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   On Internet since 1999

The Birka Jazz Archive
Records we have bought and sold over the years - the rare and the beautiful!


Please note!
Birka Jazz record store is closed but Birka Jazz Archive is still available. Scroll down and use the links to browse this comprehensive archive of rare jazz album covers





AMERICAN LABELS

COLUMBIA RECORDS
The pioneers of album cover design

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (1)
David Stone Martin

CLEF, NORGRAN, VERVE (2)
The photographic covers

BLUE NOTE  10" LPs
Searching for a modern jazz identity

BLUE NOTE  1500 series
Defining the hard bop style

BLUE NOTE  4000 series
Masterpieces of Reid Miles

PRESTIGE RECORDS
Images of East Coast jazz

RIVERSIDE RECORDS
Street cred with Thelonious Monk

PACIFIC JAZZ
Moods of Chet and Claxton

CONTEMPORARY
Cool West Coast, great Sound

SAVOY RECORDS
Masterworks by Charlie Parker

DIAL RECORDS
Small label, big Bird sound

ATLANTIC RECORDS
Bold and striking albums

EMARCY RECORDS
The classic drummer logo label

BETHLEHEM RECORDS
The beautiful design of Burt Goldblatt

DEBUT RECORDS
Artist-operated jazz label with Mingus & Roach

CANDID RECORDS
Legendary, early 1960s LPs

ESP-DISK
Free jazz and silk screened covers

IMPULSE RECORDS
Edgy and experimental

RCA VICTOR
The high spirit of Jim Flora

VARIOUS US labels (1)
ABC-Paramount, Aladdin, Argo, Capitol, Coral, Dawn, Decca,
and more

VARIOUS US labels (2)
Epic, Fantasy, HiFi, Imperial, Jazzland, Jazz West, Jubilee, Mercury, Mode, and more

VARIOUS US labels (3)
Roost, Signal, Storyville, Tampa, Transition, United Artists, Vee Jay, and more



EUROPEAN LABELS

SWEDEN (1)
The EP era and Metronome Records in 1950s

SWEDEN (2)
The LPs in the 1950s, and Swedish jazz abroad

SWEDEN (3)
Changing times in the 1960s

SWEDEN (4)
New energy to Swedish jazz in the 1970s

DENMARK
Montmartre, Debut Records and the heydays in Danish jazz

NORWAY
Krog and Garbarek, greats in Norwegian jazz

FINLAND
Plenty of merged styles in Finnish jazz

FRANCE
Americans in Paris, force in French jazz

ENGLAND
Esquire and Tempo, classic labels in British jazz

GERMANY
Jazz labels with strong identity

ITALY
Rare Italian jazz covers

HOLLAND
From Diamonds to ICP in
Dutch jazz

POLAND
Unique series of Polish jazz on Muza


OTHER COUNTRIES
Jazz labels around the world







         

Atlantic Records

Heavy jazz,
bold and striking albums

ATLANTIC was founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. From the beginning a r&b label, issueing only some few jazz recordings. But in 1955 Ahmet´s brother Nesuhi Ertegun joined the company and built up an important jazz catalogue.

Atlantic´s first jazz album covers in the second half of 1950s were made by a variety of fine designers, including Burt Goldblatt and Robert Guidi. Often with delicious black and white photos by William Claxton, Hugh Bell and others, and an artful designs.

But in the last years of the decade, when Marvin Israel took over as art director, Atlantic began to assert a more coherant design policy: more powerful, more colours, bold typefaces, striking abstracts or strong photograph portraitures by Lee Friedlander and others.

Atlantic had several sub-labels, among them Atco, Cotillion and East-West. Clarion was a budget label. The company also had distribution relationship with several labels, such as Stax, Vortex and Volt.

In the 1960s Atlantic moved gradually back into the r&b and soul jazz field. The label was sold to Warner Brothers in 1967.

         

MARVIN ISRAEL and his designer collegue LORING EUTEMY created the new look of Atlantic in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The abiding impression of Atlantic album covers of this period is their restrained elegance and deceptive simplicity. The covers were heavily laminated, often with high quality photographical portraits of the artists. The typyfaces were bold and colourful.

