Riverside Records, a United States record label specializing in jazz, was founded by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews in 1953 in New York City. The label's name was inspired by its Manhattan telephone exchange of The Record Changer, a magazine owned by Grauer and edited by Keepnews. The label was to be a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade.
Initially the company was dedicated to reissuing early jazz material that had fallen into the public domain or was licensed from the Chicago-based Paramount label. Reissued artists included Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver Ma Rainey and James P. Johnson, but the label began issuing its own contemporary jazz recordings in April 1954, starting with pianist Randy Weston. In 1955 the Prestige Records contract of Thelonious Monk was bought out for $108.24, and at the suggestion of Randy Weston, Monk was signed by Riverside, where he remained for the next five years. In the next few years, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin and Wes Montgomery made substantial contributions to Riverside's catalog, establishing it as a major jazz label. Almost all their new jazz recordings were produced by Keepnews, who served as creative head of the label (and several subsidiaries, most notably Jazzland Records), with Grauer directing the company's sales and business operations. Following a sudden heart attack in December of 1963 Grauer died, and the company went bankrupt not long after. By that time, its catalogue had become impressive, both in terms of artist and performances, but it remained inactive until late 1972, when virtually its masters were acquired by Fantasy Records. The vast bulk of its material has been reissued on CD as part of the new owners' "Original Jazz Classics" series and remains available today.
Label Number - Artist - Album title [Issue Date when known][Billboard listing when known]
/ Between songs // Other side [when known]
This list is incomplete:
Riverside RLP 12-241 Sonny Rollins - The Sound of Sonny [1957] High Fidelity
This reissue is a 1978 cutting.
The Last Time I Saw Paris/Just In Time/Toot,Toot, Tootise/What Is There To Say/
Dearly Beloved//Every Time We Say Goodbye/Cutie/It Could Happen To You/Mangoes
16
| 45
| 33 1/3
| 78
Compact Disc
| Reel to Reel
| Cassette
| 8 Track
| 4 Track
| Wax
| Wire
Jazz/Dixieland
| Folk
| Pop and Rock
| Country
| Vocal and Groups
| Comedy
Spoken Word
| Big Band and Instrumental
| Classical/Opera/Ballet
Rhythm and Blues
| Soundtracks
| Kiddie
| Spiritual
| Holiday
| International
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