A New Era For Delmark Records

Delmark Records, Chicago’s leading blues & jazz record label and studio, announces new ownership as it marks its 65^th Anniversary in 2018. 

Chicago musicians/composers/entrepreneurs Julia A. Miller and Elbio Barilari are taking over the business.  Miller is  the incoming President and CEO, and Barilari is the new Vice President and Artistic Director. Steve Wagner will continue working at Delmark as Label & Studio Manager.

Under Miller and Barilari, Delmark Records will release several new albums by fall 2018: a blues anthology celebrating the label’s 65^th anniversary, a jazz title by Miller and Barilari’s musical collaboration project Volcano Radar featuring the multi-Grammy Award winner and NEA Jazz Master Paquito D’Rivera, a new album with guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque, and previously unreleased recordings by jazz innovator Sun Ra. So far, this year, Delmark Records has released three blues recordings: Night After Night by Corey Dennison Band, Back to Chicago by the Rockwell Avenue Blues Band, and the Bell Family tribute album.

“Owning a record label and recording studio has been a dream of mine for 25 years,” says Julia Miller who will serve as President and CEO of Delmark Records. “At the Art Institute, in my Song class, I always begin with spoken blues. Blues is a living history; Delmark embodies a living history of the Blues in Chicago, and for the world.”

Elbio Barilari, who will serve as Vice President and Artistic Director, adds, “This is a very exciting opportunity both artistically and from a business perspective. Personally, it also offers me the chance to give back to Chicago’s musical community for the generous support I have been given during the 20 years I have been living here.”