Palo Alto Records was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

record company and label that released most of its discography in the 1980s. The label was founded in 1981 by Jim Benham, who lived in

Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...

. He played trumpet in a big band and was chairman of the Benham Capital Management Group.

Herb Wong Herbert H. Wong (March 18, 1926 – April 20, 2014) was an American jazz enthusiast, educator, writer, producer, disc jockey and zoologist. Wong became interested in jazz music as a child and had his first experience broadcasting while serving in ...

, an educator and disc jockey in San Francisco, was artistic director until 1985. The Palo Alto office closed that year, but the label moved to

Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

. Palo Alto also operated a sublabel, TBA Records, which recorded Alvin Hayes, George Howard, and

Rare Silk Rare Silk was an American vocal jazz group that was active during the 1980s. MaryLynn Gillaspie and her sister, Gaile, grew up in southern California. Their father played trumpet, and from an early age they heard big band music and Ella Fitzgeral ...

Discography

* 8001: Full Faith & Credit Big Band – ''Debut'' (1980) * 8002: Paul Robertson – ''The Song Is You'' (1980) * 8003: Full Faith & Credit Big Band – ''Jazz Faire'' (1981) * 8004: Barone Brothers – ''Blues and Other Happy Moments'' (1979) * 8005: Tee Carson – ''Basically Count'' (1981) * 8007:

Lanny Morgan Lanny Morgan (born March 30, 1934 in Des Moines, Iowa) is an American jazz alto saxophonist chiefly active on the West Coast jazz scene. Morgan was raised in Los Angeles. In the 1950s he played with Charlie Barnet, Si Zentner, Terry Gibbs, and ...

– ''It's About Time'' (1981) * 8008:

Les Demerle Lester William DeMerle (born November 4, 1946, Brooklyn) is an American jazz drummer, vocalist, and bandleader. Career DeMerle first picked up drums at age ten. He studied drums and percussion with Bob Livingstone in New York from 1960 to 1965, j ...

– ''On Fire'' (1981) * 8009:

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

– ''

Urban Dreams ''Urban Dreams'', is an album by jazz baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams which was recorded in 1981 and originally released on the Palo Alto Records, Palo Alto label.

'' (1981) * 8010:

Don Menza Don Menza (born April 22, 1936) is an American jazz saxophonist. Career Menza was born in Buffalo, New York. After serving in the U.S. Army, he was part of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra from 1960 to 1962 and then briefly worked for Stan Kento ...

– ''Hip Pocket'' (1981) * 8011:

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Re ...

– ''Jazz Party/First Time Together'' (1981) * 8012:

Larry Vuckovich Larry Vuckovich (born December 8, 1936) is an American jazz pianist from Yugoslavia. Career Born in Kotor, a small Montenegrin coastal town in the former Yugoslavia, the pianist was classically trained as a child but was also drawn to the jazz ...

– ''City Sounds, Village Voices'' (1981) * 8013: Paul Robertson – ''Old Friends, New Friends'' (1982) * 8014:

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

– ''

One Entrance, Many Exits ''One Entrance, Many Exits'' is an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron recorded in 1982 and released by the Palo Alto label.

'' (1982) * 8016:

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

– ''

Earth Jones ''Earth Jones'' is a jazz album by drummer Elvin Jones recorded in 1982 and released on the Palo Alto label.

'' (1982) * 8017:

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

– ''Play of Light'' (1984) * 8019: Meredith D'Ambrosio – ''Little Jazz Bird'' (1982) * 8020: Mike Campbell – ''Secret Fantasy'' (1982) * 8021:

Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to: Sports * James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player * James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player * James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Ame ...

– ''Heart of the Forrest'' (1978) * 8022:

Marvin Stamm Marvin Louis Stamm (born May 23, 1939) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Stamm was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Stamm began on trumpet at age twelve. He attended North Texas State University, where he was a member of the One O ...

– ''Stammpede'' (1983) * 8023: Richie Cole – ''Return to Alto Acres'' (1982) * 8024: Free Flight– ''The Jazz/Classic Union'' (1982) * 8025: Scott Scheer – ''Rappin' It Up'' (1982) * 8026:

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer. Biography Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mother played trumpet, her uncle is bassist Charles Burrell, and h ...

– ''Welcome to My Love'' (1982) * 8027: David Lahm – ''Real Jazz for the Folks Who Feel Jazz'' (1982) * 8028:

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

Dave McKenna Dave McKenna (May 30, 1930 – October 18, 2008) was an American jazz pianist known primarily as a solo pianist and for his " three-handed" swing style. He was a significant figure in the evolution of jazz piano. Career He was born in Woonsock ...

– ''

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

: A Tribute '' (1982) * 8029: Continuum – ''Mad About Tadd'' (1982) featuring

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually co ...

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...

* 8030:

Mary Watkins Mary D. Watkins (born 1939, Denver, Colorado) is an American composer and pianist in jazz and classical music. Watkins graduated from Howard University in 1972 and began performing in jazz ensembles in Washington, D.C. shortly after. Watkins rele ...

– ''Winds of Change'' (1981) * 8031: John Abercrombie – ''

Solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

'' (1984) * 8032: Various Artists – ''Mistletoe Magic'' (1981, 1982, 1983) * 8033:

Arnie Lawrence Arnold Lawrence Finkelstein (July 10, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York – April 22, 2005 in Jerusalem, Israel) was an American jazz saxophonist. Career Lawrence studied clarinet in his youth before switching to saxophone. He played from age 12 in clu ...

