Contents List
A guide to collectible jazz record labels, photos from my collection, with all the essential detail to help identify the date and manufacturer of the record and make that all important decision: how much to bid or pay, or decide after the event that you paid too much, or may be have a bargain.
As well as the label itself, which lots of people do, I try to include macro-shot of the relevant etchings in the run out groove – matrix numbers, catalogue numbers, engineers signature iD, pressing plant identity, stamper and mother codes where relevant. This is physical product, sometimes its a detective game to identify the provenance of the record to hand.
Sub pages for each Label now include relevant listings with a catalogue number, Artist and title, and date recorded when I can find it.
(Note: when on the LJC Home page, point at the topics on the primany top menu bar. All the pages available will come up as a dropdown list below or to the right of the topic if you hovver rather than click in to the topic. If no further pages expand out, then that is the final “nested” page with the information on it.
The primary page is sometimes an index link for those pages as another way to get to them, shorter topics the primary page is all there is.
If you find anything here you think is wrong, or you have a label variation of interest, or have any photos of your stuff you think adds something new, email me at the address at the foot of the ABOUT LJC page.
Blue Note original
- Blue Note History
- Blue Note Audio Quality
- Blue Note Labels
- Covers, spines, lamination and address
- Mono stereo and pseudo-stereo
- The Blue Note Addresses
- The van Gelder stamp
- 9M and other codes for other labels
- Blue Note Deep Groove
- Kakubushi: The Frame Cover
- Blue Note with mixed labels
- Blue Note vinyl edges
- Blue Note weight of vinyl
- Blue Note print fonts
- Blue Note inner sleeves
- LJC’s own unofficial free Guide to First Pressings
Blue Note – The Liberty Years 1968-70
Blue Note – The United Artists Years 1970-79
- Blue Note Record Detective Kit. Plus exclusive! => The Record Detective Squad
Listings
Blue Note Europe
Blue Note Japan
- Blue Note Japanese labels
- Listings – King Records GXK
- Listings – King Records 18P & BST
- Listings – Toshiba_EMI
Contemporary
Esquire (UK)
Fantasy
Fontana
HMV
Impulse!
London
Mercury
Milestone
Mosaic
Pacific Jazz
Parlophone
Philips
Prestige and New Jazz
Tempo and Vogue (UK)
United Artists
If you have any requests, mail me.
LondonJazzCollector 
Norgran, was Norman Granz’ first label I believe. I have only one buried in my collection somewhere, I can’t find it at the moment. It was recommended to me by the owner of Replay Records in New Haven, CT (https://replayrecords.org/). One of the finest sounding albums in my collection and Replay Records is a great source. I have searched in vain for more on this label.
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See: https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/record-labels-guide/8-verve/
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Pablo?
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Pablo…Escobar?
OK, Pablo Records, you knew I knew.
So far I haven’t found a reason to acquire any Pablo – the artist roster falls pretty far outside my purview: Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, MJQ, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, Benny Carter, Count Basie.. OK a Coltrane or two. Later the label was swallowed up by the eponymous Fantasy. where I guess the many Pablo reissues originate. It’s a label I routinely pass over.
Have I got it wrong? Don’t send the boys round, please, explain what I’m missing out on.
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You ain’t missing out on anything, LJC. Except … perhaps … the Milt Jackson & Count Basie double album. Well, one can live without it too – but it’s a hard life.
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Hi LJC,
what do you think about adding Pretoria label?
Very interesting bop and hard-bop music, sought after vinyl from collector and good sounding, too.
In addition, it would be interesting to compare original and reissue Pretoria labels.
Best regards,
Dino
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Can’t say I have ever seen or heard of this label before. If you can do a label shot from your own record collection please send me.
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is the label you mean the French one which issued two Arvanitas trio sessions with Horace Silver’s rhythm sections? Am not aware of any other issues.
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why not ECM ? the better sound today
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A good question. One to add to the to-do list.
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Pingback: Very Cool Column on Blue Note Records
Peter (comment August 5, 2013) Please refer to LJC comments policy
1. Comments deemed to be spam or promoting products or services, or sell records, will be deleted.
No offence intended, but LJC is not “Freebay”. No exceptions.
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There is a “score records” label, here http://www.bsnpubs.com/aladdin/score.html
Not sure this is what you had in mind. Otherwise I dont know them. All of my experiences with modern audiophile reissues (180gm) have been negative. At best they sound like a CD, and I have not found any that could hold a candle to the 50/60s originals. The producers can’t resist plumping up the bass in the mix, and to me they sound “botoxed”, The vinyl can be pretty crappy despite its weight, they dont cut the groove any deeper than on normal weight, so it’s a marketing “gimmick”. That said, they do sound better than Eighties reissues.
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Hi again LJC,
what do you think of the ‘Score’ reissue LP’s? I’ve never heard one myself…
sam
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