Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record company and label established by Herman Lubinsky in 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. Savoy specialized in jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel music.
In September 2017, Savoy was acquired by Concord Bicycle Music.
History
In the 1940s Savoy recorded some of the biggest names in jazz: Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Dexter Gordon, J. J. Johnson, Fats Navarro, and Charlie Parker. In 1948, it began buying other labels: Bop, Discovery, National, and Regent. It also reissued music from Jewel Records.In the early 1960s, Savoy recorded a number of avant-garde jazz artists, giving them important early exposure. They included Paul Bley, Ed Curran, Bill Dixon, Mark Levin, Charles Moffett, Perry Robinson, Joseph Scianni, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, Marzette Watts, and Valdo Williams.
After Lubinsky's death in 1974, Clive Davis, then manager of Arista Records, acquired Savoy's catalogue. After that, Joe Fields of Muse Records purchased the catelogue from Arista. In 1986 Malaco Records acquired Savoy's black gospel titles and contracts. In 2003, Savoy Jazz acquired the rights to the Muse and Landmark catalogues from 32 Jazz. In 1991, Nippon Columbia acquired Savoy and its library, and distributed Savoy releases through its wholly owned subsidiary, Savoy Jazz. In 2009, the label entered a distribution arrangement with Warner Music Group. Savoy included the rock imprint 429 Records.
Many of the label's African-American artists begrudged the label's founder, Herman Lubinsky, feeling underpaid for their work. Tiny Price, a journalist for the African-American newspaper The Newark Herald News, said of Savoy and Lubinsky:
There's no doubt everybody hated Herman Lubinsky. If he messed with you, you were messed. At the same time, some of those people, many of them Newark's top singers and musicians, would never have been exposed on records if he didn't do what he did. Except for Lubinsky, all the hot little numbers, like Buddy Johnson's "Cherry", would have been lost. The man may have been hated, but he saved a lot of our history for us and for future generations.
Savoy's artistic directors included Buck Ram, Teddy Reig, Ralph Bass, Fred Mendelsohn, and Ozzie Cadena.
Discography
The following are 12" LPs and have the prefix MG.| Cat | Artist | Album |
| 12000 | Memorial 1 | |
| 12001 | Immortal Charlie Parker, The | |
| 12002 | Penthouse Serenade | |
| 12003 | Serenade to Laura | |
| 12004 | At Storyville/At the Hickory House | |
| 12005 | Lullaby of Birdland | |
| 12006 | Telefunken Blues | |
| 12007 | and Ernie Wilkins | Kenny Clarke & Ernie Wilkins |
| 12008 | /Billy Taylor | Back to Back |
| 12009 | Memorial 1 | |
| 12010 | and Kai Winding | Jay and Kai |
| 12011 | Fats, Bud, Klook, Sonny, Kinney | |
| 12012 | and Wardell Gray | Jazz Concert – West Coast |
| 12013 | The Hawk Returns | |
| 12014 | Genius of Parker | |
| 12015 | Musician of the Year | |
| 12016 | /George Shearing | Great Britain's Marian McPartland & George Shearing |
| 12017 | Bohemia After Dark | |
| 12018 | Presenting Cannonball Adderley | |
| 12019 | Encore | |
| 12020 | Groovin' High | |
| 12021 | That's Nat | |
| 12022 | and Frank Wess | Flutes & Reeds |
| 12023 | The Trio | |
| 12024 | Borderline | |
| 12025 | Man with the Horns | |
| 12026 | and Milt Jackson | Howard McGhee and Milt Jackson |
| 12027 | Very Truly Yours | |
| 12028 | Reflections | |
| 12029 | /John Mehegan/Donald Byrd | Montage |
| 12030 | , Ola Hanson and Chuck Lee | Jazz Young Blood |
| 12031 | New Orleans Nightingale | |
| 12032 | Byrd's Word | |
| 12033 | Deep in a Dream | |
| 12034 | Jazz at Storyville 1 | |
| 12035 | At Storyville | |
| 12036 | Opus de Jazz | |
| 12037 | Quartet-Quintet | |
