Groove Merchant
Groove Merchant | |
---|---|
Founded | 1971 |
Founder | Sonny Lester |
Distributor(s) | Pickwick Records |
Genre | Jazz, R&B |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Official website | lrc-groovemerchantrecords |
Groove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was run by producer
Lonnie Smith and Lionel Hampton. Lester would later close Groove Merchant and restructure it as Lester Radio Corporation, or LRC; TK Records
were distributors for a period. Lester still retains the rights to the Groove Merchant/LRC back catalog and independently distributes them on compact disc.
Discography
500 Series
The Groove Merchant 500 Series consisted of 34 albums released between 1971 and 1974.[1]
Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
GM 501 | O'Donel Levy | Black Velvet | |
GM 502 | Junior Parker | You Don't Have To Be Black To Love The Blues | UK title: Blue Shadows Falling |
GM 503 | Jimmy McGriff | Groove Grease | |
GM 504 | Joe Thomas | Joy of Cookin' | |
GM 505 | Groove Holmes | American Pie | |
GM 506 | Jimmy McGriff | Let's Stay Together | |
GM 507 | O'Donel Levy | Breeding of Mind | |
GM 508 | Lucky Thompson | Goodbye Yesterday | |
GM 509 | Jimmy McGriff | Fly Dude | |
GM 510 | Dakota Staton | Madame Foo-Foo | |
GM 511 | Reuben Wilson | The Sweet Life | |
GM 512 | Groove Holmes | Night Glider | |
GM 513 | Junior Parker | Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On | originally released as The Outside Man on Capitol |
GM 514 | Larry Willis | Inner Crisis | |
GM 515 | Jimmy McGriff / Lucky Thompson + George Freeman + O'Donel Levy | Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail
|
Live split album |
GM 516 | Ramon Morris | Sweet Sister Funk | |
GM 517 | Lucky Thompson | I Offer You | |
GM 518 | O'Donel Levy | Dawn of a New Day | |
GM 519 | George Freeman | New Improved Funk | |
GM 520 | Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes | Giants of the Organ Come Together | |
GM 521 | Dakota Staton | I Want a Country Man | |
GM 522 | Carmen McRae | It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling | |
GM 523 | Reuben Wilson | The Cisco Kid | |
GM 524 | No release issued for this part number | ||
GM 525 | Mike Longo | Funkia | |
GM 526 | O'Donel Levy | Simba | |
GM 527 | Groove Holmes | New Groove | |
GM 528 | Buddy Rich | The Roar of '74 | |
GM 529 | Jimmy McGriff | If You're Ready Come Go with Me | Compilation featuring tracks from Soul Sugar, Groove Grease, Let's Stay Together and Fly Dude, plus two previously unreleased tracks. |
GM 530 | Chick Corea | Sundance | Reissue of GM 2202 |
GM 531 | Carmen McRae | Ms. Jazz | |
GM 532 | Dakota Staton | Ms. Soul | |
GM 533 | Zoot Sims and Bucky Pizzarelli + Buddy Rich | Nirvana | |
GM 534 | Jimmy McGriff | The Main Squeeze | |
GM 535 | O'Donel Levy | Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky |
2200 Series
The 2200 Series, released in 1972, consisted of five albums which feature previously released and/or unissued material produced by Sonny Lester for various other labels.[2]
Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
GM 2201 | Count Basie | Evergreens | originally released as Basic Basie on MPS. |
GM 2202 | Chick Corea | Sundance | previously unreleased tracks from the 'Is' recording sessions for Solid State. |
GM 2203 | Jimmy McGriff | Black and Blues | double LP of previously unreleased material recorded circa 1963. |
GM 2204 | Jeremy Steig | Fusion | double LP featuring tracks originally released as Energy on Capitol, along with a whole LP (=7 tracks) of previously unreleased material. |
GM 2205 | Jimmy McGriff and Junior Parker | Good Things Don't Happen Every Day | originally released as The Dudes Doin' Business on Capitol. |
3300 Series
The 3300 Series consisted of sixteen albums released between 1973 and 1976.[3]
Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
GM 3300 | Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes | Giants of the Organ in Concert | Live 2LP set |
GM 3301 | Buddy Rich | Very Live at Buddy's Place | |
GM 3302 | Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton | Transition | |
GM 3303 | Buddy Rich | The Last Blues Album Volume 1 | Later issued on LRC as Loot To Boot under Illinois Jacquet's name. |
GM 3304 | Mike Longo | 900 Shares of the Blues | |
GM 3305 | George Freeman | Man & Woman | |
GM 3306 | Lee Konitz | Chicago 'n All That Jazz | |
GM 3307 | Buddy Rich | Big Band Machine | |
GM 3308 | Lonnie Smith
|
Afro–desia | |
GM 3309 | Jimmy McGriff | Stump Juice | |
GM 3310 | Joe Thomas | Masada | |
GM 3311 | Jimmy McGriff | The Mean Machine | |
GM 3312 | Lonnie Smith | Keep on Lovin'
|
Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9312 |
GM 3313 | O'Donel Levy | Windows | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9313 |
GM 3314 | Jimmy McGriff | Red Beans | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9314 |
GM 3315 | Joe Thomas | Feelin's from Within | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9315 |
4000 Series
The 4000 Series, released in 1974–1975, consisted of twelve double LP compilations of previously issued material.[4]
- GM 4400 Lionel Hampton: The Works! (material later released as the single LPs: Hamp's Big Band Live! on Glad-Hamp, and Good Vibes on 51 West/CBS)
- GM 4401 Carmen McRae: Velvet Soul (compiles It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling and Ms. Jazz)
- GM 4402 Groove Holmes: Hunk–a–Funk (compiles Night Glider and New Groove)
- GM 4403 Jimmy McGriff: Flyin' Time (compiles Fly Dude and Let's Stay Together)
- GM 4404 Reuben Wilson: Bad Stuff! (compiles The Sweet Life and The Cisco Kid)
- GM 4405 Various Artists: Blues in Concert (compiles selections from Jimmy McGriff/Junior Parker, Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail, Giants of the Organ in Concert, plus two live tracks by Dakota Staton)
- GM 4406 Chick Corea / Mike Longo: Piano Giants (compiles Sundance and Funkia)
- GM 4407 Buddy Rich: Tuff Dude! (compiles The Roar of '74 and Very Live at Buddy's Place)
- GM 4408 O'Donel Levy: Hands of Fire (compiles Black Velvet and Simba)
- GM 4409 Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes: Supa Cookin' (compiles Giants of the Organ Come Together and the first LP from the Giants of the Organ in Concert 2LP set)
- GM 4410 Dakota Staton: Confessin' (compiles Madame Foo-Foo and I Want a Country Man)
- GM 4411 Lucky Thompson: Illuminations (compiles Goodbye Yesterday and I Offer You)
References
- ^ Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 500 Series, accessed March 26, 2018
- ^ Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 2200 Series, accessed March 26, 2018
- ^ Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 3300 Series, accessed March 26, 2018
- ^ Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 4000 Series, accessed March 26, 2018