Crescent Records was an American

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

that produced

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

recordings from 1944 to 1946. It was founded by

Nesuhi Ertegun Nesuhi Ertegun ( Turkish spelling: Nesuhi Ertegün; November 26, 1917 – July 15, 1989) was a Turkish-American record producer and executive of Atlantic Records and WEA International. Early life Born in Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire, Nesuhi ...

to record a band that was assembled to perform on CBS Radio's 1944 variety series ''

The Orson Welles Almanac ''The Orson Welles Almanac'' (also known as ''Radio Almanac'' and ''The Orson Welles Comedy Show'') is a 1944 CBS Radio series directed and hosted by Orson Welles. Broadcast live on the Columbia Pacific Network, the 30-minute variety program w ...

''. Only one group,

Kid Ory Edward "Kid" Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973) was an American jazz composer, Trombone, trombonist and bandleader. One of the early users of the glissando technique, he helped establish it as a central element of Music of New Orle ...

's Creole Jazz Band, was released on the Crescent label, which was distributed by Hollywood's Jazz Man Record Shop. Although only eight discs were released, Crescent Records was involved in the international revival of traditional jazz in the 1940s.

History

Crescent Records was founded by

in 1944, with the express purpose of recording the All Star Jazz Group featured on the CBS Radio program, ''

''. Ertegun, Nesuhi. Liner notes for ''Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band'',

Good Time Jazz Records Good Time Jazz Records was an American jazz record company and label. It was founded in 1949 by Lester Koenig to record the Firehouse Five Plus Two and earned a reputation for Dixieland jazz. The label produced new releases and reissues, includ ...

L-10 and L-11, 1953; also used for ''Tailgate! Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band'', Good Time Jazz Records L-12022, 1957. Ertegun produced the four recording sessions; the label was owned by Marili Morden, proprietor of the Jazz Man Record Shop in Hollywood. Only eight discs were released on the Crescent label, all of them made by the group Ertegun renamed Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band.Ginell, Cary, ''Hot Jazz for Sale: Hollywood's Jazz Man Record Shop''.

Lulu.com Lulu Press, Inc., doing business under trade name Lulu, is an online print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform. By 2014, it had issued approximately two million titles. The company's founder is Red Hat co-founder Bob Young; ...

: Cary Ginell, 2010 The All Star Jazz Group was founded in February 1944 by Marili Morden at the request of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. A passionate and knowledgeable fan of traditional jazz, Welles wanted an authentic New Orleans jazz band for his weekly variety show on CBS Radio. Within minutes Morden assembled

Mutt Carey Thomas "Papa Mutt" Carey (September 17, 1891 – September 3, 1948) was an American jazz trumpeter. Early life Carey was born in Hahnville, Louisiana, and moved to New Orleans with his family in his youth. His older brother Jack Carey was a t ...

(trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

(trombone),

Bud Scott Arthur Budd Scott (January 11, 1890 – July 2, 1949) was an American jazz guitarist, banjoist and singer. He was one of the earliest musicians associated with the New Orleans jazz scene. As a violinist he performed with James Reese Europe' ...

(guitar),

Zutty Singleton Arthur James "Zutty" Singleton (May 14, 1898 – July 14, 1975) was an American jazz drummer. Career Singleton was born in Bunkie, Louisiana, United States, and raised in New Orleans. According to his ''Jazz Profiles'' biography, his unusual ...

(drums),

Buster Wilson Albert Wesley "Buster" Wilson (1897 - October 23, 1949) was an American jazz pianist. Biography Buster Wilson was born in Atlanta and grew up in Los Angeles. He was the replacement for Lil Hardin in King Oliver's band in 1921 during its engage ...

(piano), and

Jimmie Noone James "Jimmie" Noone (April 23, 1895 – April 19, 1944) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. After beginning his career in New Orleans, he led Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, a Chicago band that recorded for Vocalion and Decca ...

