Groove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was run by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, Lonnie Smith and Lionel Hampton. Lester would later close Groove Merchant and restructure it as Lester Radio Corporation, or LRC; TK Records were distributors for a period. Lester still retains the rights to the Groove Merchant/LRC back catalog and independently distributes them on compact disc.
Discography 500 Series The Groove Merchant 500 Series consisted of 34 albums released between 1971 and 1974.Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 500 Series, accessed March 26, 2018 Catalog Artist Album NotesGM 501Black VelvetGM 502 You Don't Have To Be Black To Love The BluesUK title: Blue Shadows FallingGM 503Groove GreaseGM 504Joy of Cookin'GM 505American PieGM 506Let's Stay TogetherGM 507Breeding of MindGM 508Goodbye YesterdayGM 509Fly DudeGM 510Madame Foo-FooGM 511The Sweet LifeGM 512Night GliderGM 513Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' Onoriginally released as The Outside Man on CapitolGM 514Inner CrisisGM 515 / Lucky Thompson + George Freeman + O'Donel LevyConcert: Friday the 13th - Cook County JailLive split albumGM 516Sweet Sister FunkGM 517I Offer YouGM 518Dawn of a New DayGM 519New Improved FunkGM 520 and Groove HolmesGiants of the Organ Come TogetherGM 521I Want a Country ManGM 522It Takes a Whole Lot of Human FeelingGM 523The Cisco KidGM 524No release issued for this part numberGM 525FunkiaGM 526SimbaGM 527New GrooveGM 528The Roar of '74GM 529If You're Ready Come Go with MeCompilation featuring tracks from Soul Sugar, Groove Grease, Let's Stay Together and Fly Dude, plus two previously unreleased tracks.GM 530SundanceReissue of GM 2202GM 531Ms. JazzGM 532Ms. SoulGM 533 and Bucky Pizzarelli + Buddy RichNirvanaGM 534The Main SqueezeGM 535Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
2200 Series The 2200 Series, released in 1972, consisted of five albums which feature previously released and/or unissued material produced by Sonny Lester for various other labels.Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 2200 Series, accessed March 26, 2018 Catalog Artist Album NotesGM 2201Evergreensoriginally released as Basic Basie on MPS.GM 2202 Sundancepreviously unreleased tracks from the 'Is' recording sessions for Solid State.GM 2203Black and Bluesdouble LP of previously unreleased material recorded circa 1963.GM 2204Fusiondouble LP featuring tracks originally released as Energy on Capitol, along with a whole LP (=7 tracks) of previously unreleased material.GM 2205 and Junior ParkerGood Things Don't Happen Every Dayoriginally released as The Dudes Doin' Business on Capitol.
3300 Series The 3300 Series consisted of sixteen albums released between 1973 and 1976.Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 3300 Series, accessed March 26, 2018 Catalog Artist Album NotesGM 3300 and Groove HolmesGiants of the Organ in ConcertLive 2LP setGM 3301Very Live at Buddy's PlaceGM 3302 and Lionel HamptonTransitionGM 3303The Last Blues Album Volume 1Later issued on LRC as Loot To Boot under Illinois Jacquet's name.GM 3304900 Shares of the BluesGM 3305 Man & WomanGM 3306Chicago 'n All That JazzGM 3307Big Band MachineGM 3308Afro–desiaGM 3309Stump JuiceGM 3310MasadaGM 3311 The Mean MachineGM 3312Keep on Lovin'Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9312GM 3313WindowsReissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9313GM 3314Red BeansReissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9314GM 3315Feelin's from WithinReissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9315
4000 Series The 4000 Series, released in 1974–1975, consisted of twelve double LP compilations of previously issued material.Jazzlists: Groove Merchant Records 4000 Series, accessed March 26, 2018 GM 4400 Lionel Hampton: The Works! (material later released as the single LPs: Hamp's Big Band Live! on Glad-Hamp, and Good Vibes on 51 West/CBS) GM 4401 Carmen McRae: Velvet Soul (compiles It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling and Ms. Jazz) GM 4402 Groove Holmes: Hunk–a–Funk (compiles Night Glider and New Groove) GM 4403 Jimmy McGriff: Flyin' Time (compiles Fly Dude and Let's Stay Together) GM 4404 Reuben Wilson: Bad Stuff! (compiles The Sweet Life and The Cisco Kid) GM 4405 Various Artists: Blues in Concert (compiles selections from Jimmy McGriff/Junior Parker, Very Live at Buddy's Place, Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail, Giants of the Organ in Concert, plus two live tracks by Dakota Staton) GM 4406 Chick Corea / Mike Longo: Piano Giants (compiles Sundance and Funkia) GM 4407 Buddy Rich: Tuff Dude! (compiles The Roar of '74 and Very Live at Buddy's Place) GM 4408 O'Donel Levy: Hands of Fire (compiles Black Velvet and Simba) GM 4409 Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes: Supa Cookin' (compiles Giants of the Organ Come Together and the first LP from the Giants of the Organ in Concert 2LP set) GM 4410 Dakota Staton: Confessin' (compiles Madame Foo-Foo and I Want a Country Man) GM 4411 Lucky Thompson: Illuminations (compiles Goodbye Yesterday and I Offer You)
References
External links Official website for LRC-Groove Merchant Records