78 rpm BLUES RECORDS - Information and photos from the publisher of PARAMOUNT'S RISE AND FALL

THE BLUES ALBUM
Rare source material from the Mainspring Press collection

PARAMOUNT RECORDS

SORTING OUT PURITAN
Paramount's less-glamorous sister label led a checkered past that continues to challenge discographers and collectors today.

DATING THE NEW YORK RECORDING LABORATORIES' "L" SERIES MASTERS
Alex van der Tuuk, author of Paramount's Rise and Fall, examines the evidence — ranging from the markings on issued 78s and test pressings, to dates of historic events, and even Wisconsin's weather on a given day — to arrive at more accurate dates for Paramount's legendary Grafton sessions.

Paramount Book of the Blues (1927): Front cover

Paramount Book of the Blues: Papa Charlie Jackson

Paramount Book of the Blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson

Paramount Book of the Blues: Ma Rainey

The 1929 "Masked Marvel" Contest (Charley Patton)

Paramount Metal Mother and Storage Sleeve (Skip James, 1931)

LABEL IMAGES

Early Blues Records: A Label Sampler

BLACK SWAN RECORDS

WHITE PERFORMERS ON BLACK SWAN RECORDS: A PSEUDONYM LISTING
Depsite Harry Pace's claim that Black Swan would use only black talent, many issues are actually by white performers using aliases.

BLACK SWAN'S OTHER STARS
Harry Pace set his sights high for his pioneering black-owned and -operated record label. "While it is true that we will feature to a great extent 'blue' numbers," Pace told the press, "we will also release many numbers of a higher standard."

Black Swan January 1922 Catalog

False advertising on Black Swan record sleeves (1921-1922)

COLUMBIA RACE RECORDS

Advertisement from The Talking Machine World, featuring Bessie Smith (1924)

EMERSON RACE RECORDS

Advertisement from the Chicago Defender (1924)

VOCALION RACE RECORDS

Series announcement from The Talking Machine World (1926)

Pages from Race Records flyer (1927)

Race Records best sellers poster (1929)

MAMIE SMITH ONLINE DISCOGRAPHY
The latest edition, from Brian Rust's Jazz and Ragtime Records.

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