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Karl Emil Knudsen - man of great intuitions!

12 AUG. 07

Draft, as printed on the labels, of a

STORYVILLE 10” 45 & 78 r.p.m. SHELLACK LABEL LISTING

- including Memory Jazz record.

This is not a discography but an attempt to visualize Karl Emil’s start as a record producer. At that time Karl was 23 years of age and was still part-time employee at The Danish Telephone Co. when on September 16th, 1952 he recorded the four titles below probably on acetate discs. They are the very first ones he produced and they were released on November 4th, 1952. The two records were issued on the Copenhagen based ”Memory Jazz record” label which also was the Danish distributor of the French ”Vogue” label. (Vogue Generalagentur, managed by Leth-Hansen and Arne Bronné Groth.)

In 1955 the company changed name to ”Grammofonselskabet Vogue” and from the autumn 1955 they also distributed Swedish Gazell, Danish Storyville and Sonet. From 1956 Vogue is still distributing Storyville and Sonet on behalf of Knudsen’s and Dyrup’s new enterprise, I.S. Dansk Grammofonpladeforlag (DGF.)

Memory Jazz record “Storyville Serien” (10” 78 r.p.m. shellack records):

KEK 2 Chris Barber med The Ramblers

Down By The Riverside (M 502)

Sweet Lovin’ Man (M 503)

KEK 4 CHRIS BARBER with The Ramblers

BUDDY BOLDEN’s Blues (M 504)

AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL (M 505)

Note: Strange way of catalogue numbering! Also, when looking at the mx. numbers, they suggest that there may have been recorded a fifth unknown

title allocated to a M 501!

And now, shortly after the releases of the above Karl continued his ambitious efforts to become a legend in the record business. An effort which impressed so many for such a long time.

He and a partner by the name of Heinrich Breiling then established the Storyville label each investing DKR. 500,- to finance their three first releases, i.e. KB 100, 103 and 104 in the blue label series below. They became available in shops soon after the above and that was on December 11th, 1952.

At some point, however, a disagreement arose between the two partners and finally Karl paid Breiling back his 500,- and for the first time he became the sole owner of Storyville Records.

On 10” shellack discs four series emerged as shown below. In the early days head office of Storyville Records was located in Karl’s home at Buddinge Hovedgade 168, Soeborg, just outside of central Copenhagen. He also handled the Swedish Modern Music label from 1953. More than often he himself carried the heavy 78’s into the capital city in the voluminous black telephone company bags trying to sell his stuff to the trade. At this time and in a friendly way he became known in the jazz community as the “Death of a Salesman” (ref. Arthur Miller.)


Blue label (10” 78 r.p.m. shellack records)
KB 100 L. Armstrong w/Red Onion Jazz Babies:
	Terrible Blues/Santa Claus Blues Ex. Gennett 5607
KB 101 Tommy Ladnier & Jimmie Noone with Ollie Powers Orchestra:
	Play That Thing Ex. Paramount 1259
	L. Armstrong & S. Bechet w/ Red Onion Jazz Babies: ?
	Cake Walking Babies ? Ex. Gennett 5627 ?
KB 102 James P. Johnson:	Charleston/Jelly Roll Morton plays: Dead Man Blues Ex. QRS ?/QRS 3674
KB 103 L. Armstrong w/ King Olivers Creole Jazz Band:
	Chimes Blues/Froggie Moore Ex. Gennett 5135
KB 104 L. Armstrong w/ King Olivers Creole Jazz Band: Snake Rag/L. Armstrong w/Red Onion Jazz Babies:
	Of All The Wrongs You’ve Done To Me Ex. Gennett 5184/5627



