Terri Hinte has been fired by Concord Records. Her name will not mean a thing to most of you, but her work has indirectly benefited serious jazz listeners for decades. The news of her dismissal is of intense interest to many writers because Ms. Hinte is the very model of what a record company publicist should be– deeply knowledgeable about the music and its players, intelligent, responsive, resourceful, helpful in countless substantive ways. She went to work for Fantasy, Inc. in 1973 and was its director of publicity since 1978.
The Fantasy complex of labels contains much of the most important recorded jazz from the 1940s on, as well as significant collections of blues and pop. In addition to Fantasy itself, Prestige, Riverside, Milestone, Contemporary, Pablo, Debut, Galaxy and Stax are under the Fantasy umbrella. Among the artists on those labels are Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Gerry Mulligan, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie. The list is much longer, but those names give you an idea of the importance of the Fantasy catalog.
Far from simply sending out review copies and news releases, as many companies do, Terri Hinte made it her business to know the extensive and varied catalog inside out and to understand the importance of the hundreds of musicians who recorded for its labels over more than five decades. Her newsletters and advisories were light years beyond the puffery that passes for publicity in too many precincts of the music business. They contained news that writers about the music, and those who broadcast it, could and did use, resulting in better informed listeners. Her phone calls often brought writers valuable story ideas. The catalogs she produced are valuable reference works packed with information.
Concord bought Fantasy eighteen months ago, fueling speculation among jazz professionals and listeners about what would happen to the invaluable recordings in the Fantasy archives. The dismissal of Ms. Hinte has only increased nervousness about Concord’s intentions concerning the future of those treasures. Concord’s timing was interesting; it let her go on the eve of her recognition with a special A-Team award from the Jazz Journalists Association, which named her “De Facto Curator of Fantasy Records.”
In the current issue of Billboard, reporter Dan Ouellette quotes Concord President Glen Barros.
“We’re committed to jazz and the jazz catalog we’ve invested in.” He adds that he has “tremendous respect” for Hinte as “a great caretaker, proponent and spokesperson” for jazz. “However, when companies merge, there are unfortunate consequences,” Barros says. “But I don’t think Terri’s departure means that we have any less respect for the Fantasy catalog.”
Many musicians, including Sonny Rollins, came to depend on Ms. Hinte for counsel and guidance. She has been Rollins’s only publicist for twenty-eight years. Now, she plans a career as a free lance writer, editor and publicist, continuing to work with Rollins. The Rifftides staff wishes her well.
For a sample of Ms. Hinte’s considerable writing ability, on a subject you may not expect, go here.
Ah, Terri’s traveler’s tale is a delight, and I thank you for telling us her story and sharing that link. No doubt Terri will continue to surprise us with her next adventures.
The dismissal of Terry Hinte, the very best publicist I’ve come to know during my career as a jazz journalist, only confirms my opinion that Concord is in a tailspin. They may be doing well financially, but they continue to treat jazz like a stepchild, curtailing new jazz releases in favor of garbage like Michael Bolton Swings Sinatra, while severely cutting back first time releases from their vault and reissues as well.
Jazz fans probably ought to hurry to purchase titles from Fantasy’s vast OJC catalog before Concord deletes them wholesale as they did with their own label a few years back.
I’m sure that Terri Hinte will do well as an independent publicist and writer, but her unjust termination is one more sign that Concord’s management doesn’t really give a damn about jazz.
Thanks for the tip of the hat to Terri Hinte. She’s tops. How is it that American companies of all types seek to somehow increase revenue by sacking their most knowledgable people, thus chopping off their own heads?
By the way, I missed the original announcement about her firing because it was sent to my old email address at Billboard. I was “terminated” in December. Apparently they didn’t need a veteran in Washington to report on copyright and digital issues.
Terri, I wish you all the best. You were a superb publicist, and you performed your craft at the highest level for over thity years. My recollections of working with you during the 70’s on Bill Summers and other projects are some of my most vivid memories.
Terri, Concord management simply just “does not get it.” We in the Bill Evans world are most concerned about the remainder of the mike Harris catalog – I doubt if it will ever see the light of day before I croak.
I enjoyed your piece on the Brazil visit. I hope I can find more of your writing.
Best wishes.