On Internet since 1998

The Birka Jazz Archive
Records we have bought and sold over the years - the rare and the beautiful!

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AMERICAN LABELS

COLUMBIA RECORDS
The pioneers of album cover design

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (1)
David Stone Martin

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (2)
The photographic covers

BLUE NOTE 10" LPs
Searching for a modern jazz identity

BLUE NOTE 1500 series
Defining the hard bop style

BLUE NOTE 4000 series
Masterpieces of Reid Miles

PRESTIGE RECORDS
Images of East Coast jazz

RIVERSIDE RECORDS
Street cred with Thelonious Monk

PACIFIC JAZZ
Moods of Chet and Claxton

CONTEMPORARY
Cool West Coast, great Sound

SAVOY RECORDS
Masterworks by Charlie Parker

DIAL RECORDS
Small label, big Bird sound

ATLANTIC RECORDS
Bold and striking albums

EMARCY RECORDS
The classic drummer logo label

BETHLEHEM RECORDS
The beautiful design of Burt Goldblatt

DEBUT RECORDS
Artist-operated jazz label with Mingus & Roach

CANDID RECORDS
Legendary, early 1960s LPs

ESP-DISK
Free jazz and silk screened covers

IMPULSE RECORDS
Edgy and experimental

RCA VICTOR
The high spirit of Jim Flora

VARIOUS US labels (1)
ABC-Paramount, Aladdin, Argo, Capitol, Coral, Dawn, Decca,
and more

VARIOUS US labels (2)
Epic, Fantasy, HiFi, Imperial, Jazzland, Jazz West, Jubilee, Mercury, Mode, and more

VARIOUS US labels (3)
Roost, Signal, Storyville, Tampa, Transition, United Artists, Vee Jay, and more

EUROPEAN LABELS

SWEDEN (1)
The EP era and Metronome Records in 1950s

SWEDEN (2)
The LPs in the 1950s, and Swedish jazz abroad

SWEDEN (3)
Changing times in the 1960s

SWEDEN (4)
New energy to Swedish jazz in the 1970s

DENMARK
Montmartre, Debut Records and the heydays in Danish jazz

NORWAY
Krog and Garbarek, greats in Norwegian jazz

FINLAND
Plenty of merged styles in Finnish jazz

FRANCE
Americans in Paris, force in French jazz

ENGLAND
Esquire and Tempo, classic labels in British jazz

GERMANY
Jazz labels with strong identity

ITALY
Rare Italian jazz covers

HOLLAND
From Diamonds to ICP in
Dutch jazz

POLAND
Unique series of Polish jazz on Muza

OTHER COUNTRIES
Jazz labels around the world

Riverside Records

From trad jazz
to street cred
with Thelonious Monk

RIVERSIDE was established in 1953 by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer. It started as a reiusse label for early jazz. In 1954, beginning with two 10" LPs by Randy Weston, the company begun recording modern jazz.

Riverside took off for real street credibillity in 1955 by signing Thelonious Monk, and became, after Blue Note and Prestige, the most important jazz label of the era.

Almost all Riverside's new jazz were produced by Orrin Keepnews. Bill Grauer directed the company's sales and business operations. The company established the subsidary labels Judson in late 1950s and Jazzland in 1960.

PAUL BACON designed a large number of covers for Riverside in the 1950s. He had started as designer at Blue Note and went to Riverside as art director in 1954.

Another designer at Riverside was Ken Deardoff. Often hired photographers were Paul Weller and Donald Silverstein, but Riverside also used pictures from William Claxton, Burt Goldblatt and Bob Parent among others.

Riverside issued around 120 LPs in the Archives series (traditionl jazz), of which about the half where 10". In the Contemporary series about 300 12" LPs were issued between 1955 and 1964.

Bill Grauer died in 1963, and the company went bankrupt the following year.

Paul Bacon, who in total made around 2000 covers for Blue Note, Riverside and other labels, turned to the book world in the 1960s. He designed book covers for famous writers such as Norman Mailer, Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut and Philip Roth.

     Paul Bacon in 2002
     Photo: Hank O'Neal

Orrin Keepnews

See also

Paul Bacon at Blue Note

LINKS

Riverside Discography
jazzdisco.com

Interview Paul Bacon
jazzwax.com

Randy Weston: Cole Porter In A Modern Mood Label: Riverside 2508 10" LP 1954
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Bob Parent

Riverside Records

Thelonious Monk: The Unique Label: Riverside 12-209 12" LP 1956
First cover. Design: Gene Gogerty Photo: Carole Reiff

Thelonius Monk: The Unique Label: Riverside 12-304 12" LP c.1957
Second cover. Design: Paul Bacon

Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners Label: Riverside 12-226 12" LP 1957
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Himself Label: Riverside 12-235 12" LP 1957
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Sonny Rollins: The Sound of Sonny´s Music Label: Riverside 12-241 12" LP 1957
Design: Paul Bacon : Photo: Paul Weller

Thelonious Monk: Monk´s Music Label: Riverside 12-242 12" LP 1957
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Freddie Redd: San Francisco Suite Label: Riverside 12-250 12" LP 1957
Design: Paul Bacon : Photo: Dennis Stock

Sonny Rollins: Freedom Suite´s Music Label: Riverside 12-258 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Thelonious Monk: Thelonious in Action Label: Riverside 12-262 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Jack Manning

Ernie Henry: Last Chorus Label: Riverside 12-266 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon

Blue Mitchell: Big Six Label: Riverside 12-273 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Hugh Bell

Chet Baker: It Could Happen To You Label: Riverside 12-278 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Thelonious Monk: Misterioso Label: Riverside 12-279 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon : Painting: Giorgio de Chirico

Max Roach: Deeds, Not Words Label: Riverside 12-280 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Lawrence Shustak

The Other Side of Benny Golson Label: Riverside 12-290 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Paul Weller

Chet Baker: Chet Label: Riverside 12-299 12" LP 1958
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Melvin Sokolsky

Johnny Griffin: Little Giant Label: Riverside 12-304 12" LP 1959
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Charles Stewart

Thlonious Monk: Five by Monk by Five Label: Riverside 12-305 12" LP 1959
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Lawrence N. Shustak

Abbey Lincoln: Abbey Is Blue Label: Riverside 12-308 12" LP 1959
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Lawrence Shustak

Blue Mitchell: Blue Soul Label: Riverside 12-309 12" LP 1959
Design: Paul Bacon Photo: Lawrence Shustak

Thelonious Monk: Alone in San Fransisco Label: Riverside 12-312 12" LP 1959
Design: Paul Bacon : Photo: William Claxton

Julian Priester: Keep Swingin´ Label: Riverside 12-316 12" LP 1960

Bill Evans: Explorations Label: Riverside 351 12" LP 1960
Design: Ken Deardoff : Photo: Mike Custa

Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby Label: Riverside 399 12" LP 1961
Design: Ken Deardoff

Bill Evans: Moon Beams Label: Riverside 428 12" LP 1962
Design: Ken Deardoff : Photo: Peter Sahula

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Riverside Records

From trad jazzto street cred with Thelonious Monk

Riverside Records

From trad jazz
to street cred
with Thelonious Monk