Editing General Records

{{Short description|Small American record label}}
'''General Records''' was a small American [[record label]] during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Its most notable releases are piano solos recorded by [[Jelly Roll Morton]] in December 1939 late in his career.

==History==

Established around 1939, General Records was a division of Consolidated Records, Inc., of [[New York City]]. The label was owned by pioneering sound engineer [[Hazard E. Reeves]], of Reeves Sound Studios (1939–1944) in Manhattan.<ref>Sutton, Allan, and Kurt Nauck. ''American Record Labels and Companies: An Encyclopedia (1891–1943)''. Denver, Colorado: Mainspring Press, 2000. {{ISBN|0967181909}}</ref>{{Rp|85, 319}}

The audio fidelity is above average for the era, and most General [[gramophone record|discs]] were pressed in good quality [[shellac]], although the quality declined as good shellac became scarce with the start of [[World War II]].

The most famous General Records are a series of recordings by [[Jelly Roll Morton]]. The recording sessions in December 1939 and January 1940 were the last in Morton's career.<ref>Reich, Howard, and William Gaines. ''Jelly's Blues The Life, Music, and Redemption of Jelly Roll Morton''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo, 2003.</ref>{{Rp|193}}

In 1946 [[Milt Gabler]] of [[Commodore Records]] purchased the stock, masters and rights of General Records when the company went out of production. Morton's solo piano album, ''New Orleans Memories'', and his "Tavern Tunes" series (recorded with the Morton Sextet and the Morton Seven<ref name="drjazz"/>) were included in the purchase. The out-of-print recordings were re-released on the Commodore label.<ref name="Jazz Record">"Commodore Buys General". ''The Jazz Record'', August 1946, page 18.</ref>

"Recorded late in his career, the General records caught Jelly Roll at perhaps the peak of his ability, and many of these records, particularly ''Mamie's Blues'' and ''Don't You Leave Me Here'', are regarded as blues classics," " wrote ''The Jazz Record'' in August 1946. "Half the series are straight old ragtime piano, which ties in nicely with the present day revival of interest in old piano rags."<ref name="Jazz Record"/>

== Select discography ==
The most notable General Records releases were piano solos by [[Jelly Roll Morton]]. General Records 4001–4005 were reissued by Commodore Records in August 1946 in a set titled ''New Orleans Memories''.<ref name="Commodore Jazz Record">"Piano Solos, Jelly Roll Morton" (Commodore Music Shop Advertisement). ''The Jazz Record'', August 1946, page 20.</ref>
* General 4001<br>Jelly Roll Morton<br>"Mamie's Blues" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 16, 1939<br>"Original Piano Rags" ([[Scott Joplin]]), recorded in New York, December 16, 1939<ref name="redhot">{{cite web |url=http://redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html |title=Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton (1890–1941) |publisher=The Red Hot Jazz Archive |accessdate=2014-07-17 |archive-date=2005-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124023521/http://www.redhotjazz.com/jellyroll.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
* General 4002<br>Jelly Roll Morton<br>"Michigan Water Blues" ([[Clarence Williams (musician)|Clarence Williams]]), recorded in New York, December 18, 1939<br>"The Naked Dance" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 14, 1939<ref name="redhot"/>
* General 4003<br>Jelly Roll Morton<br>"Buddy Bolden's Blues" (Traditional), recorded in New York, December 16, 1939<br>"The Crave" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 14, 1939<ref name="redhot"/>
* General 4004<br>Jelly Roll Morton<br>"Winin' Boy Blues" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 14, 1939<br>"Mister Joe" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 14, 1939<ref name="redhot"/>
* General 4005<br>Jelly Roll Morton<br>"Don't You Leave Me Here" (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 16, 1939<ref name="redhot"/><br>"King Porter Stomp"<ref name="drjazz">{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/page15.html |title=Jelly Roll Morton Recordings and Discography  |publisher=Monrovia Sound Studio |accessdate=2014-07-17}}</ref> (Jelly Roll Morton), recorded in New York, December 14, 1939<ref name="redhot"/>

== See also ==
* [[List of record labels]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCiOSpsH_cc "Mamie's Blues"] on [[YouTube]]
* ''[http://www.allmusic.com/album/last-sessions-the-complete-general-recordings-mw0000089547 The Last Sessions: The Complete General Recordings]'' (Jelly Roll Morton) at [[AllMusic]]
* [https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and%5B%5D=publisher:general General Records] on the Internet Archive's [http://great78.archive.org/ Great 78 Project]

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[[Category:American independent record labels]]
[[Category:Defunct record labels of the United States]]
[[Category:American jazz record labels]]