Bee Hive Records, a jazz label active from 1977 to 1984, epitomized the defiant response of boutique record companies committed to producing music that sustained “The Tradition.” Founded by James and Susan Neumann, the label’s recorded oeuvre embodied ideals rooted in acoustic music, drawing holistically from bebop, hard bop, and post-bop eras. The label’s dedication to acoustic aesthetics during an era dominated by jazz fusion experimentation marked a pivotal moment in jazz history. Bee Hive Records’ legacy highlights the development of jazz preservationism.
The Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University will host a talk about the record label Friday, Sept. 6, from 4 to 5 p.m. in Harkness Chapel. John Petrucelli, an award-winning composer, saxophonist and educator, will present “Stylistic Formation and Meaning Making in Bee Hive Records.”
About the speaker
Petrucelli has studied and performed with renowned figures in the jazz tradition, including Geri Allen, Victor Lewis, Ralph Bowen, Charles Tolliver, Sean Jones, Delfeayo Marsalis, Conrad Herwig, Terence Blanchard, Lewis Porter and Stanley Cowell.
He was named the inaugural James R. ’58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow of Jazz History at Oberlin Conservatory. Petrucelli holds master’s degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, as well as a PhD in music from the University of Pittsburgh. He also earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia.
In 2019, he was recognized by the Jazz Education Network for his outstanding contributions to jazz education.