Progressive Records

Progressive Records (Progressive) is an American jazz record label currently owned by the Jazzology label and producing mainly re-releases and compilations of artists like Sonny Stitt, Eddie Barefield's The Eddie Barefield Sextet, and The George Masso Sextet with Eddie Miller[1]

Progressive was founded by Gus Statiras in New York in 1950, more aggressively issuing albums during the first half of the 1950s until the business went into decline. Savoy bought and reissued much of the label's catalog,[2] then sold it to Prestige.[3] with backing from Bainbridge, a Japanese recording company.[4] Progressive had a revival in the late 1970s when Statiras bought the label back from Fantasy Records, which by then had absorbed Prestige, which continued into the 1980s .

Progressive's second era was marked by recordings from Buddy DeFranco, Scott Hamilton, J.R. Monterose and Al Haig.[3][4][5][6][7]

Progressive had a GRAMMY® nominee in the first album of stride pianist Judy Carmichael, Two-Handed Stride. Carmichael was backed by some of the best veteran sidemen in Los Angeles, members of the Count Basie Orchestra including Red Callender, Freddie Green, Harold Jones, and Marshal Royal. Statiras picked up the self-produced album after other larger labels in New York passed on it.[8]

The label was bought again by producer George Buck and now it is marketed under his Jazzology label by son George H. Buck, Jr..[9] Buck hired Statiras to supervise the label.[3]

Recordings

Artists

These artists have appeared on the Progressive label:

A

B

C

D

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

References

  1. ↑ Progressive Records Catalog, Jazzology website
  2. ↑ John S. Davis Historical Dictionary of Jazz, Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012, p.296
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 JazzHouse.org - Gus Statiras
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Label Histories - Birka Jazz
  5. ↑ Allaboutjazz
  6. ↑ Allmusic
  7. ↑ Discogs.com
  8. ↑ Judy Carmichael - JazzSkool.org
  9. ↑ Progressive Records Jazzology Records