eremite records was founded in 1995 by michael ehlers w/ early involvement & crucial encouragement from music writer byron coley.  eremite's early activities emphasized music by 1st & 2nd generation musicians working in the american free jazz traditions, with significant contributions by american & international musicians from other scenes.  under various appellations eremite organized a grassroots concerts series in western massachusetts that continued until 2008 & produced nearly 100 concerts, including five fire in the valley festivals, by an array of world-class artists.  from 1998 to 2008 eremite ran a touring organization that arranged hundreds of concerts for its artists all across north america.  from 1996 to 2008 eremite produced the weekly program the transnational jazz conspiracy on the university of massachusetts amherst community & student radio station wmua.

eremite's present activities include releasing special projects to quality-freak standards in the most stable & satisfying remaining format, the LP.

eremite extends heartfelt thanks to the western mass concert volunteers & the collaboratoring presenting organizations around the northeast, including glenn siegel/wmua, ed hazell & the bcma, unitarian universalist society of amherst, jim hemingway, david kennedy, jim campbell, chris corsano, ben block, peter bonos, ben karetnick, andrew kesin, kieran lally, tim liptak, hank berry, michael rosenstein, thurston moore, david gowler, bob moore, jon messmer, michael lucio sternbach, steve wacksman, steve baczkowski, arts for art, casa del popolo, tonic, university of massachusetts music department, pliny stebbins & the original dynamite records, amber waves, talk of the town springfield, michael wilderman, charlie gross, nancy j. parisi, & all the concert faithful. in the words of kenneth patchen, "no one ever works alone."