Do you have a favorite record label?

There has been much consolidation in the music industry, so many independent labels are now parts of corporate conglomerates, but through out the history of recorded music individual labels have had identities.

  I grew up in Detroit in the sixties so of course Motown was front and center in my consciousness.  I just returned from a few days in Memphis and loved visiting the Stax, Sun Records, and especially the Rock and Soul Museums.

  I don’t listen to much Jazz but I am aware that labels such as Blue Note had distinct profiles.  The same is true for Reggae and World Music labels.

  My genre is Classical and many small independent labels have really driven the creativity in the industry.  While the so called major labels were duplicating the Classical Top 100 ad infinitum, labels such as Naxos, Musical Heritage Society, Erato, and then later Hyperion, BIS, Chandos and most importantly cpo have greatly expanded the amount of repertoire available to listeners.  It’s never been a better time to be a listener.

  Other favorites?  Any genre goes, and perhaps offer a few words about why you value that label