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

EP album 1962 (Cetra) with Enrico Rava

ITALY

Some notes
on Italian jazz and record labels

In spite of the anti-American cultural policies of the fascist regime, jazz was virtually nonexistent in Italy until after World War II. Althought were was a Hot Club in Rome in 1938, and american jazz remained popular. Ironically, Romano Mussolini, the son of the dictator Benito Mussolini, was a great jazz fan and then led a successful career as a professional bop pianist in the 1950s.

After the war, jazz took off in Italy. Above a picture from Hot Club in Rome in 1947...

(to follow with more details when available)

RCA ITALIANA was founded in Rome in the early 1950s as a subsidiary label of RCA Victor. It become a major label, and one of the most important in Italy. Beside popular music and classical, the label recorded jazz, from early 1960s in their new studio on Via Tiburtina.

HORO RECORDS was founded in 1972 by Italian jazz producer Aldo Sinesio. Into 1979 the company issued around 70 LPs. Best known is the "Jazz a Confronto" series which came out in 35 LPs.

BLACK SAINT was established in 1975. SOUL NOTE, a sister label, came four years later. The owner since 1977 is Giovanni Bonandrini, and the company´s base is in Tribiano. Both labels are specialized in avant garde jazz. Around 75 LPs were issued.

LINKS

Horo Records Listing
Amarcord Records

Jazz from Italy
http://jazzfromitaly.blogspot.it/

Romano Mussolini Trio Label: RCA Italiana A72V-001 7" EP 1956

ITALY

Gianfranco Intra Quartetto (10" LP 1955 - Durium msA 534), and
Duo by Gianfranco and Enrico Intra (EP 1957 - HMV 7E MQ31)

Lee Konitz with Hans Koller, Lars Gullin a.o., vol. 1 and 2 (Carisch LCA 29010 and 29011).
EPs from 1956.

The Gerry Mulligan Sextet Label: Mercury EP 6502 Italian 7" EP 1950s
Design: G. Crepax

Enrico Intra Trio Label: HMV 7E-MQ19 7" EP 1957

Lilian Terry with Romano Mussolini and Nunzio Rotondo (LP 1957 - RCA Italiana LPM 10010),
and Julia De Palma In Jazz (EP 1958 - Columbia SEMQ 148)

Welcome Mr. Swing by Enrico Intra (10" LP 1958 - Liberty I 8509),
and Jazzin´ with Franco Cerri (EP 1958 - Fox EPF 114)

Claude Williamson in Italy Label: Broadway B 3001 10" LP 1958

Amando Trovajoli: Il Jazz in Italia Label: RCA Italiana EPA 10049-1 7" EP 1959

Amando Trovajoli: Jazz Piano Label: RCA Italiana PLM-10049 12" LP 1959

Chet Baker Sextet å Quartet Label: Music LPM 2094 12" LP 1959

Chet Baker: Angel Eyes Label: Celson LPQ 25005 12" LP 1959

Lars Gullin with Gil Cuppini Gil Cuppini featuring Lars Gullin: Assi in Vacanza Label: Astraphon Y. 1785 7" EP 1959

Gil Cuppini Quintet with Lars Gullin Label: Hollywood he 3003 7" EP 1959

Gil Cuppini Quintet Label: Hollywood HLP 4000 12" LP 1959

The Artistry of Nunzio Rotondo Label: Music EPM 20104 7" EP 1959

Basso-Valdambrini Octet featuring Lars Gullin: New Sound from Italy
Label: Jolly LPJ 5007 12" LP 1959

Jazz in Italia with Basso-Valdambrini, Lars Gullin, Franco Cerri, Romano Mussolini a.o.
Label: RCA 60000-2. 12" LP 1960

EPs from 1959 and 1960: New Jazz Society (RCA Victor PME 30-484), and
La Notte, soundtrack by Giorgio Gaslini Quartet (HMV 7eMQ 189)

LPs from 1959 and 1960: Basso-Valdambrini Quintet (Music LPM 2079), and
Walking in the Night by Basso-Valdambrini (RCA PML 10089)

EPs from 1960 in the series Jazz in Italy:
Franco Mondini (Cetra EPD36) and Sergio Fanni (Cetra EPD 35)

Amando Trovajoli: The Beat Generation Label: RCA Victor PML 10300 12" LP 1960

Franco Cerri Quartet Label: Columbia SEMQ 153 12" LP 1960

Franco Cerri and his European Jazz Stars Label: Columbia QPX 8010 12" LP 1960

Helen Merrill: Parole e Musica Label: RCA LPM-10105 12" LP 1960

Amedeo Tommasi Trio: Zamboni 22 Label: Adventure 300-01 12" LP 1960

Modern Jazz Gang: Miles Before and After Label: Adventure LM300/03 12" LP 1960
Design: Umberto Sanfucci