The designer´s desire was to employ graphic design in a way that elevate the status of jazz and r&b artists, to give those mostly black artists a graphic package that had dignity and gravitas. At the same time the covers should be in full view in the record shops and be immediately recognizable as an hot Atlantic LP.

Marvin Israel moved on from Atlantic in 1963, Loring Eutemey continued to work with the company until the mid 1970s.

LEE FRIEDLANDER took many of the photographs on the Atlantic covers in the late 1950s and the 1960s. He was born in Washington 1934 and moved to New York in 1956.

As a house photographer his picture style became an important part of that special Atlantic feeling. His brilliant portraits appealed to every jazz fans mind. They were wonderfully detailed and warmly empathetic.

Lee Friedlander worked with Atlantic into 1970s. Today he is widely regarded as one of America´s most accomplished photographic artists.



   
   Ahmed and Nesuhi Ertegun





LINKS

Atlantic Discography
jazzdiscorg.com


Ahmet Ertegun
atlanticrecords.com/vintage


Lee Friedlander
Fraenkel Gallery


 Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh   Label: Atlantic 1217   12" LP 1955
 Photo: William Claxton

Atlantic Records

 Don Byas: Tenor Saxophone Solos   Label: Atlantic 117   10" LP 1952
 Design: Burt Goldblatt
 
 

 Dizzy Gillespie, vol. 1   Label: Atlantic 138   10" LP 1953
 Design: Marshall Barer   Photo: William Gottlieb
 
 

 Wilbur De Paris   Label: Atlantic 141   10" LP 1953
 
 

 Joe Turner   Label: Atlantic EP 536   7" EP 1953
 
 

 Shorty Rogers: The Swinging Mr. Rogers   Label: Atlantic 1212   12" LP 1955
 Photo: William Claxton
 
 

 Paul Barbarin and his New Orleans Jazz   Label: Atlantic 1215   12" LP 1955
 Design: Lamarine Le Goullon   Photo: Arthur Kramer
 
 

 Wilbur De Paris and his New New Orleans Jazz   Label: Atlantic 1212   12" LP 1955
 Photo: Hugh Bell
 
 

 Tony Fruscella   Label: Atlantic 1220   12" LP 1955   Photo: Hugh Bell  
 
 

 Lennie Tristano   Label: Atlantic 1224   12" LP 1955
 Design and photo: Burt Goldblatt
 
 

 Teddy Charles Tentet   Label: Atlantic 1229   12" LP 1956
 Design and photo: Burt Goldblatt
 

 Modern Jazz Quartet: Fontessa   Label: Atlantic 1231   12" LP 1956
 Design: Guidi, Tri-Arts   Drawing: Norman Sunshine
 

 Wilbur DeParis: Marchin´   Label: Atlantic 1233   12" LP 1956
 Design and photo: Burt Goldblatt
 
 

 Joe Turner sings Kansas City Jazz   Label: Atlantic 1234   12" LP 1956
 Design: Marvin Israel
 
 

 Phineas Newborn: Here is Phineas   Label: Atlantic 1235   12" LP 1956
 Design and photo: Burt Goldblatt
 
 

 Charles Mingus: Pithecanthropus Erectus   Label: Atlantic 1237   12" LP 1956
 Design and illustration: Julio de Diego
 
 

 The Jimmy Giuffre Clarinet   Label: Atlantic 1238   12" LP 1956
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Chris Connor: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not   Label: Atlantic 1240   12" LP 1956
 Photo: Jay Maisel
 
 

 Sylvia Syms Sings   Label: Atlantic 1243   12" LP 1956
 Design: Burt Goldblatt
 
 

 Modern Jazz Quartet at Music Inn   Label: Atlantic 1247   12" LP 1956
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Jay Maisel
 
 

 The Jimmy Giuffre 3   Label: Atlantic 1254   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: William Claxton
 
 

 Lee Konitz: Inside Hi-Fi   Label: Atlantic 1258   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Charles Mingus: The Clown   Label: Atlantic 1260   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Pickow-Three Lions
 
 

 Wilbur DeParis - Jimmy Witherspoon: New Orleans Blues   Label: Atlantic 1266  
12" LP 1957  Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Cante Candoli and Lou Levy: West Coast Wailers   Label: Atlantic 1268  
12" LP 1957  Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: William Claxton
 
 

 Milt Jackson: Plenty, Plenty Soul   Label: Atlantic 1269   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Jay Maisel
 
