Circle Records

{{Infobox record label

| name = Circle Records

| image = CircleLizzyMiles.jpg

| image_size = 180px

| parent = Jazzology

| founded = {{start date|1946}}

| founder = Rudi Blesh
Harriet Janis

| genre = Jazz

| country = U.S.

| location = New Orleans

| url = {{URL|www.jazzology.com}}

}}

Circle Records is a jazz record label founded in 1946 by Rudi Blesh and Harriet Janis.

History

In New York, Blesh and Janis heard jazz drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds playing inventive solos with Bunk Johnson's band. Blesh said he hated drum solos until he saw Dodds. To record Dodds and others, they started Circle Records. The name was given by fellow audience member Marcel Duchamp.

Circle recorded traditional jazz of the time, and its releases included Chippie Hill, George Lewis, and broadcasts of Blesh's This is Jazz radio show. The label was the first to release Jelly Roll Morton's Library of Congress recordings. Blesh and Janis continued the label until 1952.{{cite book|last1=Erlewine|first1=Michael|last2=Bogdanov|first2=Vladimir|last3=Woodstra|first3=Chris|last4=Yanow|first4=Scott|title=AllMusic Guide to Jazz|date=1998|publisher=Miller Freeman Books|location=San Francisco|isbn=0-87930-530-4|edition=3rd|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/allmusicguidetoj00erle_0}} Circle Records also released modern classical music by artists including Henry Cowell and Paul Hindemith.

Circle was bought in the mid-1960s by George H. Buck, Jr. The Circle catalog is now under the control of the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation. Some of the original Circle recordings have been reissued on compact disc through other labels controlled by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation, including American Music, Southland,{{refn|group=nb|Material from Circle Records album S-3 by Dan Burley has been reissued on Southland SCD-9.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=SCD-9|title=Circle Blues Session|website=Jazzology|access-date=February 27, 2018}}}} and Jazzology.{{refn|group=nb|Material from Circle Records album S-8 has been reissued on Jazzology JCD-21.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=JCD-21|title=Tony Parenti's Ragtimers-Ragtime Jubilee|website=Jazzology|access-date=February 27, 2018}}}}

This Circle Records is not to be confused with the German record label of the same name.

Selected label discography: 1946–1952

The first record issued by Circle Records was by the Baby Dodds Trio. Many of their subsequent releases were albums of from two to four 10", 78 RPM shellac records, issued in a binder. Many of the albums included cover art by Jimmy Ernst or Charles Alston.