Red label (10” 78 r.p.m. shellack records):
KB 200 Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen	Isle Of Capri (KC 18)/Monty Sunshine Trio: St. Philip St. Breakdown (KC 4)
KB 201 -	Shine (KC 16)/The Barber-Sunshine Five: Gentofte Blues (KC 23)
KB 202 Kid Ory’s Creole Jazz Band:	Dippermouth Blues/savoy Blues Ex. Exner 3
KB 203 -	Ballin’ The Jack/High Society Ex. Exner 4
KB 204 Castle Jazz Band:	When The Saints, parts 1 & 2 Ex. Castle 8
KB 205 -	Farewell Blues/I’ve Been Floatin’ Down That Old Green River Ex. Castle 9
KB 206 Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen:	If I Ever Cease To Love (KC 17)/Monty Sunshine Trio: Wild Cat Blues (KC 2)
KB 207 Celestin’s Tuxedo Jazz Band:	Li’l Liza Jane/Oh Didn’t He Ramble Ex. New Orleans Bandwagon 6
KB 208 -	High Society/When The Saints Ex. New Orleans Band Wagon 5
KB 209 Ken Colyer’s Jazzmen:	Wabash Blues (KC 19)/Bucket Got A Hole (KC 14)
KB 210 Red Nichols & His 5 Pennies:	That’s A Plenty/Dallas Blues Ex. Jump 20
KB 211 James P. Johnson:	Charleston/Jelly Roll Morton plays: Dead Man Blues Ex. QRS ?/QRS 3674
KB 212 ? - probably planned but may not have been issued..
KB 213 Chris Barber’s Jazz Band:	Down By The Riverside (CB 4)/Ice Cream (CB 6)
KB 214 Dan Burley, solo piano:	Dusty Bottom (P.S.510)/Rib Joint (P.S.511) Ex. Timme Rosenkrantz
KB 215 Sandy Brown’s Jazz Band:	Everybody Loves Saturday Night (DGF 99)/Nothing Blues (DGF 100)

Notes: KB 211 is a re-issue of KB 101. According to Leif Bjerborg KB 102 and KB 211 have different mx. nos. re. Dead Man Blues by Morton even they are from the same stamper. This also applies to James P.’s Charleston on KB 211. Both are no doubt dubbed masters. Source unknown. Leif also suggests that KB 212 may be a re-issue from the KB 100 series. Moreover it is almost certain that except for the Colyer issues as well as those from the New Orleans Bandwagon- and Jump labels pressing materials for the rest in the two series are received from Tempo (UK) in exchange of a number of Karl’s own recordings. Chris Barber was part owner of the UK Tempo label at that time.

Both titles on KB 214 (released in 1955) were recorded by Timme Rosenkrantz in his N.Y.C. apartment in 1944 and are supposed to be Burleys first recordings. The two acetates are now in the Rosenkrantz collection at Syddansk Universitetscenter.


Green label (10” 78 r.p.m. shellack records each pressed in 100 numbered copies only):
J 1 Elzadie Robinson w/W.Ezell:	Rowdy Man Blues/Going South Blues Ex. Paramount 12724
J 2 Cow Cow Davenport:	Slow Drag/Chimes Blues Ex. Paramount 12800
J 3 The State Street Ramblers:	Oriental Man/Tack It Down Ex. Gennett 6692/Champion 40062
J 4 -	Endurance Stomp/Brown Skin Mama Ex. Gennett 6552/6569
Note: All titles above are from Tempo stampers.


Green label. (10” 45 r.p.m. shellack records each pressed in 100 numbered copies only. Two titles per side):
J 50 M^eMa Rainey w/ Lovie Austin & Her Blues Serenaders:
	Bo-Weavel Blues/Last Minute Blues Ex. Paramount 12080
Ma Rainey & Her Georgia Band:
	Army Camp Harmony Blues/Explaining The Blues Ex. Paramount 12284
J 51 Trixie Smith & Her Down Home Syncopators:
	Sorrowful Blues/I Don’t Know And I Don’t Care Ex. Paramount 12208
	Ada James’ Blues/Praying Blues Ex. Paramount 12232
Note: All titles above mastered by John R.T. Davies who also supplied the stampers.

In the early days as well as in the future Karl always did his homework probably in order to determine what was to be issued or not. Already at this time he acquired material from various sources and he often received test pressings of items to be considered for release. To the purpose of identification he used “blank” Storyville labels and typed source, name of artist and tune title for further reference. Then he listened… I can almost hear Karl mumble something like “not worth a dime!” about the following shown here:

Sources consulted: Brian Rust: jazz Records 1897-1942, 5^th Ed; Robert M.W. Dixon & John Godrich: Blues & Gospel Records, 1902-1943, 3^rd Ed.; Jørgen Grunnet Jepsen: Jazz Records, 1942-1967; Erik Raben: Jazz Records, 1942-80; Storyville Records & Archives.

Individuals: Adrian Bentzon, Leif Bjerborg, Morten Drejer, Anders Dyrup and Michael Thomsen. Special thanks to Peder Hansen for label illustrations and correct label information.

Corrections, additions and comments will be most appreciated. Thank you very much.

Allan Stephensen, August, 2007.