No UK release for new Geoffrey Keezer album planned

It’s his first solo project in 13 years and will be released in the States next week but pianist Geoffrey Keezer’s Heart of the Piano album won’t be issued over here, the UK distributor of his label has confirmed. “This is primarily due to the fact that Motéma has a very busy release schedule at the moment,” says a spokesman for Proper Note distribution who handle Harlem-based Motéma's releases sourcing the label's output from a German company called Membran, who have made the decision. The pianist and keyboardist who has a cult following on this side of the Atlantic frequently appearing at clubs and festivals will have to wait for a release. Ironic maybe, as Keezer notes on his website “Now it’s time for me to be me.” Keezer’s not the only US musician to have his albums put on hold in terms of a CD UK release. Kurt Rosenwinkel’s hugely acclaimed double album Star of Jupiter released in the States at the end of last year still awaits a UK release even though Rosenwinkel like Keezer is one of the most respected jazz players around. In an age when music is seen as ubiquitous and available everywhere clearly the reality is far more complicated as labels prioritise physical releases.
Stephen Graham
Geoffrey Keezer above. Photo: Brad Buckman