Oblivion Records

Oblivion Records
LP label from Oblivion's first release (2nd edition), Mississippi Fred McDowell: Live in New York, from 1972
Founded	1972
Status	dormant
Genre	blues, country blues, jazz, jazz fusion
Country of origin	United States
Official website	www.oblivionrecords.tumblr.com

Oblivion Records was an American independent record label that focused on under recorded blues and jazz musicians. The company was based in Huntington, New York and New York City and a post office box (Box X) in Roslyn Heights, New York from 1972–1976.

The company was formed based on a casual conversation between Long Island, New York record store owner, musician, and blues scholar Tom Pomposello, and college student and amateur recording engineer Fred Seibert, when Pomposello was musing about the best way to record and release his music. Seibert suggested a major label was a thing of the past and the way of the future was that Pomposello should record himself. The two quickly formed a partnership.

Seibert hosted a Columbia University, WKCR-FM radio show, and had recorded Pomposello for his accompanying legendary country blues artist Mississippi Fred McDowell at The Gaslight Cafe in November 1971. They agreed that the tapes were a commercial offering that could be used to launch the label. Pomposello suggested the tongue-in-cheek name Oblivion, cadged from an obscure Leo Kottke album, mistakenly believing the name to be a satire.

Along with third partner Dick Pennington, who provided the initial financing, Oblivion released its maiden album, Mississippi Fred McDowell: Live in New York in the spring of 1972. 1972 also saw the release of the label’s only 45rpm single, “Johnny Woods: Mississippi Harmonica” from Fred McDowell’s sometime musical partner, harmonica player Johnny Woods.