Rounder Records, a leading American roots music label that is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, has been acquired by the Concord Music Group. The Massachusetts-based independent label has released more than 3,000 albums in such genres as bluegrass, Americana, Cajun & Zydeco, folk, singer-songwriter and children’s music.

The self-titled 1975 release by J.D. Crowe and the New South (featuring future stars Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice and Jerry Douglas) helped to revitalize bluegrass and inspired such current stars as Rounder’s own Alison Krauss, who collaborated with Led Zeppelin front-man Robert Plant on the album Raising Sand, which was RIAA certified platinum in early 2008 and won five Grammy awards including Album and Record of the Year in 2009. Rounder also has been in the forefront of the preservation and re-release of historic recordings by the likes of Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Mississippi John Hurt, as well as a number of anthologies from the Library of Congress and the Alan Lomax Collection.

Rounder’s creative and marketing functions will continue to be based in Boston and its owners and founders Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton Levy will remain active with the company in a creative and advisory capacities. Its senior management also will remain in place, according to a news release issued earlier this week by the Concord Music Group, one of the world’s largest independent record and music publishing companies. Its labels include Concord Records, Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Stax, Milestone, Riverside, Specialty, Telarc, Peak, Heads Up and Prestige, among others. Through a partnership with Starbucks Entertainment, Concord Music Group also launched the Hear Music label in 2007.

“The combination of Concord and Rounder makes so much sense on a creative, strategic and cultural level, asserts Glen Barros, president and CEO of the Concord Music Group. “With the addition of Rounder, Concord is gaining a magnificent catalog of recordings, the opportunity to work with more of the world’s most amazing artists, and a company filled with some great people. Plus, Rounder’s uncompromising commitment to authenticity and intense independent spirit is perfectly in line with everything that Concord is about.”

Leighton Levy, of Rounder, concurs, and adds: “For us, it’s always been about the music. We have long been aware of Concord’s commitment to great catalogue labels within a vibrant and contemporary independent context, and feel the Concord Records Group provides not only a great home for our music and artists, but also a stronger and more secure position going forward.”

Adds John Virant, president of Rounder: “We’ve always been the little label that could, and our new affiliation with Concord – another fiercely independent organization that shares our core values — ensures that we can remain true to our central calling: discovering and nurturing quality musical talent.”