How common were 78 jazz albums

[medjuck]

At the Miles Davis museum exhibit they displayed several Savoy and Dial albums. IIRC the Dial were for colleactions of Bird

78s but the Savoy for various boppers and just titled Be Bop vol 1 etc. and advertised Bird as well as "Izzy Goldberg"-- I guess because Dizzy was under contract elsewhere. (RCA?)

I remember that most of the 78s my parents owned were in albums but never thought jazz albums

were that common. Was I wrong? Were whole sessions ever released as albums?

Edited August 29, 2010 by medjuck

[Big Beat Steve]

Considering how much one has seen in jazz 78 rpm albums (containing anything from 2 to 5 78s) through the years without ever being able to afford them there must have been an AWFUL lot.

Just have a look at that famous and often-reproduced photo of the storefronot of the Commodore Record Shop that was chock full with jazz (or jazz-ish) albums. And no doubt this was just a TINY fraction of what was available just at the time that pic was taken.

And for a more recent glimpse at a little bit of what there was back then, have a look at this and DROOL!

http://www.gokudo.co.jp/Record/SPRec/index.htm

I am glad I've accumulated a handful 78 rpm albums in the course of the years (including items by the Lamplighter All Stars, Hazel Scott, Mildred Bailey, and a few more) but these are next to nothing compared to what there was. Many of them would be worth acquiring just for their cover artwork!

Edited August 30, 2010 by Big Beat Steve

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I agree with Steve. The only real jazz album of 78s I've seen was owned by my landlord in the sixties. It was a collection of 78s by Fred Elizalde, a British bandleader, whose band featured that Chicago musician, whose name I can never remember, but who's well known for playing baritone sax, clarinet and hot fountain pen. Some Italian-sounding name, I think.

MG

[sidewinder]

I agree with Steve. The only real jazz album of 78s I've seen was owned by my landlord in the sixties. It was a collection of 78s by Fred Elizalde, a British bandleader, whose band featured that Chicago musician, whose name I can never remember, but who's well known for playing baritone sax, clarinet and hot fountain pen. Some Italian-sounding name, I think.

MG

Adrian Rollini?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I agree with Steve. The only real jazz album of 78s I've seen was owned by my landlord in the sixties. It was a collection of 78s by Fred Elizalde, a British bandleader, whose band featured that Chicago musician, whose name I can never remember, but who's well known for playing baritone sax, clarinet and hot fountain pen. Some Italian-sounding name, I think.

MG

Adrian Rollini?

That's the man!

MG

[Harold_Z]

78 rpm albums were common. Jazz albums were common after 1940 or so. I think the first jazz issue was Chicago Jazz on Decca Followed by Kansas City Jazz and New Orleans . All George Avakian productions. Many 10" lps were issued with the same cover as the 78 issues.

[jeffcrom]

I'm into my second year of 78 RPM obsession, and have found that there more 78 albums than I realized - both jazz and otherwise. The jazz albums seem to have been split between sessions designed for album release and reissues - either historical or collections of an artist's most popular sides. Actually, calling the latter kind of collection "reissue" is not always accurate - several Armstrong Hot Fives and Sevens were first issued in such albums.

Here are a couple of early Columbia albums with great Jim Flora covers. I have the Kid Ory; it's an example of music that was intended for album release - this is the first release of the two sessions involved.

Edited August 30, 2010 by jeffcrom

[colinmce]

I passed up that Bix & Tram one a couple months ago and to my dying day I will never know why. It was beat up, but was also only $6. Hmph.

[gmonahan]

Many of them would be worth acquiring just for their cover artwork!

And the labels. Still think Commodore had the prettiest one.

gregmo

[Spontooneous]

Judging from the number of them I've seen around the Midwest, I'd guess that the best sellers included the RCA and Columbia boogie-woogie sets and Columbia's "Blues by Basie." Honestly, you don't see the Decca "Kansas City" album around Kansas City very much.

[Teasing the Korean]

I still have my Dad's 78 album set of "The King Cole Trio" on Capitol, with the pink cover. 4 discs, 8 tunes.

[Jim R]

I used to pick up 78 albums from time to time back in the 80's when I was out vinyl and shellac (but mostly vinyl) hunting. I had a Zenith "Cobra-matic", which sounded fantastic. Anyway, finding jazz albums on 78's was relatively rare. I found a lot of singles on a nice variety of labels, but the albums tended to be the more common stuff... Basie, Benny Goodman, etc. I did find a cool 12" 78 album (two discs, as I recall) on Asch, though... The Art Tatum Trio with Tiny Grimes and Slam Stewart.

By the way, am I the only one here who ever picked up a 78 album at a garage sale and allowed one of the discs to slide out... four feet above the cement floor? :blush2: It only happened once, thank goodness. This reminds me... I do remember finding quite a few of those albums with discs missing or in pieces.

[medjuck]

I bought the 2 disc (12") original Black, Brown and Beige album and managed to break both discs when I was moving. I kept the album and am trying to figure out a way to frame it.

[danasgoodstuff]

Adrian Rollini played BASS sax...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Adrian Rollini played BASS sax...

Ah - it was 1968 when I lived there. You try remembering what instrument someone of minor importance to you was playing 42 years after the event

MG

[Teasing the Korean]

With the 45 rpm album becoming an audiophile format, it's a matter of time before we come full circle and are back to the days of 78 albums.

I've written elsewhere: 78s from the 1950s that were recorded on tape and pressed on modern vinyl sound AMAZING when they're played with the right stylus.

Also:

Not exactly jazz, but I've managed to find intact 78 albums of Cugat's Rhumbas (Columbia), Sam Hoffman/Les Baxter "Music Out of the Moon" (Capitol) and Rozsa's "Spellbound" (forget the label).

[bichos]

With the 45 rpm album becoming an audiophile format, it's a matter of time before we come full circle and are back to the days of 78 albums.

I've written elsewhere: 78s from the 1950s that were recorded on tape and pressed on modern vinyl sound AMAZING when they're played with the right stylus.

Also:

Not exactly jazz, but I've managed to find intact 78 albums of Cugat's Rhumbas (Columbia), Sam Hoffman/Les Baxter "Music Out of the Moon" (Capitol) and Rozsa's "Spellbound" (forget the label).

ara