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

Classic 10" LP mid 1950s called Jazz from Holland

HOLLAND

From Diamonds
to ICP
in Dutch jazz

The first Dutch modern jazz recordings were released in the mid 1950s. A 10" LP was called "Jazz from Holland", and "Jazz behind the dikes" was a series of three LPs 1955-1957.

    Rob Madna trio with Dick Bezemar
    and Wessel Ilcken, featured on Jazz     behind the dikes

Among the featured groups on these albums were The Diamonds, later called the Five Diamonds or The Diamond Five. It was an excellent hardbop unit, including musicians such as Harry Verbeke, Cees Narrow and Cees Slinger.

Also featured were Rita Reys and Wessel Ilcken. Ilcken was the first truly modern drummer in Holland, and a central personality in Dutch jazz. He married the singer Rita Reys in the 1940s and they played together in Wessel´s combos until his death by a water skiing accident in 1957.

Wessel Ilcken Combo with Rita Reys
Photo: Wouter van Gool

Europe's First Lady of Jazz

Rita Reys was called "Europe´s First Lady of Jazz". After the death of Wessel, she married pianist Pim Jacobs in 1960, and built her fame with concerts and recordings throughout Europe.

Eric Dolphy´s last date in Hilversum

In 1964 the pianist Misha Mengelberg and drummer Han Bennink played with Eric Dolphy in a concert in Hilversum that was released as the LP album Last Date.

The birth of ICP

A couple of years later the two Dutch musicians met saxophonist Willem Breuker, and in 1967 this trio started the label and group concept ICP, Instant Composers Pool.

    Breuker, Mengelberg, Altena, Bennink
    Photo: Pieter Boersma

ICP became an important part of the Dutch jazz life, and an institution in the European avant garde jazz.

The orchestra was an umbrella for a wide variety of line-ups during its first decade of existence. Routing members were Dutch musicians such as Maarten Altena, Willem van Manen, Leo Cuypers and European free jazz pioneers like Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Dave Bailey and many others.

By 1973 a split came, and musicans went with one or the other, resulting in Willem Breuker´s Kollektief, while Mengelberg continued with the name IPC. The duo Mengelberg/Bennink continued to play together for many years.

    Willem Breuker Kollektief
    Photo: Pieter Boersma

In 1974 Willem Breuker founded his own record company, BVHAAST. The label released Breuker´s own records, and also other improvised music as well as classical contemporary music by Dutch composers.

Hans Dulfer

One of the best known Dutch jazz musicians is the saxophonist Hans Dulfer. He started with bop and free jazz in the 1960s and won in 1969 the Wessel Ilcken price, the most important jazz price in The Netherlands. Since the 1970s he has been involved in a variety of fusion, funk and dance music, in which he has been very successful.

PHILIPS RECORDS was established in 1950 by the Dutch electronic company. During the 1950s it served to distribute US recordings by Columbia, but also made own recordings in The Netherlands and in other European countries.

In 1961, when Columbia formed its own international operations, Philips purchased Mercury Records and also merged with Deutsche Grammophon, which hold the Polydor label.

In 1950s Philips started Fontana Records as a subsidiary label, which also formed divisions in USA and England.

In mid 1960s the British producer Alan Bates initiated a series of avant garde jazz releases for the Fontana, now highly prized by collectors. Not only for the music, but for their unique covers. The series had both Dutch and UK imprints.

The covers were made by the Dutch artist Marte Röling. They are beautiful pop arts of its time, with their fanciful rendations of the artists´ heads and minds.

The sessions origins are varied. Most of them are live concerts, some taken from the artists´ own tapes. 15 albums were issued.

Main source:
Nederlands Jazz Archief

LINKS

Nederlands Jazz Archief

Instant Composers Pool
ipcorchestra.com

Fontana Marte Rölings Series
Clifford Allen

The Cool Voice of Rita Reys Label: Philips B 08006 L 12" LP 1956

HOLLAND

Classic collections of modern Dutch jazz from mid 1950s: Jazz behind the dikes
Vol. 1 (10" LP - Philips P 10078), and vol. 3 (12" LP - Philips P 08004 L)

The Rob Madna Trio (EP 1955 - Philips 422 053 PE), and
Salute to the Flute by Herbie Mann with Wessel Ilcken Combo (LP 1956 - Philips B 08007 L)

EPs from 1957: Wessel Ilcken and his Combo (Philips 422167 PE),
and The Travelling Mr. Bob Cooper (HMV 7EGH 125)

EPs from 1957: The Kees Kuyt Combo (Fontana 463110TE),
and The Rainbow Quartet (Fontana 166007TH)

EPs from 1957 and 1959: Frans Elsen Quartet (Philips 422147 PE),
and Rhythme All Stars 1958-1959 (Columbia SEGH 58)

The Cool Voice of Rita Reys, No. 2 Label: Philips P 08010 L 12" LP 1957

Miles Davis Label: Philips B07198L 12" LP 1957
Unique Dutch cover Photo: Marvin Koner (?)

