn Records moved to Renard Court in

Annapolis, MD Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

. Here, new offices and studios were built by Winchester Construction Company. The new facility opened in October 2011. It covers 3100 square feet devoted to offices, storage, and two studios. One of the studios incorporates a large tracking room, an isolation booth, and a control room, which is fitted out with a custom recording console. The other studio is intended as a room for editing and mastering, but it can also serve as a second isolation booth. Since it opened its new facilities, Severn has signed

The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

The Nighthawks The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C. As of 2018, The Nighthawks are Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Dan Hovey (lead guitar), Paul Pisciotta (bass guitar), and Mark Stutso (drums). History F ...

, and

Mud Morganfield Larry "Mud" Morganfield (born September 27, 1954) is an American blues singer and the eldest son of Muddy Waters. Early life Morganfield was born to McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters) and Mildred Williams in Chicago. He was raised by his mo ...

, who is the eldest son of

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

. It continues to record new albums by its established artists. In particular, Norcia's ''Evening'' was released on October 18, 2011. On March 20, 2012, Severn released Morganfield's ''Son of the Seventh Son'', and reissues of two CDs by

Jimmy Earl James Christopher Earl (born 1957) is an American jazz bass guitarist who is a member of the ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' band. Early life and education In 1957, James Christopher Earl was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to James and Sylvia Earl. He i ...

: ''Jimmy Earl'', and ''Stratosphere''. That month, Severn announced the signing of New Orleans-based blues guitarist/singer

Bryan Lee Bryan Lee (March 16, 1943 – August 21, 2020) was an American blues guitarist and singer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was also known by the nickname 'Braille Blues Daddy' and was a fixture on Bourbon Street since the 1980s. History L ...

and Baltimore-based soul and blues singer Ursula Ricks. Severn released the Nighthawk's ''Damn Good Time!'', on May 15, 2012, the Thunderbird's ''On the Verge'', on March 19, 2013, and Lee's ''Play One for Me'', on September 19, 2013. On January 21, 2014, Severn released another CD by Jimmy Earl, ''Renewing Disguises''. On June 5, 2012, Lou Pride died of natural causes while in hospice care. He had just finished recording his final album, ''Ain't No More Love in this House'', which Severn released on October 15, 2013, along with ''My Street'' by Ricks.

"That Severn Sound"

The title of this section quotes what J. T. Lauritsen said he wanted when he came to Severn. The paragraphs that follow describe some aspects of Severn's operations that contribute to its distinctive sound.

The Severn Studio Band

Severn maintains a

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

, whose functions are to back up recording projects and to participate in promotional appearances. Its key members are Rob Stupka (drums), Steve Gomes (bass), Benjie Porecki and Kevin Anker (both keyboards). Gomes also serves as arranger, composer, and producer on many Severn releases. Three guitarists work with the band: Alex Schultz, Monster Mike Welch, and

Johnny Moeller Johnny Moeller (born Jon Kelly Moeller, October 31, 1970) is an American guitarist, currently with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Johnny started playing guitar in his early teens. Over the years Moeller's main influenc ...

. Schultz created the Severn release ''Think About It''. Welch, who was featured on ''Sugar Ray & the Bluetones'', has recorded several albums on other labels. Moeller did ''Bloogaloo''. He is lead guitarist for

, but he participates occasionally on his own projects with Severn, as well as on those of the Thunderbirds.

Key personnel and organizations

Many Severn albums feature

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the te ...

s working with the Studio Band. These have included members of the

Memphis Horns The Memphis Horns were an American horn section, made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. The duo consisted of Wayne Jackson (November 24, 1941 – June 21, 2016) on trumpet and Andrew Love (November 21, 1941 - April 12, 2012) on ...

, who appeared on many releases by

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. Stax was ...

, and of

The Airmen of Note The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force and part of the United States Air Force Band. Created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band, the "Note" is a touring b ...

, which is the premier jazz ensemble of the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sig ...

plays a key role in arranging, producing, and conducting horn passages. Along similar lines, Robinson's ''A New Point of View'' features musicians from the

Annapolis Symphony Orchestra The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO), located in Annapolis, Maryland, has been in operation since 1962. Its founders include Kenneth W. Page, a well-respected civic leader in the Annapolis area during the 1960s who was also the music director of ...

. A very important component of the label's operations is Apple's iTunes Store, for Severn's complete catalog is available there. John Monforte, an electronics engineer from

Miami, FL Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...

, keeps Severn's computers and audio equipment in good repair and up to date. He made a major contribution to the design and construction of the Annapolis studios. BluesP2009

Touring with the Severn Soul Review

The Severn Soul Review refers to one or more Severn artists backed up by the Studio Band. Its main purpose is to promote Severn releases. It does this not only by performing locally and regionally, but also by touring the United States and Europe. In this role, it has appeared at many festivals. In particular, the Review appeared at the

Lucerne Blues Festival , neighboring_municipalities= Adligenswil, Ebikon, Emmen, Horw, Kriens, Malters, Meggen, Neuenkirch Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . ...

(Switzerland) in 2010, 2008, and 2004. Lou Pride's appearance here in 2010 was a significant comeback, because he came to the festival in 2004, but had a heart attack before he could perform. The Severn Soul Review also appeared at the 2006

Beaches International Jazz Festival The Beaches International Jazz Festival is a month-long music festival held each year in the lakeside Beaches community of Toronto in July. Originally started in 1989, it is now one of Canada's largest free jazz festivals with nearly 1,000,000 att ...

(Canada), the 2008 King Biscuit Blues Festival (Arkansas), the 2009 Cognac Blues Passions (France), and the 2009 Piazza Blues Festival (Switzerland).

