Novus Records
Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label. It was an imprint of Arista Records that concentrated on then-contemporary jazz artists. Run by Steve Backer, it produced about 25 albums between 1978 and 1980.[1][2]
Novus's roster from 1978 to 1980 included Muhal Richard Abrams, Warren Bernhardt, Larry Coryell, and Oliver Lake. During the 1980s, when Backer worked for BMG, he restarted the label and released jazz and new age music. Its catalogue during these years included Steve Lacy, James Moody, Hilton Ruiz, and Henry Threadgill. Beginning in 1989, it released music by Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, and Marcus Roberts. Novus also reissued albums produced by Backer while he was at Arista. The label closed in the mid-1990s.[2] The catalogue is now managed by Sony Masterworks through its Masterworks Jazz imprint.
Discography[edit]
3000-N (RCA) series[edit]
- 3000: Muhal Richard Abrams – Lifea Blinec
- 3001: Warren Bernhardt – Solo Piano
- 3002: Air – Open Air Suit
- 3003: Oliver Lake – Life Dance of Is
- 3004: Baird Hersey – Looking for That Groove
- 3005: Larry Coryell – European Impressions
- 3006: Ran Blake – Rapport
- 3007: Muhal Richard Abrams – Spiral Live at Montreux 1978
- 3008: Air – Montreux Suisse
- 3009: Mike Mainieri & Warren Bernhardt – Free Smiles
- 3010: Oliver Lake – Shine
- 3011: Warren Bernhardt – Floating
- 3012: Michael Gregory – Gifts
- 3013: Henry Threadgill – X-75 Volume 1
- 3014: Air – Air Lore
- 3015: Michael Gregory – Heart and Center
- 3016: Baird Hersey – Have You Heard?
- 3017: Larry Coryell – Tributaries
- 3018: John Scofield – Who's Who?
- 3019: Ran Blake – Film Noir
- 3020: Warren Bernhardt – Manhattan Update
- 3021: Pharoah Sanders & Norman Connors – Beyond a Dream
- 3022: John Scofield – Bar Talk
- 3023: Steve Khan – Evidence
- 3024: Larry Coryell – Standing Ovation
- 3025: Henry Threadgill – Easily Slip Into Another World
- 3032: Michael Shrieve & Steve Roach – The Leaving Time
- 3084: Opafire – Opafire featuring Zachary Norman E.
- 3115: John Hicks, Cecil McBee & Elvin Jones – Power Trio
- 63119: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Black Science
- 63125: Steve Coleman – Rhythm in Mind
- 63144: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Drop Kick
- 63160: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – The Tao of Mad Phat
- 63176: Opafire – Without a Trace
Notes[edit]
- ^ Gary W. Kennedy. "Novus". In Macy, Laura. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Kennedy, Gary (2002). Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 3 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 177. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
External links[edit]
- Discogs, http://www.discogs.com/label/Arista+Novus
- Discogs, http://www.discogs.com/label/Novus (some albums are erroneously filed there, such as "AN 3007 - Muhal Richard Abrams - Spiral: Live At Montreux 1978")
- Jazz Discography, http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/novus.htm
- Robert Christgau, http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_label.php?id=1723&name=Arista+Novus