Groove Merchant
{{Short description|American jazz/R&B record label}}
{{about|the record label|the album by Jerome Richardson|Groove Merchant (album)}}
{{Infobox record label
| name = Groove Merchant
| founded = {{start date|1971}}
| founder = Sonny Lester
| defunct =
| status =
| distributor = Pickwick Records
| genre = Jazz, R&B
| country = U.S.
| location =
| website = {{URL|lrc-groovemerchantrecords.com}}
}}
Groove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was run by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, 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.[http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_Groove_Merchant.htm Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 500 Series], accessed March 26, 2018
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Catalog
! Artist ! Album ! Notes |
|---|
| GM 501
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy}} | |
| GM 502
|{{sortname|Junior|Parker}} |You Don't Have To Be Black To Love The Blues |UK title: Blue Shadows Falling |
| GM 503
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff}} | |
| GM 504
|{{sortname|Joe|Thomas|Joe Thomas (flautist)}} | |
| GM 505
|{{sortname|Groove|Holmes|Richard Holmes (organist)}} | |
| GM 506
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 507
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 508
|{{sortname|Lucky|Thompson}} | |
| GM 509
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 510
|{{sortname|Dakota|Staton}} | |
| GM 511
|{{sortname|Reuben|Wilson}} | |
| GM 512
|{{sortname|Groove|Holmes|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 513
|{{sortname|Junior|Parker|nolink=1}} |Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On |originally released as The Outside Man on Capitol |
| GM 514
|{{sortname|Larry|Willis}} | |
| GM 515
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} / Lucky Thompson + George Freeman + O'Donel Levy |Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail |Live split album |
| GM 516
|{{sortname|Ramon|Morris|nolink=1}} |Sweet Sister Funk | |
| GM 517
|{{sortname|Lucky|Thompson|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 518
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 519
|{{sortname|George|Freeman|George Freeman (guitarist)}} | |
| GM 520
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} and Groove Holmes |Giants of the Organ Come Together | |
| GM 521
|{{sortname|Dakota|Staton|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 522
|{{sortname|Carmen|McRae}} |It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling | |
| GM 523
|{{sortname|Reuben|Wilson|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 524
! colspan=3 style="text-align:center" |No release issued for this part number |
| GM 525
|{{sortname|Mike|Longo}} |Funkia | |
| GM 526
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 527
|{{sortname|Groove|Holmes|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 528
|{{sortname|Buddy|Rich}} | |
| GM 529
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} |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
|{{sortname|Chick|Corea}} |Reissue of GM 2202 |
| GM 531
|{{sortname|Carmen|McRae|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 532
|{{sortname|Dakota|Staton|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 533
|{{sortname|Zoot|Sims}} and Bucky Pizzarelli + Buddy Rich | |
| GM 534
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 535
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy|nolink=1}} |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.[http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_Groove_Merchant_2200.htm Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 2200 Series], accessed March 26, 2018
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Catalog
! Artist ! Album ! Notes |
|---|
| GM 2201
|{{sortname|Count|Basie}} |Evergreens |originally released as Basic Basie on MPS. |
| GM 2202
|{{sortname|Chick|Corea}} |previously unreleased tracks from the 'Is' recording sessions for Solid State. |
| GM 2203
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff}} |Black and Blues |double LP of previously unreleased material recorded circa 1963. |
| GM 2204
|{{sortname|Jeremy|Steig}} |double LP featuring tracks originally released as Energy on Capitol, along with a whole LP (=7 tracks) of previously unreleased material. |
| GM 2205
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} 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.[http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_Groove_Merchant_3300.htm Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 3300 Series], accessed March 26, 2018
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Catalog
! Artist ! Album ! Notes |
|---|
| GM 3300
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff}} and Groove Holmes |Giants of the Organ in Concert |Live 2LP set |
| GM 3301
|{{sortname|Buddy|Rich}} | |
| GM 3302
|{{sortname|Buddy|Rich|nolink=1}} and Lionel Hampton | |
| GM 3303
|{{sortname|Buddy|Rich|nolink=1}} |The Last Blues Album Volume 1 |Later issued on LRC as Loot To Boot under Illinois Jacquet's name. |
| GM 3304
|{{sortname|Mike|Longo}} |900 Shares of the Blues | |
| GM 3305
|{{sortname|George|Freeman|George Freeman (guitarist)}} | |
| GM 3306
|{{sortname|Lee|Konitz}} | |
| GM 3307
|{{sortname|Buddy|Rich|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 3308
|{{sortname|Lonnie|Smith|Lonnie Smith (organist)}} | |
| GM 3309
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 3310
|{{sortname|Joe|Thomas|Joe Thomas (flautist)}} |Masada | |
| GM 3311
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} | |
| GM 3312
|{{sortname|Lonnie|Smith|nolink=1}} |Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9312 |
| GM 3313
|{{sortname|O'Donel|Levy}} |Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9313 |
| GM 3314
|{{sortname|Jimmy|McGriff|nolink=1}} |Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9314 |
| GM 3315
|{{sortname|Joe|Thomas|nolink=1}} |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.[http://www.jazzlists.com/SJ_Label_Groove_Merchant_4000.htm Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 4000 Series], accessed March 26, 2018
- 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, Very Live at Buddy's Place, 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
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://lrc-groovemerchantrecords.com/index.html Official website for LRC-Groove Merchant Records]
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