New Orleans Records was an American

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

based in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and active from 1949 until the early 1980s. Originally founded by Orin Blackstone in 1949, it was revived by Clive Wilson in 1972. The label specialized in New Orleans jazz.

History

The New Orleans Records label was founded and originally run by the writer and jazz discographer Orin Blackstone (1907–1980). Blackstone though preferred the spelling of his first name to be "Oren". It was based in the book and record shop which Blackstone owned with his brother Harvey at 439 Baronne Street in New Orleans. The shop was also known for its backroom

jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...

s where musicians including Raymond Burke and George Girard would play. One of the earliest recordings on the New Orleans label was

Johnny Wiggs Johnny Wiggs (born John Wigginton Hyman, July 25, 1899 - October 10, 1977) was a jazz musician and band leader. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, Wiggs started his music career on the violin. He soon adopted the cornet and moved ...

performing "Bourbon Street Bounce" which had been written by Harvey Blackstone. According to Charles Suhor in ''Jazz in New Orleans: The Postwar Years'', the recording became a surprise hit on local radio. Other New Orleans jazz musicians who recorded for the original New Orleans Records included Armand Hug, and Raymond Burke. Financial troubles forced the closure of the Blackstone record shop in the early 1950s, and Orin Blackstone eventually moved to

Slidell, Louisiana Slidell is a city on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 28,781 at the 2020 census. It is part of the New Orleans− Metairie−Kenner metropolitan statistical area. Hist ...

where he became the editor of the ''Slidell-St. Tammany Times''. In 1972, the British jazz trumpeter Clive Wilson, who had settled in New Orleans in 1964, along with Paige Van Vorst, a jazz fan who lived in Chicago, revived the label. Their first release was " Thomas Valentine at Kohlman's Tavern". Under Wilson the label recorded performances by

Herb Hall Herbert L. Hall (March 28, 1907 – March 5, 1996) was an American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist. Early life Hall was born in Reserve, Louisiana, the brother of Edmond Hall and the son of clarinetist Edward Hall. Career Hall began ...

Frog Joseph Waldren "Frog" Joseph (September 12, 1918 – September 19, 2004) was an American jazz trombone player from New Orleans, Louisiana. Career Joseph played in a variety of styles over his career but was best known as a performer of traditional New ...

, Dave "Fat Man" Williams, and

Jeanette Kimball Jeanette Kimball (18 December 1906 – 28 March 2001), née Jeanette Salvant, was a classically trained American jazz pianist who played in jazz bands for more than 70 years, mostly in New Orleans. She received the Black Men of Labor Jazz Lega ...

. Among the label's releases in the early 1980s was Kimball's ''Sophisticated Lady''. Wilson and Van Vorst issued 10 LPs from 1972 – 1982, then sold the label to GHB/

Jazzology Records Jazzology Records is an American jazz record company and label. It is part of the Jazzology group of labels owned and operated by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation. Jazzology Records was founded in 1949 by George H. Buck, Jr. That year he r ...

in 1992. They published Dave Williams' original songs (French Market Music, BMI) which they retained, and pay royalties to the Williams family.

Early discography

* 751 –

& His New Orleans Music: "Ultra Canal" / "Two Wing Temple In The Sky" (1949) * 752 – Johnny Wiggs & His New Orleans Music: "Bourbon Street Bounce"/"Congo Square" (1949) * 753 –

Herb Morand Herbert Morand (1905 – February 23, 1952) was an American jazz trumpeter, associated with the New Orleans jazz scene. Morand began on trumpet at age eleven after hearing King Oliver. He played with Nat Towles in New Orleans, then moved to New ...

& His New Orleans Jazz Band: "Down In Honky Tonk Town" / "

If You're a Viper "If You're a Viper" (originally released under the title "''You'se a Viper''", and sometimes titled "''If You'se a Viper''") is a jazz song composed by Stuff Smith. It was first recorded by Smith and his Onyx Club Boys in 1936 and released as the ...

" (1950) Later LPS: NOR 7201 Kid Thomas at Kohlman's Tavern, NOR 7202 Ray Burke's Speakeasy Boys, NOR 7203 Lee Collins - A Night at the Victory Club, NOR 7204 Dave "Fat Man" Williams - I Ate Up the Apple Tree, NOR 7205 Alvin Alcorn and his New Orleans Jazz Band, NOR 7206 Johnny Wiggs - Congo Square, NOR 7207 Original Camellia Jazz Band with Special Guest Herb Hall, NOR 7208 Sophisticated Lady - Jeanette Kimball, NOR 7209 Don Ewell/Herb Hall Quartet in New Orleans, NOR 7210 Clive Wilson Plays New Orleans Jazz.

References

External links

New Orleans Records
on the Internet Archive'
Great 78 Project
{{Authority control Jazz record labels Defunct record labels of the United States Record labels based in Louisiana

History

Early discography

See also

References

External links