| 12038 | and Punch Miller | New Orleans Jazz 1 |
| 12039 | Joltin' Joe Roland | |
| 12040 | Boyd Meets Stravinsky | |
| 12041 | Various Artists | Jazz at Storyville 2 |
| 12042 | Roll 'Em Bags | |
| 12043 | Various Artists | The Jazz Keyboard |
| 12044 | Top Brass | |
| 12045 | Jazz Composers Workshop | |
| 12046 | Modern Jazz Quartet | The Quartet |
| 12047 | The Champ | |
| 12048 | Al Cohn's Tones | |
| 12049 | and Eddie Costa | A Pair of Pianos |
| 12050 | and Punch Miller | New Orleans Jazz 2 |
| 12051 | Mighty Mike | |
| 12052 | The Amazing Johnny Costa | |
| 12053 | The Trio with Guests | |
| 12054 | /Don Elliot | Vibrations |
| 12055 | Ringside at Condon's | |
| 12056 | The Philosophy of Urso | |
| 12057 | Serenade in Blue | |
| 12058 | I Think of You | |
| 12059 | Jazz Composers Workshop | Jazz Composers Workshop 2 |
| 12060 | Various Artists | Singin' & Swingin′ |
| 12061 | Meet Milt Jackson | |
| 12062 | Swing, Not Spring | |
| 12063 | Wilder 'n' Wilder | |
| 12064 | The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley | |
| 12065 | Klook's Clique | |
| 12066 | Solo | |
| 12067 | Bowin' Singin' Slam | |
| 12068 | Blue Lester | |
| 12069 | Brock's Tops | |
| 12070 | The Jazz Skyline | |
| 12071 | The Master's Touch | |
| 12072 | North, South, East....Wess | |
| 12073 | Night People | |
| 12074 | Loaded | |
| 12075 | All About Ronnie | |
| 12076 | How I Play Jazz Piano | |
| 12077 | The Jazz Guitarist | |
| 12078 | No 'Count | |
| 12079 | Story | |
| 12080 | Jackson's Ville | |
| 12081 | Trio | |
| 12082 | Portrait | |
| 12083 | Jazzmen: Detroit | |
| 12084 | Jones, Hank | Have You Met Hank Jones |
| 12085 | and Kenny Burrell | Opus in Swing |
| 12086 | Trombones | |
| 12087 | Hank Jones' Quartet | |
| 12088 | Move! | |
| 12089 | Surf Ride | |
| 12090 | Dixieland | |
| 12091 | Introducing Lee Morgan | |
| 12092 | Jazz Message No. 2 | |
| 12093 | /George Shearing | Midnight on Cloud 69 |
| 12094 | By the Fireside | |
| 12095 | Jazz for Playboys | |
| 12096 | Trumpets All Out | |
| 12097 | Lookin' for a Boy | |
| 12098 | /Bobby Sherwood | Jumpin' Bands, The |
| 12099 | Jazz Recital | |
| 12100 | Various Artists | I Just Love Jazz Piano |
| 12101 | Dancing Jazz | |
| 12102 | Flute Suite | |
| 12103 | Jazz Mood | |
| 12104 | Essais | |
| 12105 | Lestorian Mode | |
| 12106 | J. J. Johnson's Jazz Quintets | |
| 12107 | Mann Alone | |
| 12108 | Yardbird Suite | |
| 12109 | Jazz for the Thinker | |
| 12110 | Dizzy Gillespie Story | |
| 12111 | and Tubby Hayes | Changing the Jazz at Buckingham Palace |
| 12112 | /Herbie Mann | The Jazz We Heard Last Summer |
| 12113 | The Paris Scene | |
| 12114 | Opus De Bop | |
| 12115 | /Yusef Lateef | Stable Mates |
| 12116 | Blues for Night People | |
| 12117 | Prayer to the East | |
| 12118 | Pretty for the People | |
| 12119 | Various Artists | In the Beginning... Bebop! |
| 12120 | Jazz and the Sounds of Nature | |
| 12121 | Jazz for Playgirls | |
| 12122 | Jazz at Hotchikiss | |
| 12123 | Jazz Is Busting Out All Over! | |
| 12124 | Jazz Sahib | |
| 12125 | Various Artists | Many Faces of Blues, The |
| 12126 | Various Artists | Jazz Hour, The |
| 12127 | Mainstream 1958 | |
| 12128 | Dixieland Jazz Party | |
| 12129 | Various Artists | Jazz Carousel, A |
| 12130 | Dexter Rides Again | |
| 12131 | Jazz Way Out | |
| 12132 | Blues Suite | |
| 12133 | Nostalgia | |
| 12134 | Plays the King and I | |
| 12135 | Various Artists | Gift of Jazz |
| 12136 | Tanganyika Strut | |
| 12137 | Nica's Tempo | |
| 12138 | Various Artists | Bird's Night |
| 12139 | Dreamer | |
| 12140 | f | The Fabric of Jazz |
| 12141 | Blues-ette | |
| 12142 | Opus de Blues | |
| 12143 | The Curtis Fuller Jazztet | |
| 12144 | Imagination | |
| 12145 | /Hall Overton | Do-It-Yourself Jazz |
| 12146 | Do-It-Yourself Jazz | |
| 12147 | Patterns of Jazz | |
| 12148 | Fiery | |
