On Internet since 1999

The Birka Jazz Archive
Records we have bought and sold over the years - the rare and the beautiful!

Please note!
Birka Jazz record store is closed but Birka Jazz Archive is still available. Scroll down and use the links to browse this comprehensive archive of rare jazz album covers

AMERICAN LABELS

COLUMBIA RECORDS
The pioneers of album cover design

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (1)
David Stone Martin

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (2)
The photographic covers

BLUE NOTE 10" LPs
Searching for a modern jazz identity

BLUE NOTE 1500 series
Defining the hard bop style

BLUE NOTE 4000 series
Masterpieces of Reid Miles

PRESTIGE RECORDS
Images of East Coast jazz

RIVERSIDE RECORDS
Street cred with Thelonious Monk

PACIFIC JAZZ
Moods of Chet and Claxton

CONTEMPORARY
Cool West Coast, great Sound

SAVOY RECORDS
Masterworks by Charlie Parker

DIAL RECORDS
Small label, big Bird sound

ATLANTIC RECORDS
Bold and striking albums

EMARCY RECORDS
The classic drummer logo label

BETHLEHEM RECORDS
The beautiful design of Burt Goldblatt

DEBUT RECORDS
Artist-operated jazz label with Mingus & Roach

CANDID RECORDS
Legendary, early 1960s LPs

ESP-DISK
Free jazz and silk screened covers

IMPULSE RECORDS
Edgy and experimental

RCA VICTOR
The high spirit of Jim Flora

VARIOUS US labels (1)
ABC-Paramount, Aladdin, Argo, Capitol, Coral, Dawn, Decca,
and more

VARIOUS US labels (2)
Epic, Fantasy, HiFi, Imperial, Jazzland, Jazz West, Jubilee, Mercury, Mode, and more

VARIOUS US labels (3)
Roost, Signal, Storyville, Tampa, Transition, United Artists, Vee Jay, and more

EUROPEAN LABELS

SWEDEN (1)
The EP era and Metronome Records in 1950s

SWEDEN (2)
The LPs in the 1950s, and Swedish jazz abroad

SWEDEN (3)
Changing times in the 1960s

SWEDEN (4)
New energy to Swedish jazz in the 1970s

DENMARK
Montmartre, Debut Records and the heydays in Danish jazz

NORWAY
Krog and Garbarek, greats in Norwegian jazz

FINLAND
Plenty of merged styles in Finnish jazz

FRANCE
Americans in Paris, force in French jazz

ENGLAND
Esquire and Tempo, classic labels in British jazz

GERMANY
Jazz labels with strong identity

ITALY
Rare Italian jazz covers

HOLLAND
From Diamonds to ICP in
Dutch jazz

POLAND
Unique series of Polish jazz on Muza

OTHER COUNTRIES
Jazz labels around the world

EmArcy Records

The classic
drummer logo label

EMARCY was a subsidiary label of Mercury Records, and started when producer Bobby Shad came to the company in 1954. The name EmArcy is created from a phonetic spelling of MRC (Mercury Record Company).

EmArcy also created a logo which became a classic, the cool "drummer logo". The label was soon established as an important jazz label and Bobby Shad signed musicians like Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Cannonball Adderley and Sarah Vaughan.

Cover photography by Herman Leonard

Unfortunately EmArcy generally did not give credit for the designers or photographers who created the album covers. But the photographer Herman Leonard was regulary hired and his photos are on many of the covers. It has been confirmed by himself.

In mid 1950s EmArcy issued around 50 LPs in the 10" format. It continued with about 200 LPs in the 12" format in the 1950s and some few in the beginning of the 60s. The label became dormant in 1962, when Mercury was bought by Philips. It was revived in the 1980s.