 

 The John Lewis Piano   Label: Atlantic 1272   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Milt Jackson - Ray Charles: Soul Brothers   Label: Atlantic 1279   12" LP 1957
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Ray Charles Sings   Label: Atlantic 8006   12" LP 1958 (Denmark)
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 La Vern Baker sings Bessie Smith   Label: Atlantic 1281   12" LP 1958
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Tom Palumbo
 
 

 Warne Marsh   Label: Atlantic 1291   12" LP 1958
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Jimmy Giuffre: Four Brothers Sound   Label: Atlantic 1295   12" LP 1959
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Charles Mingus: Blues & Roots   Label: Atlantic 1305   12" LP 1959
 Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Julius Watkins - Charlie Rouse: The Jazz Modes   Label: Atlantic 1306   12" LP 1959
 Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Ray Charles: What'd I Say   Label: Atlantic 8029   12" LP 1959
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 John Coltrane: Giant Steps   Label: Atlantic 1311   12" LP 1960
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Dick Katz: Piano & Pen   Label: Atlantic 1314   12" LP 1960
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Ornette Coleman: The Shape of Jazz To Come   Label: Atlantic 1317   12" LP 1960
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: William Claxton
 
 

 Ornette Coleman: This Is Our Music   Label: Atlantic 1353   12" LP 1960
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 John Coltrane: Coltrane Jazz   Label: Atlantic 1354   12" LP 1960
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 The New Tristano   Label: Atlantic 1357   12" LP 1960
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 John Coltrane: My Favorite Things   Label: Atlantic 1361   12" LP 1961
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz   Label: Atlantic 1364   12" LP 1961
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Painting: Jackson Pollock
 
 

 Milt Jackson/John Coltrane: Bags and Trane   Label: Atlantic 1368   12" LP 1961
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 John Coltrane: Ole   Label: Atlantic 1373   12" LP 1961
 Design: Jagel-Slutzky
 
 

 Charles Mingus: Oh Yeah   Label: Atlantic 1377   12" LP 1961
 Design: Loring Eutemey
 
 

 Modern Jazz Quartet: Lonely Woman   Label: Atlantic 1381   12" LP 1961
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Photo: Richard Heimann
 
 

 John Coltrane: Coltrane Plays the Blues   Label: Atlantic 1382   12" LP 1962
 Design: Marty Norman/Bob Slutzky
 
 

 John Coltrane: Coltrane's Sound   Label: Atlantic 1419   12" LP 1964
 Design: Marvin Israel
 
 

 Max Roach trio featuring the legendary Hasaan   Label: Atlantic 1435   12" LP 1965
 Design: Marvin Israel   Photo: Laurence Fink
 
 

 John Coltrane/Don Cherry: The Avant-Garde   Label: Atlantic 1451   12" LP 1966
 Design: Loring Eutemey
 
 

 Roland Kirk: Here Comes The Whistleman   Label: Atlantic SD 3007   12" LP 1967
 Design: McCann / Fuentes
 
 

 Roland Kirk: The Inflated Tear   Label: Atlantic 1502   12" LP 1968
 Design: Stanislaw Zagorski   Photo: Lee Friedlander
 
 

 Roland Kirk: Left & Right   Label: Atlantic 1518   12" LP 1969
 Design: Stanislaw Zagorski   Photo: Lee Tanner
 
 

 Roland Kirk: Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata   Label: Atlantic 1578   12" LP 1971
 Design: Loring Eutemey   Painting: Price Givens
 
 

 Joe Zawinul   Label: Atlantic 1579   12" LP 1971
 Design and photo: Ed Freeman
 
 

 Roland Kirk: Blacknuss   Label: Atlantic 1601   12" LP 1972
 Design: Haig Adishian   Photo: Ray Ross
 

 Yusef Lateef: The Gentle Giant   Label: Atlantic 1602   12" LP 1972
 Design: Ira Friedlander   Photo: Giuseppe Pino
 

 Randy Weston: African Cookbook   Label: Atlantic 1609   12" LP 1972
 Painting: Ogundipe Fayomi  Design: Loring Eutemey
 
 

 Don Cherry: Hear & Now   Label: Atlantic 18217   12" LP 1977
 Design: Lynn Breslin
 
 

 
      
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