India Navigation
added August 13, 2023
Label founded to release Avant Garde jazz recordings by New York lawyer and jazz enthusiast Bob Cummins. Sessions were recorded by Cummins himself in his own studio, and some in live settings, most recording detail not well documented, no pressing plant identified, session date approximate or absent.
Label active issuing recordings on vinyl 1972 – 84, thereafter on compact disc only. Cummins passed away in 2000. Original tape said to be returned to artists (unsubstantiated claim)
LABELOGRAPHY
Several one-off label designs initially, before settling for the silver/black label italic script “india navigation” logo with flowing water.
THE INDIA NAVIGATION LABELS
INDIA NAVIGATION RECORDS: red label (one off design ) 1976 
INDIA NAVIGATION RECORDS: Silver label plain text (one-off design,1977)
India navigation Records, black label silver text, flag logo (one-off design) 1978
INDIA NAVIGATION: Silver label parting waves one-off design
india navigation italic script, silver label, flowing water logo, black text, no copyright assertion.
Alternative photo-reversed label, black with silver text
Silver label. Strangely for a label owned by a lawyer, adds copyright protection text to rim, mid 80s
All label pictures Discogs, retouched LJC
INDIA NAVIGATION LISTING (copied from Wikipedia, with links )
| Catalog | Artist | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1023 | Revolutionary Ensemble | Manhattan Cycles | 1972 |
| 1024 | Alan Braufman | Valley of Search | 1975 |
| 1025 | Hamiet Bluiett | Endangered Species | 1976 |
| 1026 | David Murray | Flowers for Albert | 1976 |
| 1027 | Pharoah Sanders | Pharoah | 1976 |
| 1028 | Leroy Jenkins | Solo Concert | 1977 |
| 1029 | Arthur Blythe | The Grip | 1977 |
| 1030 | Hamiet Bluiett | Birthright: A Solo Blues Concert | 1977 |
| 1031 | Chico Freeman | Chico | 1977 |
| 1032 | David Murray | Live at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club Vol. 1 | 1977 |
| 1033 | Joseph Jarman & Don Moye | Egwu-Anwu | 1978 |
| 1034 | Tisziji Muñoz | Rendezvous with Now | 1978 |
| 1035 | Chico Freeman | Kings of Mali | 1977 |
| 1036 | Anthony Davis | Song for the Old World | 1978 |
| 1037 | James Newton | Paseo del Mar | 1978 |
| 1038 | Arthur Blythe | Metamorphosis | 1977 |
| 1039 | Hamiet Bluiett | S.O.S. – We Have Come to Save You from Yourselves | 1977 |
| 1040 | Jay Hoggard | A Solo Vibes Concert | 1978 |
| 1041 | Anthony Davis/James Newton Quartet | Hidden Voices | 1979 |
| 1042 | Chico Freeman | The Outside Within | 1978 |
| 1043 | Cecil McBee | Alternate Spaces | 1979 |
| 1044 | David Murray | Live at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club Vol. 2 | 1977 |
| 1045 | Chico Freeman | Spirit Sensitive | 1979 |
| 1046 | James Newton | The Mystery School | 1979 |
| 1047 | Anthony Davis | Lady of the Mirrors | 1980 |
| 1048 | Amiri Baraka | New Music – New Poetry | 1980 |
| 1049 | Jay Hoggard | Mystic Winds, Tropic Breezes | 1980 |
| 1050 | Bob Neloms | Pretty Music | 1981 |
| 1051 | James Newton | Portraits | 1982 |
| 1052 | Chet Baker & Lee Konitz | In Concert | 1974 |
| 1053 | Cecil McBee | Flying Out | 1982 |
| 1054 | Ted Curson | Ted Curson & Co. | 1976 |
| 1055 | Dennis Moorman | Circle of Destiny | |
| 1056 | Anthony Davis | Variations in Dream-Time | 1982 |
| 1057 | Air | Air Song | 1975 |
| 1058 | Muhal Richard Abrams | Afrisong | 1975 |
| 1059 | Chico Freeman | The Search | 1982 |
| 1060 | Craig Harris | Aboriginal Affairs | 1983 |
| 1061 | Big Nick Nicholas | Big and Warm | 1983 |
| 1062 | Clarinet Summit | In Concert at the Public Theater | 1981 |
| 1063 | Chico Freeman | Morning Prayer | 1976 |
| 1064 | Air | Air Raid | 1976 |
| 1065 | Alvin Batiste | Musique d’Afrique Nouvelle Orléans | 1985 |
| 1066 | Big Nick Nicholas | Big Nick | 1985 |
| 1067 | Clarinet Summit | In Concert at the Public Theater Vol. 2 | 1981 |
| 1068 | Jay Hoggard | Riverside Dance | 1985 |
| 1069 | Alvin Batiste | Bayou Magic | 1988 |
| 1070 | Chico Freeman and Von Freeman | Freeman and Freeman | 1981 |
| 1071 | Chico Freeman | Still Sensitive | |
| 1072 | Hamiet Bluiett | Im/possible to Keep | 1977 |
| 3023 | Tom Johnson | Nine Bells | 1982 |
| 3024 | Arnold Dreyblatt | Nodal Excitation | 1982 |
| 3025 | Yoshi Wada | Lament for the Rise and Fall of the Elephantine Crocodile | 1981 |
| 3026 | Phill Niblock | Nothin’ to Look at Just a Record | |
| 3027 | Phill Niblock & Joseph Celli | Niblock for Celli: Celli Plays Niblock | 1984 |
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