Awards

On November 1, 2011, the

Blues Foundation The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the ...

announced that Severn had been chosen for one of its 2012 "Keeping the Blues Alive" awards. Over the years, the foundation has nominated Severn artists and albums for more than thirty five awards. The

Washington Area Music Association The Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) is a regional music industry not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. WAMA's activity centers on highlighting the area's cultural contribution by assisting regional musicians with becoming r ...

has recognized Big Joe Maher with three "Wammie" awards as a vocalist and fifteen nominations, some of which were for his band, The Dynaflows.

Discography

;Steve Guyger * 1999 – ''Past Life Blues'', Reissue * 2008 – ''Radio Blues'' ;Darrell Nulisch * 1998 – ''The Whole Truth'' * 2000 – ''I Like It That Way'' * 2003 – ''Times Like These'' * 2007 – ''Goin' Back To Dallas'' * 2009 – ''Just For You'' ;Sugar Ray And The Bluetones * 2001 – ''Rockin' Sugar Daddy'' * 2003 – ''Sugar Ray & the Bluetones'', featuring Monster Mike Welch * 2005 – ''Hands Across The Table'' * 2007 – ''My Life, My Friends, My Music'' * 2011 – ''Evening'' ;Lou Pride * 2002 – ''Words Of Caution'' * 2003 – ''The Memphis / El Paso Sessions'' * 2005 – ''Keep On Believing'' * 2013 – ''Ain't No More Love In This House'' ;Big Joe & The Dynaflows * 1998 – ''I'm Still Swingin * 2000 – ''All Night Long'' * 2011 – ''You Can't Keep A Big Man Down'' ;Benjie Porecki * 1998 – ''Servin' It Up'' * 2001 – ''The Rest Of My Life'' * 2001 – ''Small-Medium-Large'', with the WPG Trio ;Mike Morgan & The Crawl * 2002 – ''Texas Man'' * 2004 – ''Live In Dallas'' * 2008 – ''Stronger Every Day'' ;Tad Robinson * 2004 – ''Did You Ever Wonder'' * 2007 – ''A New Point Of View'' * 2010 – ''Back In Style'' ;Ken Clark Organ Trio * 2003 – ''Eternal Funk'' * 2005 – ''Mutual Respect'' ;Jimmy Earl * 2012 – ''Jimmy Earl'', Reissue * 2012 – ''Stratosphere'', Reissue * 2014 – ''Renewing Disguises'' ;Compilations * 2005 – Chicago Blues Harmonica Project, ''Diamonds in the Rough'' * 2005 – Various artists, ''Roots Music for the 21st Century'' * 2006 – All Mighty Senators, ''Checkered Past, New Tomorrow: Essential AMS * 2009 – Chicago Blues Harmonica Project, ''More Rare Gems'' * 2013 – Alan Wilson, ''The Blind Owl'' ;Various Artists * 1999 – Ola Dixon, ''Labor Of Love'' * 2000 – Roy Gaines, ''New Frontier Lover'' * 2002 –

Bruce Conte Bruce Anthony Conte (March 3, 1950 – August 8, 2021) was an American R&B and jazz fusion guitarist, known primarily for his work with the band Tower of Power, of which he was a member from 1972 to 1979. He performed on seven albums, and rejo ...

, ''Bullet Proof'' * 2002 –

Louisiana Red Iverson Minter (March 23, 1932 – February 25, 2012), known as Louisiana Red, was an American blues guitarist, harmonica player, and singer, who recorded more than 50 albums. He was best known for his song "Sweet Blood Call". Biography Born ...

, ''A Different Shade Of Red'' * 2003 – J Street Jumpers, ''Good For Stompin * 2003 – The Rockin' Highliners, ''Sputnik Café'' * 2004 –

Nora Jean Bruso Nora Jean Bruso (born June 21, 1956) is an American Chicago and electric blues singer and songwriter. She has penned over 700 songs, and worked with Carl Weathersby and Dave Specter. Fellow blues singer, Koko Taylor once commented, "Nora Jea ...

, ''Going Back To Mississippi'' * 2004 – Roy Carrier And The Night Rockers, ''Living Legend'' * 2004 – Jelly Roll All-Stars, ''Must Be Jelly'' * 2004 – The

Bruce Katz Bruce Katz (born August 19, 1952) is an American musician, playing piano, organ and bass guitar. From 1996 to 2010, he was on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as an associate professor. He founded his own musical group, the ...

Band, ''A Deeper Blue'' * 2004 – The Joe Kap Organ Trio, ''Street Noise'' * 2004 – Roy Tyler and New Directions. ''Three Way Calling'' * 2004 – Alex Schultz, ''Think About It'' * 2006 –

Buck Hill Buck Hill is a ski hill in Burnsville, Minnesota, a suburb south of Minneapolis. It is one of three ski areas in the Twin Cities metropolitan area; the others are Afton Alps and Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area. Buck Hill opened in 1954 and offe ...

, ''Relax'' * 2008 – Clarence Spady, ''Just Between Us'' * 2009 – Charles Wilson, ''Troubled Child'' * 2010 –

, ''Bloogaloo'' * 2012 – Mud Morganfield, ''Son of the Seventh Son'' * 2012 –

, ''Damn Good Time!'' * 2013 –

, ''On the Verge'' * 2013 –

, ''Play One for Me'' * 2013 – Ursula Ricks, ''My Street''

References

External links

Official Website

Lou Pride with the Severn Soul Review at Cognac, 2009

YouTube; Severn Records Channel

Monica Yasher interviews David Earl

Matt Kacar interviews Mud Morganfield
{{DEFAULTSORT:Severn. Records American independent record labels Blues record labels Soul music record labels Rhythm and blues record labels Record labels established in 1998 Companies based in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Record labels based in Maryland 1998 establishments in Maryland