– ''Renewal'' (1981) * 8034:

Linda Hopkins Linda Hopkins (December 14, 1924 – April 10, 2017) was a Tony-winning American actress and blues and gospel singer. She recorded classic, traditional, and urban blues, and performed R&B and soul, jazz, and show tunes. Biography Born Mel ...

– ''How Blue Can You Get'' (1982) * 8035: George Howard – ''Asphalt Gardens'' (1982) * 8036: Richie Cole – ''Alto Annie's Theme'' (1982?) * 8037: David Diggs – ''Realworld'' (1983) * 8038:

Sheila Jordan Sheila Jordan (born Sheila Jeanette Dawson; November 18, 1928) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She has recorded as a session musician with an array of critically acclaimed artists in addition to recording her own albums. Jordan pionee ...

Harvie Swartz Harvie S (born Harvie Swartz; December 6, 1948) is an American jazz double-bassist. He learned piano as a child and did not begin playing bass until 1967, when he was nineteen years old.Scott Yanow, Harvie Swartzat Allmusic He attended Berklee ...

– ''Old Time Feeling'' (1982) * 8039:

– '' Brother John '' (1982) with

Pat LaBarbera Pat (Pascel Emmanuel) LaBarbera (born April 7, 1944) is an American-born Canadian jazz tenor, alto and soprano saxophonist, clarinetist, and flautist born in Mt. Morris, New York, most notable for his work as a soloist in Buddy Rich bands fr ...

Kenny Kirkland Kenneth David Kirkland (September 28, 1955 – November 12, 1998) was an American pianist and keyboardist. Biography Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Kirkland was six when he first sat down at a piano keyboard. After years ...

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman worke ...

Allmusic ''Brother John'' review AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

/ref> * 8041: Richie Cole – ''Yakety Madness'' (1982) * 8042:

– ''Cast Your Fate'' * 8043:

David Friesen David Friesen (born May 6, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American jazz bassist. He plays double bass and electric upright bass. Career Friesen began playing bass while serving in the United States Army in Germany. He played with John Hand ...

– ''Amber Skies'' (1983) * 8044:

Denny Zeitlin Denny Zeitlin (born April 10, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and clinical professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. Since 1963, he has recorded more than 100 compositions and was a first-place winner in the ...

– ''Tidal Wave '' (1981, 1983) * 8046:

Teo Macero Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' ''Bitches Brew'', and Dave ...

– ''Impressions of Charles Mingus'' (1983) * 8047: Various Artists – ''More Mistletoe Magic'' (1985) * 8048: Doug Sertl – ''Uptown Express'' (1982) * 8049:

Dusan Bogdanovic Dusan may refer to: * Dušan, a Slavic given name * Dusan, a son of Ra's al Ghul * Stefan Dušan (1308–1355), emperor of Serbia See also *Doosan Group Doosan Group () is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation. In 2009, the corp ...

– ''Early to Rise'' (1983) * 8050: Free Flight – ''Soaring'' (1983) * 8052:

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

– ''Storm'' (1982) * 8053:

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

– ''Secret of the Andes'' (1982) * 8054: Victor Feldman – ''Soft Shoulder'' (1982) * 8055:

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Latin American musical elemen ...

– ''

Ins and Outs ''Ins and Outs'' is an album by Argentine composer, pianist and conductor Lalo Schifrin recorded in 1982 and released on the Palo Alto label.Payne, DLalo Schifrin discographyaccessed March 8, 2012 Reception The Allmusic review stated "Schifrin ha ...

'' (1982) * 8056: Victor Feldman – ''To Chopin With Love'' (1983) * 8057: C'est What?– ''Eight Stories'' (1983) * 8061:

Quest A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. The word serves as a plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult journey towards a goal, often symbolic or allegorical. Tales of quests figure prominently in the folklore of ever ...

– ''Quest'' (1981) * 8070: Richie Cole – ''Bossa Nova Eyes'' * 8074:

Rob McConnell Robert Murray Gordon "Rob" McConnell, (14 February 1935 – 1 May 2010) was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger.Jeff Sultanof. Experiencing Big Band Jazz: A Listener's Companion'. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; 8 November 20 ...

– '' All in Good Time'' (1982) * 8075: Free Flight – ''Beyond the Clouds'' (1984) * 8076: Northwind – ''Circles in the Fire'' (1984) * 8077:

– ''Live from San Francisco'' (1983) * 8078: Bobbe Norris – ''Hoisted Sails'' (1983) * 8080: Various Artists – ''Jazz Monterey'' (1958–1980) * 8081:

Sammy Nestico Samuel Louis Nistico (February 6, 1924 – January 17, 2021), better known as Sammy Nestico, was an American composer and arranger. Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra. Early life and education Samuel Luigi ...

– ''Dark Orchid'' (1982) * 8083:

– ''

Just Feelin' ''Just Feelin is a 1985 album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner originally released on the Palo Alto label. It features performances by Tyner with his trio featuring bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Louis Hayes along with percussionist Babatunde. Rec ...

'' (1985) * 8084:

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...

– ''Live from New York'' (1982) * 8086:

– ''American Eyes'' (1985)

References

{{Authority control Jazz record labels American record labels Music of the San Francisco Bay Area