Celebrating Riverside Records

Al — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 12:11:04 +0000

Somebody recently sent me this great clip celebrating the 60th anniversary of Riverside Records. It features an interview with Riverside co-founder Orrin Keepnews, still quite articulate and interesting at 90 years old. I find it interesting that he considers Thelonious Monk to be the patron saint of the label, and that signing Monk was what gave the label credibility among other jazz artists. I’m a huge fan of Riverside, and so are most of the readers here at Jazz Collector, I’m sure. So this morning, laying in bed, I start putting together a list of my favorite Riverside albums. These are my personal favorites, not the ones I would call the “best” or the most influential. Just the ones that through the years I’ve listened to most often and enjoyed the most: Here goes:

1. Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby, Riverside 399

2. Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, Know What I Mean?, Riverside 433

3. Benny Golson, The Modern Touch, Riverside 256

4. Cannonball Adderley, Live at the Lighthouse, Riverside 344

5. Abbey Lincoln, That’s Him, Riverside 251

Just to confirm my picks, I looked over the Riverside discography, and I’m still comfortable with my selections. My honorable mentions are The Unique Thelonious Monk; Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners; Presenting Ernie Henry and Ernie Henry Seven Standards and a Blues; several more by Evans, most particularly Moonbeams; several more by Adderley, most particularly the Quintet in San Francisco; Wes Montgomery and Milt Jackson, Bags Meets Wes; Johnny Griffin, Studio Jazz Party. I think I’ll leave it at that, lest I include the whole catalogue.

A fun exercise. I invite you all to join in.

The post Celebrating Riverside Records first appeared on jazzcollector.com.

Orrin Keepnews | jazzcollector.com

Celebrating Riverside Records