| 12150 | The Fabulous Jimmy Scott | |
| 12151 | ||
| 12152 | An Evening at Home | |
| 12153 | Miles Ahead | |
| 12154 | Cookin' | |
| 12155 | Jazz Immortal Series 2 | |
| 12156 | Opus De Jazz 2 | |
| 12157 | Jazz Argo | |
| 12158 | and Vinnie Burke | Music Minus Many Men |
| 12160 | The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron | |
| 12161 | Voice of Barbara Long, The | |
| 12162 | ||
| 12163 | Modern Windows | |
| 12164 | Images of Curtis Fuller | |
| 12167 | ||
| 12169 | Sun Ra | The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra |
| 12170 | Saying Something | |
| 12171 | Midnight Session | |
| 12172 | New York Jazz Ensemble | Adams Theme |
| 12173 | Mathews, Mat | Four French Horns Plus Rhythm |
| 12174 | The Vibe-rant Quintet | |
| 12175 | New York Jazz Quartet | Gone Native |
| 12176 | Various Artists | The Giants of Jazz |
| 12177 | Funk Dumpling | |
| 12178 | and Archie Shepp | Archie Shepp – Bill Dixon Quartet |
| 12179 | Bird Returns | |
| 12180 | And Then I Said | |
| 12181 | If You Only Knew | |
| 12182 | Footloose! | |
| 12183 | Hot Line | |
| 12184 | /Archie Shepp | Bill Dixon 7-tette/Archie Shepp and the New York Contemporary 5 |
| 12185 | New Concepts | |
| 12186 | Newly Discovered Sides | |
| 12187 | Vinson Hill Trio | |
| 12188 | New Advanced Jazz | |
| 12189 | Good Golly, Miss Nancy | |
| 12190 | The Dragon Suite | |
| 12191 | Elysa | |
| 12192 | Electrifying Sounds | |
| 12193 | Marzette Watts Ensemble | |
| 12194 | The Gift | |
| 12195 | Doug Carn Trio | |
| 12196 | Various Artists | Jazz Concert West Coast |
| 12197 | Concerto for Cozy | |
| 12198 | Jackie and Roy | Jazz Classics by Charlie Ventura's Band |
| 12199 | Pete's Blues | |
| 12200 | and Charlie Ventura | Crazy Rhythms |
| 12201 | and Donald Byrd | Jazz Eyes |
| 12202 | East of Suez | |
| 12203 | Free and Easy | |
| 12204 | Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Joe Carroll | |
| 12205 | Various Artists | South Pacific Jazz |
| 12206 | Bright's Spot | |
| 12207 | and Wingy Manone | Dixieland Strut |
| 12208 | Various Artists | We Dig Dixieland Jazz |
| 12209 | Jazz...It's Magic! | |
| 12210 | Jazz on the Rocks | |
| 12211 | The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams | |
| 12212 | The Jazz Harpist | |
| 12213 | Various Artists | Dixieland Mainstream |
| 12214 | /Bill Stafford | Dixieland |
| 12215 | and Sonny Red | Two Altos |
| 12216 | Sings | |
| 12217 | Various Artists | Singin' and Swingin' |
| 12218 | and Brownie McGhee | Down Home Blues |
| 12219 | Mildred Bailey | |
| 12220 | Various Artists | The Girls Sing |
| 12300 | Very Truly Yours | |
| 12301 | The Fabulous Songs of Jimmy Scott | |
| 12302 | The Fabulous Voice of Jimmy Scott | |
| 12303 | Motivation | |
| 12305 | Rock 'n Rhythm | |
| 13001 | Blues Suite | |
| 13002 | Plays the King and I | |
| 13003 | Dixieland Jazz Party | |
| 13004 | Jazz Way Out | |
| 13005 | Tanganyika Strut | |
| 13006 | Blues-ette | |
| 13007 | The Dreamer | |
| 13008 | The Fabric of Jazz | |
| 13009 | Opus de Blues | |
| 13010 | Jazztet Feat. Benny Golson | |
| 13011 | Imagination | |
| 13012 | Midnight Moods | |
| 14002 | Sings | |
| 14003 | If You Only Knew | |
| 14004 | Rock | |
| 14005 | Big Maybelle | Sings |
| 14009 | Various Artists | Angry Tenors |
| 14010 | Concerto for Cozy | |
| 14011 | Big Maybelle | Candy |
| 14012 | And the Blues'll Make You Happy, Too! | |
| 14016 | Careless Love | |
| 14018 | Various Artists | House Rent Party |
| 14019 | and Brownie McGhee | Back Country Blues |
| 14025 | The Right Time | |
| 14033 | Golden Saxophone | |
| 14041 | ||
| 14471 | The Gospel Soul of Houston Person | |
| 16000 | Various Artists | Livin' With the Blues |
| 16002 | The Garden of My Mind | |
| 16003 | Can't We Begin Again |
Subsidiaries
- Acorn Records
- Gospel Records
- Regent Records
- Sharp Records