The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168926   Message #4081144
Posted By: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
27-Nov-20 - 01:17 PM
Thread Name: Stinson Records Revisted
Subject: RE: Stinson Records Revisted
Milt Gabler's wiki for the period under discussion. Stinson is entirely behind the scenes. No mention:

“By the mid-1930s, Gabler renamed the business the Commodore Music Shop, and it became a focal point for jazz fans and musicians alike. In 1933 Gabler began buying up unwanted copies of recordings from the record companies and resold them, making him the first person to deal in reissues, the first to sell records by mail order, and also the first to credit all the musicians on the recordings.

Gabler started up a specialty label UHCA (United Hot Clubs of America) in about 1935 to reissue selected 78 r.p.m. sides previously released by other companies. He was able to secure many important jazz records including the 1931 Joe Venuti-Eddie Lang all star session (from ARC), Bessie Smith's final session (from OKeh), a number of Frank Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, and Miff Mole sides (also from OKeh). These reissues were from the original 78 stampers and were instrumental in spreading the concept of collecting classic performances from the past. A number of Paramount and Gennett sides were dubbed from clean copies and issued on UHCA and the sound was surprisingly good for a dubbing.” [wiki]

Future (?) partner Irving Prosky is listed in the 1930 U.S. census as a “radio salesman,” same as Gabler and Moe Asche. More on him to follow.