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In American Record Labels and Companies, Sutton and Nauck continue to describe Gennett’s body of recordings:

Although Gennett’s earliest releases weren’t particularly noteworthy, its later catalog was remarkably diverse and preserved much material that might otherwise have gone unrecorded. The label is best remembered for its pioneering jazz recordings by the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Bix Beiderbecke. However countless other interesting, obscure, and occasionally bizarre items appeared on Gennett and related labels, running the gamut from political speeches and Klu Klux Klan propaganda to classic blues and authentic black gospel, county music and ethnic recordings, Midwestern dance bands, Hopi Indian songs, sound effects, and Christmas greetings by movie stars and celebrities.

Gennett initially recorded only in New York. A second studio, at Starr’s factory complex in Richmond, did not begin operation until August 20, 1921. The Richmond studio, under the direction of Ezra C.A. Wickemeyer, recorded Midwestern talent overlooked by larger companies, often charging aspiring but unproven performers for studio time against any profits from future record sales. Unfortunately, the studio’s location along Starr’s railroad siding proved to be less than ideal. Train and traffic noises are plainly audible in some later electric Richmond recordings.

Location recording, begun in 1924, was sporadic but eventually reached Birmingham, Cincinnati, Chicago, the El Tovar Hotel at Grand Canyon (site of the Hopi Indian sessions), Minneapolis-St. Paul, and possibly Los Angeles. Personal Recording Departments operated in Richmond and New York, and Starr also maintained a thriving custom- and private-label business.

Although Gennett relied primarily on its own masters, it occasionally licensed or commissioned material from other studios, including the Compo Company (Ajax/Apex), Marsh Laboratories (Autograph), and Rodeheaver Record Company (Rainbow). Such material was usually renumbered in an 8100 master series reserved for material from outside sources.

In June 1925 Starr announced a new pricing structure under which current popular, country, and race-record released would be reduced to $0.50. The new lower-priced series, numbered in the 3000s and released under red labels, generally sold well by Gennett standards.

Gennett files document apparently experimental electrical recordings sessions with General Electric equipment in the summer of 1925. […] Full conversion to electric recording did not come until January 1927, the month in which the Gennett Electrobeam label was introduced. […] An electrically recorded export series, produced for Mexican distribution under the Rayo Elètrico Gennett label, was introduced a short time later.

Despite the label change, a few of the earliest Gennett Electrobeam releases were pressed from acoustic masters. Starr continued to experience problems with its General Electric equipment, and on July 1, 1928, the company licensed the more reliable Photophone system. […] RCA initially developed the Photophone process for use with motion pictures and had attempted without success to adapt it to home movies.

A new studio at Long Island City replaced Gennett’s previous New York location in 1927 and was leased […] for Q-R-S recording sessions in 1928 and 1929. Gennett also leased its Richmond studio to the New York Recording Laboratories for Paramount sessions in 1929. Some of the resulting masters, numbered in Gennett’s own series, were issued concurrently on Gennett, Champion, and related labels. (87-88)

Text © 2000 by Allan R. Sutton; All Rights Reserved

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