The label JazzHausMusik has been existing since 1979 together with the Initiative Kölner Jazz Haus (today's Stadtgarten) as a result of the self-organisation of Cologne's musicians. In the field of improvised music, JazzHausMusik is the only European label that has been completely in the hands of the producing musicians from the very beginning. Managing director of JazzHausMusik is the Cologne pianist Georg Ruby. In the spring of 2023 there are 302 releases. The back catalog of JazzHausMusik is available on CD from JHM 33 CD onwards.
Every year JazzHausMusik releases eight to twelve different productions in April and October. It is no coincidence that JazzHausMusik is based in Cologne, Germany's media capital, whose jazz scene is described as undoubtedly the most interesting by almost all German music journalists. JazzHausMusik's reputation among European jazz and improvised music labels is based on its creative publishing policy: the label represents the diverse currents of the Cologne scene as well as projects from regions far beyond the borders of Germany. So far, seven German Record Critics' Awards for JHM productions document the attention the label has received. Most recently, the production of the duo "Georg Ruby-Michel Pilz", "Deuxième Bureau" was voted Album of the Year by the New York City Jazz Record and Georg Ruby's recording "Village Zone" is voted one of the "twelve best productions of 2019" by All About Jazz.
Groups like those of Karoline Höfler, Bill Elgart, Kölner Saxophon Mafia, the Niels Klein Tentett, formations with Hannes Zerbe, Michel Pilz, Robert Landfermann, Henning Berg, Pinguin Moschner, Andreas Willers, Günter Baby Sommer, Rudi Mahall, Claudio Puntin, Hazel Leach or the projects of extraordnary musicians such as Christina Fuchs, Laia Genc, Sascha Ley or Lauren Newton continue to point the way for new developments in the field of improvised music, not only in Europe. The productions of outstanding musicians like Christof Thewes or the trio Frank Gratkowski/Dieter Manderscheid/Gerry Hemingway are projects that have been perceived with great enthusiasm by the national as well as international press.
"JazzHausMusik is a label that I follow to keep in touch with European jazz and with each album they release they show that they're a powerhouse for European jazz."
(Emre Adam, Jazz Dergisi, 02.12.2020)