class="wikitable"
scope="col" style="width:75px;"\|Catalog No. ! scope="col" style="width:150px;"\|Artist ! scope="col" style="width:200px;"\|Title ! scope="col" style="width:450px;"\|Personnel ! scope="col" style="width:400px;"\|Notes
valign="top" \|J-1001 \|Baby Dodds Trio \|"Wolverine Blues / Drum Improvisation No. 1"{{cite web\|url=http://www.78discography.com/circle.htm\|title=Numerical Listing of Circle 78rpm issues (1946 - 1952)\|website=The Online Discographical Project\|access-date=February 27, 2018}}{{cite web\|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/babydoddstrio.html\|title=Baby Dodds Trio\|website=Red Hot Jazz\|access-date=February 27, 2018}} \|Clarinet– Albert Nicholas Piano – Don Ewell Drums – Baby Dodds \|Later included on Circle album S-17
valign="top" \|C-1 \|Chippie Hill \|"Chippie Hill And The Blues: Now Appearing At The Village Vanguard" \|Trumpet – Lee Collins Piano – Lovie Austin, J.H. Shayne Bass – John Lindsay Drums – Baby Dodds \|Two 78 RPM records. Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 1059
valign="top" \|S-1 \|Original Zenith Brass Band \|"Marching Jazz"{{cite AV media notes \|title= Marching Jazz \|first=Rudi \|last=Blesh \|authorlink=Rudi Blesh \|publisher=Circle Records }}{{refn\|group=nb\|Several members of the Original Zenith Brass Band, including Jim Robinson, George Lewis, and Baby Dodds, had previously recorded as members of a brass band led by Bunk Johnson for Bill Russell's American Music label.{{cite AV media notes \|title=Bunk Plays the Blues and Spirituals\|publisher=American Music }}}} \|Trumpet – Kid Howard, Peter Bocage Trombone – Jim Robinson Clarinet – George Lewis Baritone Horn – Harrison Barnes Mellophone – Isidore Barbarin Tuba – Joe Howard Bass Drum – Lawrence Marrero Snare Drum – Baby Dodds \|Cover art by Charles Alston. Three 78 RPM records. Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 1058
valign="top" \|S-2 \|Montana Taylor \|"Barrel House Blues" \|Piano – Montana Taylor \|Three 78 RPM records.
valign="top" \|S-3 \|Dan Burley \|"South Side Shake"{{cite AV media notes \|title= South Side Shake \|first=Rudi \|last=Blesh \|authorlink=Rudi Blesh \|publisher=Circle Records }} \|Guitar – Brownie McGhee, Globe Trotter McGhee Piano – Dan Burley Bass – Pops Foster \|Three 78 RPM records.
valign="top" \|S-8 \|Tony Parenti's Ragtimers \|"The Ragtime Band"{{cite AV media notes \|title= The Ragtime Band \|first=Bob \|last=Aurthur \|publisher=Circle Records }} \|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison Trombone – Jimmy Archey Clarinet – Tony Parenti Piano – Ralph Sutton Banjo – Danny Barker Tuba – Cy St. Clair Drums – Baby Dodds \|Three 78 RPM records. Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 12-205
valign="top" \|S-9 \|Wild Bill Davison \|"Wild Bill Davison Showcase"{{cite AV media notes \|title= Wild Bill Davison Showcase \|first=George \|last=Frazier \|authorlink=George Frazier (journalist)\|publisher=Circle Records }} \|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison Trombone – Jimmy Archey Clarinet, Bassoon – Garvin Bushell Piano, Celeste – Ralph Sutton Bass – Sid Weiss Drums – Morey Feld \|Three 78 RPM records. Reissued on Circle Records LP L-405
valign="top" \|S-15 \|The All Star Stompers \|"This Is Jazz, Vol. 3"{{cite AV media notes \|title=This Is Jazz, Vol. 3 \|first=Bob \|last=Aurthur \|publisher=Circle Records }} \|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison Trombone – Jimmy Archey Clarinet – Edmond Hall, Albert Nicholas Piano – Ralph Sutton, James P. Johnson Guitar – Danny Barker Bass – Pops Foster Drums – Baby Dodds \|Three 78 RPM records. Material recorded for Rudi Blesh's radio show “This Is Jazz”
valign="top" \|S-20 \|Ralph Sutton \|"St. Louis Piano" \|Piano – Ralph Sutton \|Two 78 RPM records.
valign="top" \|S-21 \|Tony Parenti's Ragpickers \|"Tony Parenti's Ragpickers"{{cite AV media notes \|title= Tony Parenti's Ragpickers \|first=Harriet \|last=Janis\|publisher=Circle Records }} \|Clarinet – Tony Parenti Piano – Ralph Sutton Drums – George Wettling \|Three 78 RPM records. Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 12-205
valign="top" \|L-51-100 \|Paul Hindemith \|Four Compositions By Paul Hindemith \| \|Released on LP. Part of the Composer's Workshop series.
valign="top" \|L-51-101 \|Henry Cowell \|The Piano Music Of Henry Cowell \| \|Released on LP. Part of the Composer's Workshop series.
valign="top" \|Vol. I to Vol. XII \|Jelly Roll Morton \|"The Saga Of Mr. Jelly Lord" \|Piano, Vocals – Jelly Roll Morton \|The Library of Congress recordings, released as a series of albums with three or four 78 RPM red vinyl records. Reissued by Circle as L 14001 to L 14012; and by Riverside as RLP 9001 to RLP 9012.Williams, Martin T. {{Google books\|j7nnCwAAQBAJ\|Jazz Changes\|page=127}}

class="wikitable"

scope="col" style="width:75px;"|Catalog No.

! scope="col" style="width:150px;"|Artist

! scope="col" style="width:200px;"|Title

! scope="col" style="width:450px;"|Personnel

! scope="col" style="width:400px;"|Notes

valign="top"

|J-1001

|Baby Dodds Trio

|"Wolverine Blues / Drum Improvisation No. 1"{{cite web|url=http://www.78discography.com/circle.htm|title=Numerical Listing of Circle 78rpm issues (1946 - 1952)|website=The Online Discographical Project|access-date=February 27, 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/babydoddstrio.html|title=Baby Dodds Trio|website=Red Hot Jazz|access-date=February 27, 2018}}

|Clarinet– Albert Nicholas
Piano – Don Ewell
Drums – Baby Dodds

|Later included on Circle album S-17

valign="top"

|C-1

|Chippie Hill

|"Chippie Hill And The Blues: Now Appearing At The Village Vanguard"

|Trumpet – Lee Collins
Piano – Lovie Austin, J.H. Shayne
Bass – John Lindsay
Drums – Baby Dodds

|Two 78 RPM records.
Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 1059

valign="top"

|S-1

|Original Zenith Brass Band

|"Marching Jazz"{{cite AV media notes |title= Marching Jazz |first=Rudi |last=Blesh |authorlink=Rudi Blesh |publisher=Circle Records }}{{refn|group=nb|Several members of the Original Zenith Brass Band, including Jim Robinson, George Lewis, and Baby Dodds, had previously recorded as members of a brass band led by Bunk Johnson for Bill Russell's American Music label.{{cite AV media notes |title=Bunk Plays the Blues and Spirituals|publisher=American Music }}}}

|Trumpet – Kid Howard, Peter Bocage
Trombone – Jim Robinson
Clarinet – George Lewis
Baritone Horn – Harrison Barnes
Mellophone – Isidore Barbarin
Tuba – Joe Howard
Bass Drum – Lawrence Marrero
Snare Drum – Baby Dodds

|Cover art by Charles Alston.
Three 78 RPM records.
Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 1058

valign="top"

|S-2

|Montana Taylor

|"Barrel House Blues"

|Piano – Montana Taylor

|Three 78 RPM records.

