Norman Granz

Norman Granz was an American jazz producer and promoter who founded Jazz at the Philharmonic and record labels including Verve Records. He used concerts and recordings to advance jazz and challenge racial segregation.

Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer celebrated for her clear tone, wide range, and scat singing. Granz managed Fitzgerald and produced her celebrated songbook recordings for Verve.
Jazz at the Philharmonic: Jazz at the Philharmonic was a touring concert series featuring leading jazz musicians in all-star ensembles and improvisational finales. The series was Granz’s best-known vehicle for presenting jazz to large concert audiences.
Los Angeles: Los Angeles is a major city in Southern California and a center of the American entertainment industry. Granz launched his early concerts in Los Angeles during the 1940s.
Racial integration in the United States: Racial integration in the United States is the dismantling of legally or socially enforced separation between racial groups. Granz insisted that his concerts admit audiences without racial segregation.
Major record label: A major record label is a large music company with extensive recording, marketing, and distribution operations. Granz built specialized jazz labels rather than relying solely on major-label control.
Oscar Peterson: Oscar Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist known for virtuosic technique and a long career as a bandleader. Peterson became a frequent Jazz at the Philharmonic performer and a prominent artist on Granz’s labels.
Verve Records: Verve Records is an American record label established in 1956, known for jazz recordings. Granz founded Verve to record and release music by artists he promoted.
JATP Just Jazz Concert: The JATP Just Jazz Concert was a 1944 Los Angeles event organized by Norman Granz that helped establish Jazz at the Philharmonic. This concert introduced the format Granz developed into a touring series.
Jim Crow laws: Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation and disenfranchisement, especially in the American South, from the late nineteenth century into the 1960s. Granz’s insistence on integrated concerts directly opposed the segregation these laws embodied.
Milt Gabler: Milt Gabler was an American record producer who founded Commodore Records and later worked for Decca Records. Gabler offers a comparison with another independent-minded producer who brought jazz to records.

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