(clarinet, replaced by

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creoles of color, Cr ...

after Noone's death). The All Star Jazz Group first performed on ''The Orson Welles Almanac'' March 15, 1944; its last performance was July 12, 1944, on the penultimate show in the series. Their performances on the Welles show were so popular that the band became a regular feature, launched Ory's comeback, and was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz. Bigard, Barney, and Martyn, Barry (ed.), ''With Louis and the Duke: The Autobiography of a Jazz Clarinetist''. New York:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1986. "Viewed in perspective," Ertegun later wrote, "they are among the most significant jazz records ever made: they gave eloquent proof of the continuing vitality of New Orleans jazz at a time when such proof was needed. They also revealed that Kid Ory's trombone was more powerful and more exuberant than it had ever been before, and that the master from New Orleans was still improving after a life almost as long as the life of jazz." Ertegun retired the Crescent label after he purchased

Jazz Man Records Jazz Man Records was an American record company and independent record label devoted to traditional New Orleans-style jazz. David Stuart ''(né'' David Ashford Stuart; 1910–1984) founded the label in 1941 and sold it to his ex-wife, Marili Mo ...

in late 1946. The eight Crescent discs were reissued on the Jazz Man Records label (Jazz Man 21–28) between 1946 and 1947. On January 15, 1952,

purchased the Crescent masters and the rest of the Jazz Man catalog for $5,500. The Crescent recordings were reissued on Good Time Jazz Records L-10 and L-11 (1953) and L-12022 (1957).

Discography

All eight Crescent Records releases feature Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band. # "Creole Song" (Kid Ory)
"

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

" (

Bennie Moten Benjamin Moten (November 13, 1893 – April 2, 1935) was an American jazz pianist and band leader born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He led his Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the regional, blues-based orchest ...

and Thamon Hayes)
Recorded in Hollywood, August 3, 1944; released January 1, 1945

(trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

(trombone), Alton Redd (drums),

(guitar), Omer Simeon (clarinet),

(piano) # "Blues for

Jimmy Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

" (Kid Ory)
"Get Out of Here" (Kid Ory and Bud Scott)
Recorded in Hollywood, August 3, 1944; released January 1, 1945
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass), Kid Ory (trombone), Alton Redd (drums), Bud Scott (guitar), Omer Simeon (clarinet), Buster Wilson (piano) # "Oh Didn't He Ramble" (Traditional)
"

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

" (Traditional)
Recorded in Hollywood, September 8, 1945; released November 15, 1945
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall,Darnell Howard Darnell Howard (July 25, 1895 in Chicago – September 2, 1966 in San Francisco) was an American jazz clarinetist and violinist. Early life Howard began playing violin at age seven, picking up clarinet and saxophone later in his youth. Career ...

(clarinet), Buster Wilson (piano) # "1919" (Traditional)
"Down Home Rag" (

Wilbur Sweatman Wilbur Coleman Sweatman (February 7, 1882 – March 9, 1961) was an American ragtime and dixieland jazz composer, bandleader and clarinetist. Sweatman was one of the first African-American musicians to have fans nationwide. He was also a trai ...

)
Recorded in Hollywood, September 8, 1945; released November 15, 1945
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall, # "Careless Love" (Traditional)
"Do What Ory Say" (Kid Ory)
Recorded in Hollywood, August 5, 1945; released early 1946
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass), Minor Hall (drums), Kid Ory (trombone), Bud Scott (guitar), Omer Simeon (clarinet), Buster Wilson (piano) # "Ory's Creole Trombone" (Kid Ory)
"Original Dixieland One-Step" ( D.J. LaRocca)
Recorded in Hollywood, November 3, 1945; released early 1946
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall, # "

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

" (Will H. Tyers)
"Under the Bamboo Tree" (

Bob Cole Robert Cole may refer to: Entertainment *Robert William Cole (1869–1937), British writer *Bob Cole (composer) (1868–1911), American composer *Bobby Cole (musician) (1932–1996), American musician Sports *Bob Cole (cricketer) (born 1938), for ...

)
Recorded in Hollywood, August 5, 1945; released early 1946
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall, # "

Weary Blues "Weary Blues" is a 1915 tune by Artie Matthews. Despite the name, the form is a multi-strain ragtime rather than a conventional blues. (At the time it was published, many hot or raggy numbers were published with the word "Blues" in the title). I ...

" ( Artie Matthews)
"

Maple Leaf Rag The "Maple Leaf Rag" (copyright registered on September 18, 1899) is an early ragtime musical piece composed for piano by Scott Joplin. It was one of Joplin's early works, becoming the model for ragtime compositions by subsequent composers. It ...

" (

Scott Joplin Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first and most popular pieces, the ...

)
Recorded in Hollywood, November 3, 1945; released early 1946
Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass),

Minor Hall Minor Hall (March 2, 1897 – October 16, 1959), better known as Ram Hall,

References

External links

Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band: 1944–1945 The Legendary Crescent Recording Sessions
at AllMusic (Scott Yanow)

at The Kid Ory Archive {{Authority control Record labels established in 1944 American independent record labels Defunct record labels of the United States American jazz record labels

History

Discography

See also

References

External links