valign="top"

|S-3

|Dan Burley

|"South Side Shake"{{cite AV media notes |title= South Side Shake |first=Rudi |last=Blesh |authorlink=Rudi Blesh |publisher=Circle Records }}

|Guitar – Brownie McGhee, Globe Trotter McGhee
Piano – Dan Burley
Bass – Pops Foster

|Three 78 RPM records.

valign="top"

|S-8

|Tony Parenti's Ragtimers

|"The Ragtime Band"{{cite AV media notes |title= The Ragtime Band |first=Bob |last=Aurthur |publisher=Circle Records }}

|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison
Trombone – Jimmy Archey
Clarinet – Tony Parenti
Piano – Ralph Sutton
Banjo – Danny Barker
Tuba – Cy St. Clair
Drums – Baby Dodds

|Three 78 RPM records.
Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 12-205

valign="top"

|S-9

|Wild Bill Davison

|"Wild Bill Davison Showcase"{{cite AV media notes |title= Wild Bill Davison Showcase |first=George |last=Frazier |authorlink=George Frazier (journalist)|publisher=Circle Records }}

|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison
Trombone – Jimmy Archey
Clarinet, Bassoon – Garvin Bushell
Piano, Celeste – Ralph Sutton
Bass – Sid Weiss
Drums – Morey Feld

|Three 78 RPM records.
Reissued on Circle Records LP L-405

valign="top"

|S-15

|The All Star Stompers

|"This Is Jazz, Vol. 3"{{cite AV media notes |title=This Is Jazz, Vol. 3 |first=Bob |last=Aurthur |publisher=Circle Records }}

|Cornet – Wild Bill Davison
Trombone – Jimmy Archey
Clarinet – Edmond Hall, Albert Nicholas
Piano – Ralph Sutton, James P. Johnson
Guitar – Danny Barker
Bass – Pops Foster
Drums – Baby Dodds

|Three 78 RPM records.
Material recorded for Rudi Blesh's radio show “This Is Jazz”

valign="top"

|S-20

|Ralph Sutton

|"St. Louis Piano"

|Piano – Ralph Sutton

|Two 78 RPM records.

valign="top"

|S-21

|Tony Parenti's Ragpickers

|"Tony Parenti's Ragpickers"{{cite AV media notes |title= Tony Parenti's Ragpickers |first=Harriet |last=Janis|publisher=Circle Records }}

|Clarinet – Tony Parenti
Piano – Ralph Sutton
Drums – George Wettling

|Three 78 RPM records.
Reissued on Riverside Records RLP 12-205

valign="top"

|L-51-100

|Paul Hindemith

|Four Compositions By Paul Hindemith

|Released on LP. Part of the Composer's Workshop series.

valign="top"

|L-51-101

|Henry Cowell

|The Piano Music Of Henry Cowell

|Released on LP. Part of the Composer's Workshop series.

valign="top"

|Vol. I to Vol. XII

|Jelly Roll Morton

|"The Saga Of Mr. Jelly Lord"

|Piano, Vocals – Jelly Roll Morton

|The Library of Congress recordings, released as a series of albums with three or four 78 RPM red vinyl records. Reissued by Circle as L 14001 to L 14012; and by Riverside as RLP 9001 to RLP 9012.Williams, Martin T. {{Google books|j7nnCwAAQBAJ|Jazz Changes|page=127}}

Circle Records today

Circle Records was reactivated and is used by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation to release swing music. The reactivated Circle label put out recordings from the Lang-Worth and World transcriptions.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzology.com/circle_records.php |title=Circle Records|website=Jazzology|access-date=February 27, 2018}}

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}}

Notes

References

External links

[https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=publisher:circle Circle Records] on the Internet Archive's [http://great78.archive.org/ Great 78 Project]
[http://www.78discography.com/circle.htm Numerical Listing of Circle 78rpm issues (1946 - 1952)] on [http://www.78discography.com/ The Online Discographical Project]

Category:American jazz record labels

Category:Record labels established in 1946

Category:1946 establishments in the United States

Circle Records

History

Selected label discography: 1946–1952

Circle Records today

Notes

References

See also

External links