The Blue Note Label

Music lovers have been attracted to the distinct style and sleek sound of jazz since its birth at the turn of the century. The album covers collected in this comprehensive volume under the well-known Blue Note record label embody classic design and pioneering typography. Two hundred color photographs of the album sleeves, an informative history of the Blue Note record company, and a portrait of Reid Miles, who designed nearly 500 album covers, capture the integrity of this distinctive record label. Sophisticated jazz connoisseurs and young listeners alike, as well as those with an interest in style and graphic design, will enjoy this exciting book of jazz memorabilia.

From 1939 until the late 1960s, much of the best in recorded mainstream jazz was issued on the Blue Note label, which set the standard for excellence in both music and production. . . . The present work provides complete discographical information on every recording made or issued by Blue Note. Included is also an index of listed artists, a history of the label, and 11 pages of photographs. Although partial discographies of the Blue Note catalog have been published previously, this is the first comprehensive one to appear. One of the authors is an acknowledged authority on Blue Note and the other is a widely published discographer. Because of the importance of Blue Note in the history of jazz, this meticulously prepared book would be a worthwhile addition to any music reference section in either public or academic libraries. Choice This discography consists of a complete listing of all the sessions recorded by the Blue Note label, starting in 1939, and extending through the label's temporary demise in 1981 and subsequent revitalization in 1985. The first part of the discography details all the sessions conducted by Lion and Wolff from 1939 through mid-1967. All existing takes are listed and numbered. The next section lists all the Blue Note sessions of 1967 through 1979, when the label became part of the Liberty and then EMI recording companies. Part 3 and 4 of the discography list Blue Note reissues of material from EMI and other labels. Part 5 details Blue Note sessions made or issued by the new Blue Note series, which was started in 1985. Sessions are listed with all available information on personnel, recording locations and dates, and master and issue numbers. Part 6 lists single series, Part 7 lists album series, and both provide comprehensive lists of foreign issues along with a table of equivalent U.S. singles or albums. Foreign reissues that are identical to U.S. issues are not listed. The work then provides compact disc and cassette tape listings, and concludes with an artist index. The index contains all the names appearing in the session listings, and indicates cases where the artists appeared as sideman.

Insightful scenes abound in the first full history of the most noted label in jazz history. With record-collector zeal, Cook analyzes everything from Sidney Bechet's 78s to Norah Jones' recent chart-topper.

The jazz company Blue Note has always had a reputation for producing fine album covers. This book provides a collection of some of the best Blue Note album covers ever designed. The book will be of interest to jazz and design buffs alike.

In 1939, Alfred Lion and Max Margulis started a record label whose primary focus was jazz & swing. They named their label; Blue Note Records and the rest is history. Over the span of seventy-six years, Blue Note has been a home at one time or another for almost every major and significant artist in jazz music. Blue Note has tested the grounds of every format of jazz music from advent-garde to hard bop and has harvested a roster of major names like Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Lou Rawls, Lee Morgan and an endless list of others. Jazz aficionado, Michael Malott has extensively compiled a two volume set chronicling both Blue Notes releases and recording sessions since the labels inception. Volume one "The Recordings" is a complete and extensive Blue Note discography and the volume covers all the recordings including all pertinent information relating to those recordings including, personnel, date, studio and more. Volume two "The Sessions" covers the Blue Note recording sessions in detail including studio personnel, tracks, outtakes, players, dates and more.

"A jazz-lover's delight."—Ray Olson, Booklist Noted jazz author Ashley Kahn brings to life the behind-the-scenes story of Impulse Records, one of the most significant record labels in the history of popular music. “Kahn mingles engaging stories of corporate politics with insider accounts of music-making and anecdotal takes on particular albums. His history of Impulse is also the story of the genesis of an American art form and the evolution of the record industry through the tumultuous 1960s—and will compel readers to seek out this label’s masterful albums,” says Publishers Weekly in a starred review. Kirkus Reviews calls the book “a swinging read,” adding that “Kahn covers all the aesthetic, business, social, and historical bases with crisp economy.” Don’t miss the exciting inside scoop behind some of the most enduring masterpieces of jazz!

A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.