Hardbopjazz Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Can you think of artists that a jazz label stayed afloat because of him/her? I can think of these three. John Coltrane - Impulse. Jimmy Smith - Blue Note. Miles Davis - Prestige. Would Wes or Monk be a strong candidate for Riverside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Norah Jones - Blue Note? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted September 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 I forgot about her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Beat Steve Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Was Prestige really that dependent on Miles Davis? Would they have gone under if they had not had Miles? Or isn't this just wishful thinking, given their overall catalog (many of their other acts were no slouches either, after all)? But what about James Brown and the KING label in the 60s?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, sidewinder said: Norah Jones - Blue Note? Those first two albums by her somehow sold nearly 40 million copies combined. I assume that helped extend the classic BN reissue schedule, though I think most of it was already out by then. Edited September 20, 2019 by felser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Prestige...King Pleasure, Annie Ross...they had hits early on, Prestige did. And Gene Ammons, always popular! For BN B4 NoRa, what was that group, US3? Cantaloopin' (On A Sunday Afternoon?) 4 minutes ago, felser said: We can thank her for all of those miraculous BN reissues in the 90's. Wow, she was banking BN even before her first record came out?!?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 7 minutes ago, JSngry said: Prestige...King Pleasure, Annie Ross...they had hits early on, Prestige did. And Gene Ammons, always popular! For BN B4 NoRa, what was that group, US3? Cantaloopin' (On A Sunday Afternoon?) Good point on US3. Hand on the Torch was a gold album, sold a LOT of copies. and was a decade before Norah Jones. 14 minutes ago, JSngry said: Wow, she was banking BN even before her first record came out?!?!?!?! Yeah, I fact checked myself on that one and edited it even before I saw your comment. Man, seems longer ago than 2002 or whatever on that album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Somebody here said that Gene Harris 3 Sounds were carrying BN for a while at one point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said: Can you think of artists that a jazz label stayed afloat because of him/her? I can think of these three. John Coltrane - Impulse. Jimmy Smith - Blue Note. Miles Davis - Prestige. Would Wes or Monk be a strong candidate for Riverside? Isn't it Lee Morgan - Blue Note? I always thought "The Sidewinder" was the record that pulled Blue Note out of a bit of a tailspin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted September 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Yeah, "The Sidewinder" and also "Song For My Father" were the top sellers, but I was looking for artists that over a loner stretch of time sustained the label. But I guess this discussion can focus on one release too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 1 hour ago, JSngry said: Somebody here said that Gene Harris 3 Sounds were carrying BN for a while at one point. They would have outsold Jimmy Smith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 I think this was after Smith left BN and had taken up at Verve (where he started of with a BIG bang), but before Sidewinder. 62-65, roughly. Not my claim, though. IIRC, somebody (Dan?) brought it up here a few years ago. I was a little surprised, but it would make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duaneiac Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Phil Woods - Philology Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 1 hour ago, JSngry said: I think this was after Smith left BN and had taken up at Verve (where he started of with a BIG bang), but before Sidewinder. 62-65, roughly. Not my claim, though. IIRC, somebody (Dan?) brought it up here a few years ago. I was a little surprised, but it would make sense. I've never had reason to believe The Sounds "carried" Blue Note but my understanding is that they were consistent sellers, and you did need those to put out any number of other records by more adventurous musicians (Can I have a HAAG please?). But Jimmy Smith probably did that too, thru out the same period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Both JOS and the 3 Sounds sold well enuff to get full color covers (a rare privilege @ BN), but the Sounds left for greener pastures first - their last BN session during their initial tenure was June '62 and Smith's last recording for BN were Feb. '63. AND they both left lots in the can which the label doled out for decades after, starting during what we're imagining to be a dry time for them. BN during the Alfred & Francis years was no doubt a day to day struggle. it's why so many great sessions went unreleased. Beyond that, details are kinda sketchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, danasgoodstuff said: Both JOS and the 3 Sounds sold well enuff to get full color covers (a rare privilege @ BN), but the Sounds left for greener pastures first - their last BN session during their initial tenure was June '62 and Smith's last recording for BN were Feb. '63. AND they both left lots in the can which the label doled out for decades after, starting during what we're imagining to be a dry time for them. BN during the Alfred & Francis years was no doubt a day to day struggle. it's why so many great sessions went unreleased. Beyond that, details are kinda sketchy. I remember reading somewhere that the initial release of Tina Brooks' "True Blue" sold under 1000 copies, which would certainly explain why his other albums stayed in the can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 It is known that BN's break even point while still a two man operation was somewhere 'in the low thousands', so your estimate of just how poorly True Blue sold is probably at least ballpark right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmonahan Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 I think Ella pretty much carried Verve in the early years. gregmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 20, 2019 Report Share Posted September 20, 2019 Later in Prestige's life, how about Groove Holmes with the Misty single, and the Soul Message and Misty albums? My guess for Riverside would be Monk in the later '50s, and Cannonball during the Kennedy administration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulpope Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Keith Jarrett for ECM .... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrdlu Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Gene Ammons was a big seller for Prestige. However, the Miles albums sold well. It is definitely known that Jimmy Smith saved Blue Note, from 1956 onward. They had gone through the trauma of starting 10" LPs, and then, soon afterward, had to re-tool with 12" LPs. They began recording Jimmy in early 1956 and issued albums quickly. They were, at the time, the only label with B3 recordings in the new style. Alfred even wanted to drop the company and become Jimmy's manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonewall15 Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 Dave Brubeck on Fantasy. Also with Miles also helped Columbia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felser Posted September 21, 2019 Report Share Posted September 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Stonewall15 said: Dave Brubeck on Fantasy. Also with Miles also helped Columbia. Columbia had Johnny Mathis, "Sing Along With Mitch" , the "West Side Story" original cast and movie soundtrack albums, etc. They were not depending on Miles and Brubeck for survival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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