TED JOSEPH

FORMER DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT WARNER BROS. IS NOW  LABEL MANAGER FOR LEGENDARY EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER MAURICE WHITE’S NEWLY RELAUNCHED KALIMBA MUSIC 

During Joseph’s 21 Years at Warner Bros. Records, The Multi-Faceted Executive Worked With Legendary Artists Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Rod Stewart, George Benson, David Sanborn and Al Jarreau

In the 30-plus years since Ted Joseph began his incredibly diverse 21-year-stint at Warner Bros. Records, the industry has evolved from a corporate-centered culture to a new digital age where indie labels and DIY bands thrive.

While many of the top executives he has worked with over the years have shifted gears as casualties of the endless changes, the multi-faceted behind the scenes force is not only surviving, but thriving in the current environment. After several years as a consultant in the realm of “virtual labels,” the Detroit-bred executive brings his vast wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as Label Manager of Kalimba Music (www.kalimba-music.com), recently re-launched after a several year hiatus by Maurice White, founder of the iconic pop/R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire.

Joseph’s relationship with White and his manager Art Macnow, who currently runs Kalimba Music as CEO, extends back to the early ‘90s, when EWF returned to Warner Bros/Reprise, their original label, to release the Millennium album and Joseph was the label’s Marketing Manager. When White launched Kalimba as an independent label in the late ‘90s, Joseph was brought in as a consultant.

“Maurice decided to re-launch Kalimba in the summer of 2013, and I was very excited that he asked me to play such a significant role in its operation,” says Joseph. “He made the decision early on to focus on one of his great passions, contemporary jazz. The vision for the label was simple. It was going to be a boutique organization, looking more for great quality artists who have some past touring experience and charted recordings. Our goal is to work hands on with these artists to guide their careers to the next level.

“Our philosophy is that they should be the artists and we should take care of business for them,” he adds. “We’re looking to keep the roster relatively small in order to dedicate our full efforts to those we work with. I know many labels say this but in our case it’s true—for us, it’s all about the music.”

Joseph says that Kalimba Music is currently in discussions with several new artists they hope to sign in the near future.

The newly re-launched Kalimba’s first release was a re-mastered collector’s edition of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit album The Promise, a critically acclaimed full length set which in its original run – after a six year studio recording hiatus by the band – hit #19 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Top Independent Albums chart. It also scored a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hold Me.”

Kalimba has made a multi-project foray into the contemporary urban jazz world, first with the release of the album’s new single, “Never,” to smooth jazz radio in May 2014.

Joseph is also excited about the signing and out of the box success of the label’s first official artist, keyboardist/composer Greg Manning, whose debut Kalimba single

“Cruisin’ Down The Road,” featuring chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala, was a #1 Most Added track on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart, the SmoothJazz.com chart recap and Spincreased list and the Radio Wave Internet Airplay chart.

“Cruisin’ Down the Road” joins Manning’s previous hit singles “Dance With You” – which reached #1 on the taste-making chart, The Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler – and “Groove Me (featuring saxman Elan Trotman) on his new 11-track collection Dance With You, to be released by Kalimba Music July 8.

Ted has worked with artists such as, Madonna, Prince, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Joe Sample,Marcus Miller,Boney James and many more.

Throughout his multi-faceted career, including over 20 years with Warner Bros. Records and Warner Distribution and many more as a consultant for Sony Music, EMI/Capitol, BMG Distribution, Sony Distribution, Universal Distribution and Warner Music Group, Joseph has contributed to and been associated with over 100 gold and platinum status recordings for artists in a wide range of genres, from pop and urban to contemporary jazz and country.

Among his official executive positions, Joseph—who launched his career as a merchandiser in his hometown—was Director of Marketing at Warner Bros. and President of Odds On Records, an independent label in the late 2000s that helped ‘80s pop duo Air Supply score their first Billboard hit since 1993 and broke other artists like the electronic dance group Ultraviolet Sound (UVS), featuring singer/songwriter Sarah Hudson.

Echoing his label manager, Maurice White says, “Our mission in doing so is very simple,To discover  and cultivate great artists with great music.”

To arrange an interview, please contact Steve Levesque, LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc. at info@luckmedia.com or 818-232-4175.