Soundtrack with Chet Baker Label: RCA Camden CMS 30-104 12" LP 1960

Piero Piccioni: New Sound Jazz Label: Cinevox CJ01 12" LP 1960

Quintetto Basso-Valdambrini Label: Fonit EP 4007 7" EP 1961

Gil Cuppini: Confirmation / Solar Label: Meazzi ME03028 7" EP 1961

International Jazz Meeting with Franco Cerri, Barney Wilen a.o. (Columbia QPX 8018), and
Jazz allo Studio 7 by Romano Mussolini (Ricordi MRJ 8002). LPs from 1961 and 1962

Chet Baker: Chet is back! Label: RCA Victor 10307 12" LP 1962 Photo: Clauco Cortini

Rene Thomas - Bobby Jaspar Quintet Label: RCA Victor 10324 12" LP 1962

G. Basso - O. Valdambrini: Jazz in Italy 1962 Label: RCA Victor PML-10326 12" LP 1962

Renato Sellani: Im Pianoforte per due Innamorati Label: Juke Box JLP330012 12" LP 1963

Eraldo Volonte: My Point of View Label: Cicala 7069 12" LP 1963

Lilian Terry (EP 1963 - CGD E6107), and
A Jazz Portrait of Franco Ambrosetti (LP 1965 - Durium MSA 77098)

Don Cherry: Togetherness Label: Durium ms A 77127 12" LP 1965

Piero Umiliani: Big Band Blues Label: Omicrom LPM 007A 12" LP 1966

Basso-Valdambrini Sextet: Exciting 6 Label: GTA Records 603 12" LP 1966

Eraldo Volonte: Jazz (Now) in Italy Label: Equipe EQLP1001 12" LP 1966

L. Konitz - M. Solal: European Episode Label: Campi Records 12002 12" LP 1968

L. Konitz - M. Solal: Impressive Rome Label: Campi Records 12003 12" LP 1968

Stereokonitz Label: RCA OLS 2 12" LP 1968 Design: Studio Zoom

Art Farmer - Phil Woods: What Happens? Label: Campi SJG 12001 12" LP 1968

Barney Kessel: Reflections in Rome Label: RCA Victor LISP 34012 12" LP 1969

Barney Kessel: Kessel´s Kit Label: RCA Victor LISP 34013 12" LP 1969

Cicci Santucci - Enzo Scoppa: Looking Around Label: Fly Records AS 55 12" LP 1971

Giorgio Gaslini Soundtrack Label: Cinevox MDF 33/51 12" LP 1971

Cicci Santucci - Enzo Scoppa: On the Underground Road Label: Dire 10 12" LP 1972

Mario Schiano: Sud Label: TOMorrow STOM 2001 12" LP 1973

Mario Schiano con Giorgio Gaslini Label: Horo HLL 101-08 12" LP 1974
Design: Giorgio Spadanuda

Massimo Urbani: Jazz a Confronto 13 Label: Horo HLL 101-13 12" LP 1974

Romano Mussolini: Mirage Label: PDU PldA 6018 12" LP 1974

Dusko Goykovich: Slavic Mood Label: Vista TPL1-115 12" LP 1974

Enrico Rava: Jazz a Confronto 14 Label: Horo HLL 101-14 12" LP 1974

Spirale featuring Gaetano Delfini and Giancarlo Maurino Label: King Universal NLP 112
Issue: 12" LP 1974

Mario Rusca: Reaction Label: Dynia World 006 12" LP 1974

Gianni Basso Quartet: Hit Label: Carosello CLE 21016 12" LP 1975

Lee Konitz: Jazz a Confronto 32 Label: Horo HLL 101-32 12" LP 1976
Design: Sandro Lodolo

Don Cherry: Brown Rice Label: EMI 3C 064-18107 12" LP 1978
Design: Moki Cherry

Archie Shepp: The Tradition Label: Horo HDP 13-14 12" LP 1978
Design: Maria Teresa Tannozzini Cover art: Sandro Lodolo

Lee Konitz - Martial Solal: Duplicity Label: Horo HDP 17-18 12" LP 1978
Design: Tommaso Rossini

Sun Ra: Other Voices, Other Blues Label: Horo HDP 23-24 12" LP 1978
Design: Maria Teresa Tannozzini Cover art: Sandro Lodolo

Lester Bowie: African Children Label: Horo HDP 29-30 12" LP 1978
Design: Maria Teresa Tannozzini

Gil Evans: Parabola Label: Horo HDP 31-32 12" LP 1978

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ITALY

Some notes on Italian jazz and record labels

ITALY

Some notes
on Italian jazz and record labels