Delmark Records is turning 70. Bob Koester founded it in St. Louis. When Koester released his first record, jazz and blues were taking shape, and many legendary musicians were still hard at work. Ike was holding it down in the White House, and the U.S. was in the midst of the Korean War. Now, seven decades later, Delmark is the oldest independent jazz and blues record label worldwide, with an amazing collection of over twelve thousand recordings featuring some of the finest jazz and blues talent.
Although Koester retired in 2018, Delmark’s still going strong thanks to the leadership of Julia A. Miller, the President/CEO, and Artistic Director Elbio Barilari. In just five years, they’ve released over 30 albums and made more than twelve thousand songs available digitally.
To mark the 70th anniversary, Delmark released a new collection on July 21st titled 70th Anniversary Blues Anthology, available on various formats. It’s a treasure trove of classic blues featuring the likes of Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Memphis Slim, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, Dinah Washington, and many more.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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