Verve Records: The Sound of America

As an independent record producer going back to the early 1940s, Norman Granz started building a personal network of record companies – disc by disc, artist by artist, innovation by innovation – that grew into a tsunami by the time he sold Verve Records at the end of 1960. It remains a feat unmatched to this day.

This set celebrates the fascinating spectrum of recordings made during the Norman Granz era of Verve Records. It includes vocal tracks by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday; Charlie Parker with strings; a raucous live jam session; Beatnik poetry by Jack Kerouac and stand-up comedy.