Steiner Davis Records
Steiner Davis Records was an American record label that was active between 1944 and 1955.
The independent, Chicago-based record label Steiner Davis (abbreviated to S&D) was founded in January 1944 by the two record collectors John Steiner (1908-2000) and Hugh Davis († 1948). Steiner and Davis initially focused on re-releasing older jazz recordings from Paramount Records from the 1920s and 1930s; However, the two had already started four years earlier to record musicians who played in the traditional style for the Paramount label, which had been revitalized by Steiner. The label was based in Steiner's own house (104 East Bellevue Place); Steiner and Davis didn't run a record store to get their 78sfor sale, but presented them at collectors' markets. However, they had problems to have their 78 mm records pressed at reasonable terms and quality. In February 1945 Davis sold his shares to Steiner, who continued to operate the label alone. Steiner moved his residence and business to the Uptown Playhouse Theater , where he worked as a promoter. A fire in the theater in 1946 destroyed the material from S&D Records and all documents. After moving to downtown Chicago (8 South Dearborn Street) in June 1947, Steiner ran a record exchange for rare jazz records.
The first release was Cassino Simpsons cover version of After You've Gone from 1942. In addition to re-releases of old Paramount recordings from the 1920s by King Oliver ( Mabel's Dream , 1923) and Jelly Roll Morton ( Mr. Jelly Lord , 1924) one published on the label 1944–47 new recordings by Bud Freeman , Jack Gardner / Baby Dodds , Tut Soper , Red Nichols ( Lonesome Lovesick Blues ) and the Red Norvo / Stuff Smith Quartet; also a recording of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from the Civic Opera House from 1944. In the mid-1950s, recordings of the Wiggs / Burke Big Four were made. Steiner, who was himself a jazz pianist , also recorded music by the pianists Cow Cow Davenport and Frank Melrose . Partly because of excessive length could not be published in the 1940s.
Web links
- Label portrait of Robert Pruter, Robert L. Campbell, Konrad Nowakowski and Tom Kelly
- John Steiner Collection in the University of Chicago Library