Proper Harmonises Classical and Jazz Division

18 May 2015 - Press release

-          Restructure of division sees full integration of Proper Note

-          Specialist team draws on over 150 years of experience in classical and jazz

-          New deals with MDG and Australian Eloquence

Proper Music Distribution has announced it is to fully integrate standalone company Proper Note with its classical and jazz department to form one specialist division.

The move will streamline expertise across the company, bringing together 150 years of experience within the classical and jazz genres. After six years of working side-by-side, it will also see the Proper Note (formerly New Note) team fully integrated into Proper's £21 million, 120 staff strong operation.

Proper Note General Managers, and former New Note owners, Eddie Wilkinson and Graham Griffiths will take on the new roles of Classical Sales Manager and Commercial Manager respectively. In addition, David Fraser continues as ECM Label Manager with responsibility for Classical Press & PR, Iain Murray as Jazz Press & PR and Jon Griffiths as Label Manager. Recent Proper newcomer Ginny Cooper, longstanding Vice Chair of the BPI Classical Committee, will work alongside them in her role as Classical Label Manager.

The newly combined division will be home to long-standing Proper clients ECM Records, who Wilkinson has worked with for over 35 years, Telarc, Challenge, Avie, Arts Music, Simax and more than 40 other classical labels. Recent signings include reissue label Australian Eloquence and premier German label MDG, with the latter agreeing a UK services deal covering marketing, as well as sales and distribution.

The jazz roster includes ECM’s extensive catalogue of recordings by internationally renowned artists such as Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Tomasz Stanko, Chris Potter, Andy Sheppard and John Surman. Other long-standing distributed labels are Telarc Jazz and Blues, Mack Avenue, Jazzland, Whirlwind Recordings and Steeplechase.

Proper is the UK’s biggest independent distributor, representing 4 percent of the UK physical recorded music market overall. Within the classical and jazz market, its specialist expertise has already seen Proper land five albums in the Official Specialist Classical Chart so far this year. (Full details below).

Drew Hill, MD of Proper Music Distribution said: “Proper is now positioned as the go-to company in the classical and jazz genres. I’m extremely proud of the knowledge and experience we have within the team; we are in a better position than ever to be able to offer a tailored, high-level service to our clients and this move further solidifies the power of our proposition.”