Commodore Records
| Commodore Records | |
|---|---|
| Commodore Records label | |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Milt Gabler |
| Defunct | 1954 |
| Status | Inactive |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | New York City |
Commodore Records was an American independent record label known for producing Dixieland jazz and swing. It is also remembered for releasing Billie Holiday's hit "Strange Fruit".
History
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Commodore Records was founded in the spring of 1938 by Milt Gabler,[1] a native of Harlem who founded the Commodore Music Shop in 1926 in Manhattan at 136 East 42nd Street (diagonally across the street from the Commodore Hotel), and from 1938–1941 with a branch at 46 West 52nd Street,[2]
Commodore's albums included dixieland music (Eddie Condon, Wild Bill Davison) and swing (Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines).[3] Commodore's biggest hit was "Strange Fruit" (backed with "Fine and Mellow") by Billie Holiday, which reached No. 16 on the charts on July 22, 1939.[4] The label was most active from 1939 to 1946.[5] The roster included Bud Freeman, Bobby Hackett, Edmond Hall, Hot Lips Page, Pee Wee Russell, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Muggsy Spanier, Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Lee Wiley, and Lester Young.[6]
Gabler arranged for recording and pressing to be done by the American Record Corporation (ARC),[1] then Reeves Transcription Services and Decca. In the early 1960s, a series of Commodore albums was compiled by Gabler and released by Mainstream.[1] In the late 1980s, Mosaic issued Commodore's complete recordings in three box-sets (LP).[5][1]
Billy Crystal, Gabler's nephew, compiled an album of songs dedicated to his uncle titled Billy Crystal Presents: The Milt Gabler Story.[7]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Commodore Records on the Internet Archive's Great 78 Project
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