Crescent Records

Crescent Records was an American independent record label that produced jazz recordings from 1944 to 1946. It was the first record label founded by Nesuhi Ertegun, who started it with the express purpose of recording a band that was assembled to perform on CBS Radio's 1944 variety series, The Orson Welles Almanac. Only one artist, Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band, was released on the Crescent label, which was distributed by Hollywood's Jazz Man Record Shop. Although only eight discs were released, they are considered to be among the most important jazz recordings ever made. Crescent Records was in the vanguard of an international revival of traditional jazz in the 1940s.

Crescent Records was founded by Nesuhi Ertegun in 1944, with the express purpose of recording the All Star Jazz Group featured on the CBS Radio program, The Orson Welles Almanac. Ertegun produced the four recording sessions; the label was owned by Marili Morden, proprietor of the Jazz Man Record Shop in Hollywood. Only eight discs were released on the Crescent label, all of them made by the group Ertegun renamed Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band.

Originally called the All Star Jazz Group, the group was put together in February 1944 by Marili Morden at the request of Orson Welles. A passionate and knowledgeable fan of traditional jazz, Welles wanted an authentic New Orleans jazz band for his weekly variety show on CBS Radio. Within minutes Morden assembled Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass), Kid Ory (trombone), Bud Scott (guitar), Zutty Singleton (drums), Buster Wilson (piano), and Jimmie Noone (clarinet, replaced by Barney Bigard after Noone's death). The All Star Jazz Group first performed on The Orson Welles Almanac March 15, 1944; its last performance was July 12, 1944, on the penultimate show in the series. Their performances on the Welles show were so popular that the band became a regular feature, launched Ory's comeback, and was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz.

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