ARTISTIC DIRECTION

Benjamin Shorstein | Founder & Artistic Director

Benjamin Shorstein is a composer, percussionist, and pianist based in Jacksonville, FL. As the founder of Madre Vaca Records, his work focuses on the intersection of jazz improvisation, classical architecture, and literary narrative.

Shorstein’s approach blurs the line between the composer’s pen and the improviser’s risk. He has directed the collective's flagship projects, including the re-imagined romanticism of Winterreise, the medieval jazz landscapes of Knights of the Round Table, and the song cycle Fairy Tales. He currently leads the label’s expansion into high-fidelity collaboration, producing upcoming works with artists including Christian Sands, Ulysses Owens Jr., and the Czech Studio Orchestra.

SELECTED PRESS

“The best kind of jazz-meets-the-classics merger... the two worlds intermingling rather than crashing up against one another.”

- Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

FEATURED COLLABORATORS

PRINCIPAL ENSEMBLE

  • Jonah Pierre - Piano

  • Jarrett Carter - Guitar

  • Thomas Milovac - Bass

  • Benjamin Shorstein - Drums

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Andre Gruber | Director of Visual Art

Andre Gruber is a visual artist and polymath who curates the visual mythology of Madre Vaca Records. Responsible for the label’s distinct aesthetic identity, his work spans abstract painting and surrealist illustration, ensuring that the physical presentation of every record engages in a dialogue with the sound.

John Medico | Director of Audio & Production

John Medico is a percussionist, producer, and the label’s sonic anchor. As chief audio engineer, he oversees the entire production chain—from the intimacy of the Yukon sessions to complex large ensemble works—capturing the high-fidelity risk that defines the catalog with a unified, audiophile-grade standard.