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| Verve Records Celebrates American Jazz Founded in 1956 by jazz impresario Norman Granz, Verve Records, along with its associated labels, has consistently been at the forefront of jazz's development as both an American art form and an influential commercial force for more than half a century. In this time, Verve continued to nurture and foster the careers of many of jazz's most original and influential artists, building a catalog that encompasses the most celebrated recordings while working to popularize the music with new and larger audiences. On December 10, 2013, Verve Records/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will release Verve – The Sound Of America – The Singles Collection, a 5-CD collection featuring 100 singles from the Verve catalog, over 20 of which have been out of print for years, all packaged in a stylish two-part, lift-off box with a 48-page booklet and extensive liner notes. Included are tracks from jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Smith, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins and Astrud Gilberto. It was at the tail end of 1955 that Norman Granz decided to form Verve Records; he did so for Ella Fitzgerald, as he already managed her career, but also felt he knew how to make the kind of records the singer should be making – history has proven he was right. However, the story of Verve goes back a decade or more where it can trace its roots in Granz's ambition to take jazz out of the clubs and into concert halls, as well as in Clef and Norgran, the record labels that he had been running for a number of years. His "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concerts were groundbreaking and, for Granz, starting a record company was a way of expanding his JATP franchise, but almost immediately the artists that appeared in his concerts recognized the opportunity of making studio recordings. By the late 1940s and early 1950s the artists that Granz recorded for his Clef and Norgran labels included Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Count Basie and Stan Getz. Verve – The Sound Of America – The Singles Collection takes you through the history of one of the most influential jazz labels of all-time with tracks such as Ella Fitzgerald's Top 50 hit "Mack The Knife" (1960); Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto's Top 5, GRAMMY Award winning hit "The Girl From Ipanema" (1964); Jimmy Smith's Top 100 hit "The Cat" (1964) and Diana Krall's "The Look Of Love" (2001). Also featured are jazz renditions of contemporary classics such as Wes Montgomery's version of The Mamas & The Papas' classic hit "California Dreaming" (1966), Don Sebesky's version of the Beatles "The Word" (1968) and Willie Bobo's original version of "Evil Ways" (1968), the song made famous by Santana. The Sound Of America also features many singles from the those early Clef and Norgran eras including Charlie Parker's "Just Friends" (1949) and "Bloomdido" (1950) featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell and Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie's "I Can't Get Started" (1956) featuring Quincy Jones, Oscar Peterson's "Debut" (1950), and Billie Holiday's "You Go To My Head" (1952) and "Tenderly" (1952). The box set is being issued in conjunction with the November 4, 2013 publication of a lavishly illustrated, 400-page new book Verve: The Sound of America written by Richard Havers and published by Thames & Hudson. A stunning volume, Verve: The Sound of America tells the entire story of jazz—from its earliest days in New Orleans to the 1970s and beyond—through Verve archival material. This superb book presents some of the rarest records and unseen ephemera from the label that helped define the world of jazz. Hundreds of the best examples of iconic seven-inch, ten-inch, and twelve-inch records appear along with publicity reports, news clippings, ledger books, telegrams, and contracts. Looking beyond the music scene, the book discusses segregation in America, the missions to take jazz to Europe and the world, the clubs, the places, and the people who made jazz vital. Commentary from the biggest names in jazz today, including some of Verve's own artists, complements the text. Richard Havers's previous books include Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey and Sinatra. He is a consultant to Universal on jazz and has produced box sets including Louis Armstrong: Ambassador of Jazz and Ella Fitzgerald: The Voice of Jazz. With a vital combination of respect for the past and a drive towards the future, Verve continues to pursue the same sense of musical adventure that first motivated its creation and continues to evolve with the times, reinventing and reinvigorating itself with the infusion alike. With jazz currently reaching a broader audience than very before, Verve is a stronger musical and social force than ever, preserving its remarkable legacy while building towards a bright musical future. TRACK LISTING: ARTIST TITLE CD1 Jazz at the Philharmonic Perdido, Pt. 1&2 Charlie Parker/Flip Phillips/Machito No Noise, Pt. 1&2 Slim Gaillard Opera In Vout, Pt. 1&2 Charlie Parker Just Friends Lester Young I Cover the Waterfront Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie (with Thelonious Monk) Bloomdido Coleman Hawkins There's a Small Hotel Oscar Peterson Debut Johnny Hodges Castle Rock Illinois Jacquet Port Of Rico Billie Holiday You Go To My Head Roy Eldridge Dale's Wail Billie Holiday Tenderly Ben Webster Tenderly Count Basie/Joe Williams Alright, Okay, You Win Count Basie April In Paris Dizzy Gillespie I Can't Get Started Anita O'Day The Rock And Roll Waltz Ella Fitzgerald Too Young For The Blues Gene Krupa Boogie Blues CD2 Fred Astaire Hello Baby Ella Fitzgerald (The End of) A Beautiful Friendship Ella Fitzgerald Stay There Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong Stars Fell On Alabama Bing Crosby Mountain Greenery Ella Fitzgerald Manhattan Woody Herman I Wonder Oscar Peterson I've Never Left Your Arms Ella Fitzgerald It's All Right With Me Johnny Hodges I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter Buddy Bregman Derek's Blues Teddy Wilson Sayonara Oscar Peterson The Golden Striker Gene Krupa Sing, Sing, Sing, Pt. 1&2 Ella Fitzgerald Stairway To The Stars Dizzy Gillespie Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac, Pt. 1&2 Mel Torme Frenesi Louis Bellson Lulu's Back In Town Billie Holiday Strange Fruit Louis Armstrong Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen CD3 Oscar Peterson On The Street Where You Live Ella Fitzgerald Mack The Knife Terry Gibbs Let's Do It Gerry Mulligan I'm Gonna Go Fishin', Pt. 1&2 Ella Fitzgerald How High The Moon, Pt. 1&2 Roy Eldridge Bossa Nova Ella Fitzgerald Mr. Paganini Ella Fitzgerald Cry Me A River Jimmy Smith Walk On The Wild Side, Pt. 1&2 Stan Getz Desafinado Jimmy Smith Ol' Man River Blossom Dearie Teach Me Tonight Terry Gibbs The Hippie Twist Ella Fitzgerald Desafinado Stan Getz Manha De Carnaval (Morning Of The Carnival) Jimmy Smith Hobo Flats, Pt. 1&2 Ella Fitzgerald Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home Stan Getz & Luis Bonfa Sambalero Bill Evans On Broadway Kai Winding More CD4 Bill Evans Theme from The VIPs Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Smith What'd I Say? Jimmy Smith Theme From "Any Number Can Win" Oscar Peterson Hymn To Freedom Antonio Carlos Jobim Corcovado Ella Fitzgerald/Count Basie Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall Wynton Kelly If That's The Way You Want It Kai Winding Mondo Cane, #2 Jimmy Smith Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Pt. 1&2 Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto Blowin' In The Wind Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto The Girl From Ipanema Ella Fitzgerald Hello, Dolly Louis Armstrong Makin' Who write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |