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Verve

Verve Records, now the Verve Music Group?is an American Jazz record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels: Norgran Records and Clef Records (founded 1953) and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.

History
The Verve catalog grew throughout the 1950s and 1960s to include most of the major figures in jazz, though Granz tended to record established artists, sometimes in decline, rather than new talent. It also recognized the potential of comedy albums, producing Spike Jones' first LP, Dinner Music For People Who Aren't Very Hungry in 1956 and several best-selling albums featuring live performances by Shelley Berman beginning in 1960.

Granz sold Verve to MGM in 1961 for $3 million. Creed Taylor was appointed as producer, and adopted a more commercial approach, cancelling several contracts. Taylor brought the bossa nova to America with the Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd LP Jazz Samba as well as Getz/Gilberto. Several arrangers of note worked for the Verve label too in the 1960s, including Claus Ogerman and Oliver Nelson. Claus Ogerman, by his own admission in Gene Lees' Jazzletter publication, arranged some 60-70 albums for Verve under Creed Taylor's direction from 1963-1967.[1]

Shortly before leaving Verve in 1967, Taylor supervised the creation of a folk music subsidiary named Verve Folkways (later renamed Verve Forecast) by Verve executive Jerry Schoenbaum. But by now, new recordings began to decline & would cease altogether in the early 1970s.

In the seventies, the label became part of the PolyGram label group, at this point incorporating the Mercury/EmArcy jazz catalog, which Philips, part owners of PolyGram had earlier acquired. Verve Records became the Verve Music Group after PolyGram was merged with Seagram's Universal Music Group in 1998. The jazz holdings from the merged companies were folded into this sub-group.

The label was revived in the mid-1980s for new releases. Yet a more important focus for the new Verve Records was the reissuing of its back catalogue, in ever more imaginative ways. The "Verve By Request" label began to reissue many original Verve bossa nova titles on CD in the late 1990s, and the Elite series revived many obscure albums which had languished for many years.

When Universal and Polygram merged in 1998. Verve's holdings were merged with Universal's GRP Recording Company to became Verve Music Group. This was run by producer Tommy LiPuma. Ron Goldstein was named President of the merged companies.

Since 2002, the label has released a series of Verve Remixed compilation discs where classic tracks by Verve artists are remixed by contemporary electronic music DJs. By the mid-2000s, there was an extensive "Verve Vault" section on iTunes.

In December 2006 parent company Universal Music Group sacked 85% of the staff, reduced the artist roster, and shifted the catalog over to its UME division.

Some of the record labels currently in the Verve Music Group.
EmArcy Records
Impulse! Records
GRP Records
Commodore Records
Coral Records
Bet-Car Records
Blue Thumb Records
Decca Records (Its jazz holdings only and Decca's pre-1957 Brunswick Records jazz catalogue.)
Verve Forecast

?List of early Verve artists
Instrumentalists
Coleman Hawkins
Charlie Parker
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Oscar Peterson
Dizzy Gillespie
Bud Powell
Lester Young
Kid Ory
Stan Getz
Ben Webster
Bill Evans
Roy Eldridge
Gerry Mulligan
Buddy Rich
Gene Krupa
Illinois Jacquet
Art Tatum
Walter Wanderley
Antonio Carlos Jobim
Kai Winding
Teddy Wilson
Michael Brecker
Kenny Burrell

Vocalists
Bing Crosby
Ella Fitzgerald
Astrud Gilberto
Billie Holiday
Betty Carter
Linda Ronstadt
Natalie Cole
Blossom Dearie
Anita O'Day
Carmen McRae
Nina Simone
Mel Torm?
Sally Kellerman
Diana Krall
Sarah Vaughan
Joe Williams
Lizz Wright
Queen Latifah

Others
Brazilian Girls
Caravan
Friend & Lover (Verve Forecast)
Tim Hardin
The Hombres (Verve Forecast)
Janis Ian
Bob Lind (Verve Folkways)
The Mothers of Invention
Ricky Nelson
The Righteous Brothers
Talk Talk
The Velvet Underground
Frank Zappa

Website:http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/
Crossover Media Projects:
Samara Joy : Portrait
Roy Hargrove : CRISOL GRANDE-TERRE
Charlie Parker : Bird in Kansas City
Julius Rodriguez : Evergreen
Louis Armstrong : LOUIS IN LONDON
Nina Simone : Nina's Back
Samara Joy : A Joyful Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald : Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas
Samara Joy : Tight
Nina Simone : You've Got To Learn
Samara Joy : Linger Awhile - Deluxe Edition
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily : Love In Exile
Samara Joy : Linger Awhile
Samara Joy : O Holy Night featuring The McLendon Family
Samara Joy : Warm In December
Brian Eno : FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE
Julius Rodriguez : Let Sound tell All
Ella Fitzgerald : Ella@The Hollywood Bowl-The Irving Berlin songbook
Nina Simone : Feeling Good - Her Greatest Hits & Remixes
Melanie Charles : Y'all Don't [Really] Care About Black Women
The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong All-Stars : a gift to pops
Joey Alexander : Summer Rising
Joey Alexander : Under The Sun
Jon Batiste : We Are
Joey Alexander : SALT
Dave Brubeck : Lullabies
Ella Fitzgerald : The Lost Berlin Tapes
Diana Krall : This Dream Of You
Harry Connick Jr : Stars Still Shine
Nina Simone : Fodder On My Wings
Joey Alexander : Warna
Jon Batiste : Chronology Of A Dream - Live@The Village Vanguard
Jon Batiste : Anatomy of Angels
Harry Connick Jr : True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter
Loreena McKennitt : Nights From The Alhambra
Philip Bailey : Love Will Find A Way
Angelique Kidjo : Celia
The Stan Getz Quartet : Getz at The Gate
Brian Newman : SHOWBOAT
Tony Bennett, Diana Krall : Love Is Here To Stay
Jon Batiste : Hollywood Africans
John Scofield : Combo 66
Lee Konitz, Dan Tepfer : Decade
Ella Fitzgerald : Ella At Zardi's
Brian Newman : I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Ella Fitzgerald | London Symphony Orchestra : Someone To Watch Over Me
Prequell : The Future Comes Before
Brian Newman : Sunday In New York
Miles Mosley : UPRISING
Michel Camilo & Tomatito : Spain Forever
Various : Jazz Loves Disney
Brenna Whitaker : self-titled
Soundtracks : Snowden - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack