NOW, A JAZZ MOMENT...

MUSIC:

St. Louis Blues (Armstrong/Handy)
CD: Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
Originally released1954 Sony Music Entertainment

NEA JAZZ MASTER GEORGE AVAKIAN BEARS A LONG LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE RECORDING INDUSTRY. HE PRODUCED THE VERY FIRST JAZZ "ALBUM", HE LAUNCHED THE FIRST ANNOTATED SERIES OF JAZZ RECORDINGS, AND HE HELPED TO ESTABLISH THE LP AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS OF THE INDUSTRY DURING THE 20TH CENTURY. GEORGE AVAKIAN...

George Avakian: I look back on all of that and I realize that, in some ways, the most important single thing that I ever did in the record industry was to change the emphasis of the industry in the direction of quality albums which would endure rather than hits that came and disappeared.

MUSIC:

Milestones (Miles Davis)
CD: Milestones
Originally released 1958 Sony BMG

THIS JAZZ MOMENT WITH RECORD PRODUCER GEORGE AVAKIAN WAS CREATED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.