See also

The Mercury covers itself are found at
Various US labels (2)

More Herman Leonard covers,
especially at
Clef-Norgran-Verve

LINKS

Mercury Records Discography
jazzdiscorg.com

Mercury Records Collection
Matsubayashi Kohji

Clifford Brown: Sweet Clifford Label: EmArcy EP-1-6112 7" EP 1955

EmArcy Records

Sarah Vaughan: Images Label: EmArcy 26005 10" LP 1954 Design: Fred Steffen

Ben Webster: The Big Tenor Label: EmArcy 26006 10" LP 1954

Holiday in Sax Label: EmArcy 26026 10" LP 1954 Design: Burt Goldblatt

Charlie Ventura: f.y.i. Ventura Label: EmArcy 26029 10" LP 1954
Design and illustration: Burt Goldblatt

Clifford Brown and Max Roach Label: EmArcy 26043 10" LP 1954

Herb Geller Plays Label: EmArcy 26045 10" LP 1954

John Williams Label: EmArcy 26047 10" LP 1954

James Moody: Moodsville Label: EmArcy EP 6070 7" EP c.1954
Design and illustration: Burt Goldblatt

Clifford Brown: Jam Session Label: EmArcy 36002 12" LP 1954

Paul Quinichette: Moods Label: EmArcy 36003 12" LP 1954

Sarah Vaughan Label: EmArcy 36004 12" LP 1954 Photo: Herman Leonard

Clifford Brown with Strings Label: EmArcy 36005 12" LP 1954

Helen Merrill Label: EmArcy 36006 12" LP 1954

Clark Terry Label: EmArcy 36007 12" LP 1954 Photo: Herman Leonard

Clifford Brown and Max Roach Incorporated Label: EmArcy 36008 12" LP 1954
Photo: Herman Leonard

Maynard Ferguson: Jam Session´s Label: EmArcy 36009 12" LP 1955

Bud Freeman All Stars: Midnight at Condon´s Label: EmArcy 36013 12" LP 1955

Herb and Lorraine Geller Label: EmArcy 36024 12" LP 1955

Introducing Joe Gordon Label: EmArcy 36025 12" LP 1955

Paul Quinichette: The Vice-Pres Label: EmArcy 36027 12" LP 1955
Enlarged reissue of 10" LP from 1954

Clifford Brown and Max Roach Label: EmArcy 36036 12" LP 1955

Clifford Brown and Max Roach: Study In Brown Label: EmArcy 36037 12" LP 1955
Photo: Herman Leonard

Clifford Brown a.o.: Best Coast Jazz Label: EmArcy 36039 12" LP 1955

The Herb Geller Sextette Label: EmArcy 36040 12" LP 1955
Photo: Herman Leonard

Eddie Heywood Label: EmArcy 36042 12" LP 1955

Cannonball Adderley Label: EmArcy 36043 12" LP 1955
Photo: Herman Leonard

Maynard Ferguson: Dimensions Label: EmArcy 36044 12" LP 1955

Presenting Gerry Mulligan Sextet Label: EmArcy 36056 12" LP 1955
Photo: Herman Leonard

Helen Merrill with Strings Label: EmArcy 36057 12" LP 1955
Photo: Herman Leonard

John Williams Trio Label: EmArcy 36061 12" LP 1956
Photo: Herman Leonard

Cannonball Adderley and Strings Label: EmArcy 36063 12" LP 1956
Photo: Herman Leonard

Terry Gibbs: Vibes on Velvet Label: EmArcy 36064 12" LP 1956

Introducing Jimmy Cleveland Label: EmArcy 36066 12" LP 1956
Photo: Herman Leonard

Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street Label: EmArcy 36070 12" LP 1956

Patti Page in the Land of Hi-Fi Label: EmArcy 36074 12" LP 1956

Max Roach plus Four Label: EmArcy 36099 12" LP 1957

To The Ivy League from Nat Adderley Label: EmArcy 36100 12" LP 1957

Gerry Mulligan: Mainstream of Jazz Label: EmArcy 36101 12" LP 1956

Terry Gibbs: Swinging Label: EmArcy 36103 12" LP 1956
Photo: Herman Leonard

Helen Merrill: Merrill at Midnight Label: EmArcy 36107 12" LP 1957

Max Roach: Jazz in 3/4 Time Label: EmArcy 36108 12" LP 1957
Photo: Garrett & Howard

Cannonball Adderley: Sophisticated Swing Label: EmArcy 36110 12" LP 1957

Jimmy Raney - George Wallington: Swingin' in Sweden Label: EmArcy 36121 12" LP 1958

Max Roach on the Chicago Scene Label: EmArcy 36132 12" LP 1958
Design: Emmett McBain

Helen Merrill: The Nearness Of You Label: EmArcy 36134 12" LP 1958

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