The Diamonds Label: Omega 145 PE 7" EP 1959

EPs from 1959 and 1960: Sea-Side Quartet: Joy! (Columbia SEGH60),
and Roelof Stalknecht Trio (CNR UH9459)

Rita Reys: Marriage in Modern Jazz Label: Philips P 08052 L 12" LP 1960

Rita Reys: Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition Label: Philips P 08062 L 12" LP 1961
Photo: Hans Katan

Louis van Dijk: Loosdrecht Jazz Concours Label: Philips 433072 PE 7" EP 1961

The Diamond Five: Poll Winners Jazz Label: Fontana 463.233TE 7" EP 1961

Rita Reys at the Golden Circle, Stockholm Label: Philips P 84033 L 12" LP early 1960s

Trio Hans van Leuween Label: Philips 433169 PE 7" EP 1962

Don Byas: Blues by Byas Label: Philips 433.183PE 7" EP 1962

Jan Huydts: Trio Conception Label: Philips 840465 PY 12" LP 1963

EPs from 1963 and 1964: The Diamond Five: Ermi Musical (Tevera 16890F),
and Loosdrecht Jazz Concours 1964 (Philips 433271PE)

The Diamond Five: Brilliant! Label: Fontana 650 520 TL 12" LP 1964

Pim Jacobs: School Concert Label: Philips 433298 PE 12" LP 1965

Ann Burton Label: Decca BU70017 7" EP 1965

Dollar Brand: Anatomy of a South African Village Label: Fontana 888 314 ZY
12" LP mid 1960s Design and illustration: Marte Röling

Carla Bley: Jazz Realities Label: Fontana 881 010 ZY 12" LP mid 1960s
Design and illustration: Marte Röling

Jazz Composer's Orchestra: Communication Label: Fontana 881 011 ZY 12" LP mid 1960s
Design and illustration: Marte Röling

New York Contemporary Five: Consequences Label: Fontana 881 013 ZY
12" LP mid 1960s Design and illustration: Marte Röling

Paul Bley: Touching Label: Fontana 888 608 ZY 12" LP c.1965
Design and illustration: Marte Röling

A. Shepp - J. Tchicai: Rufus Label: Fontana 881 014 ZY 12" LP c.1965
Design and illustration: Marte Röling

Cecil Taylor: Nefertiti Label: Fontana 888 609 ZY 12" LP c.1965
Design and illustration: Marte Röling

Bud Powell: Hot House Label: Fontana 883 903 12" LP 1965
Photo: Don Bronstein

Eric Dolphy: Last Date Label: Fontana 681 008 ZL 12" LP 1965
Photos: Rolf Amber and Henrik Visser

To the left the Misha Mengelberg LP from Newport 1966 (Artone MOS S-3196),
to the right the first Mengbelberg LP with Instant Composers Pool in 1968 (IPC 002).
Cover design by Misha Mengelberg

The very first LP from Instant Composers Pool was issued by Han Bennink and Willem Breuker in 1966. It was called New Acoustic Swing Duo (ICP 001). The silkscreened cover is designed by
Han Bennink.

Ann Burton with Louis van Dyke trio: Blue Burton Label: Arton 3063 12" LP 1967
Design: John J. Vis Photo: Carel de Vogel

Pierre Courbois: Free Music Quartet Label: Ketchup No. 3 7" EP 1969

Ferdinand Povel: Calling Joanna Label: Cat - EP2 7" EP 1969

J.R. Monterose in Amsterdam Paradiso Label: HSM 1502 12" LP 1969
Design and photo: Pieter Boersma

Dexter Gordon at Amsterdam Paradiso Label: Catfish 5C18824 12" LP 1969
Design: Jan Fijnheer Photo: Pieter Boersma

Ben Webster: Blow Ben, Blow! Label: Catfish 5C054.24159 12" LP 1969

Instant Composers Pool: Han Bennink and Derek Bailey Label: ICP 004 12" LP 1969
Han Bennink had many funny ideas as designer. On this handmade cover he has torn off a piece of paper, added drops of blood, and then dressed the wound with a real plaster