VERVE RECORDS CONTINUES VERVE 70 CELEBRATION WITH SPECIAL BOX-SET  VERVE RECORDS: THE SOUND OF AMERICA

FEATURING RECORDINGS FROM BILLIE HOLIDAY, JACK KEROUAC,
ELLA FITZGERALD & OSCAR PETERSON

PRE-ORDER HERE

10 JULY 2026 (TORONTO, ON) — Today, Verve Records announces a specially curated collection, Verve Records: The Sound Of America, in honor of the label’s 70th anniversary and ongoing Verve 70 campaign. As an independent record producer going back to the early 1940s, label founder Norman Granz built a personal network of record companies disc by disc and artist by artist, growing his collection into a treasure trove by the time he sold the label at the end of 1960. It remains a feat unmatched to this day. Curated and co-produced by Norman Granz biographer Tad Hershorn, this 4-LP/2-CD 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, Beatnik poetry by Jack Kerouac and stand-up comedy. Pre-order the LP box set and CDs here.

This special edition comes alongside a slate of Verve 70 releases and re-issues, and ahead of Verve’s anniversary concert at SummerStage Central Park on September 2nd, featuring performances from the “new class of Verve” artists such as Samara Joy, Liana Flores, aron!, Sparklmami, and special guests Christian McBride and Mei Semones.

LP & DIGITAL TRACKLIST

LP 1
Side 1

  1. Jazz at the Philharmonic — Blues
  2. Coleman Hawkins — Picasso
  3. Oscar Peterson — Tenderly
  4. Bud Powell — Like Someone in Love

Side 2

  1. Count Basie and His Orchestra — New Basie Blues
  2. Johnny Hodges — Castle Rock
  3. Andre’s All Stars — Con Poco Coco
  4. Lionel Hampton and Stan Getz — Louise

LP 2
Side 1

  1. Lester Young and Teddy Wilson — Taking a Chance on Love
  2. The JATP Quintet — Easy Living
  3. Benny Carter — Flamingo
  4. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — You Won’t Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)
  5. Art Tatum — I’ll Never Be the Same

Side 2

  1. Roy Eldridge — Dale’s Wail
  2. Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Sonny Stitt — On the Sunny Side of the Street
  3. Lionel Hampton — That Old Black Magic, Part 1
  4. The Modern Jazz Quartet — D & E Blues

LP 3
Side 1

  1. Charlie Parker — Laura 3:00
  2. Jam Session #1 — Ballad Medley: All the Things You Are/Dearly Beloved/The Nearness of You/I’ll Get By/Everything Happens to Me/The Man I Love/What’s New?/Someone to Watch Over Me/Isn’t It Romantic

Side 2

  1. Jack Kerouac — The Subterraneans
  2. Mort Sahl — The Future Lies Ahead — excerpt
  3. Jonathan Winters — Football Game
  4. Shelley Berman — Department Store

LP 4
Side 1

  1. Count Basie and Joe Williams — Thou Swell
  2. Spike Jones and His City Slickers — Cocktails for Two
  3. Rose Murphy — You Were Meant for Me
  4. Buddy Rich — Can’t We Be Friends?
  5. Woody Herman — I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan
  6. Margaret Whiting — Why Was I Born?

Side 2

  1. Mel Tormé — On the Street Where You Live
  2. Anita O’Day — Lullaby of the Leaves
  3. Bing Crosby and Buddy Bregman — Blue Room
  4. Billie Holiday — I Thought About You
  5. Ella Fitzgerald — Chelsea Bridge — rehearsal
  6. Fred Astaire — No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)

CD TRACKLIST

CD 1

  1. Jazz at the Philharmonic — Blues
  2. Coleman Hawkins — Picasso
  3. Oscar Peterson — Tenderly
  4. Bud Powell — Like Someone in Love
  5. Count Basie and His Orchestra — New Basie Blues
  6. Johnny Hodges — Castle Rock
  7. Andre’s All Stars — Con Poco Coco
  8. Lionel Hampton and Stan Getz — Louise
  9. Lester Young and Teddy Wilson — Taking a Chance on Love
  10. The JATP Quintet — Easy Living
  11. Benny Carter — Flamingo
  12. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — You Won’t Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)
  13. Art Tatum — I’ll Never Be the Same
  14. Roy Eldridge — Dale’s Wail
  15. Lionel Hampton — That Old Black Magic, Part 1

CD 2

  1. Charlie Parker — Laura
  2. Jam Session #1 — Ballad Medley: All the Things You Are/Dearly Beloved/The Nearness of You/I’ll Get By/Everything Happens to Me/The Man I Love/What’s New?/Someone to Watch Over Me/Isn’t It Romantic
  3. Jack Kerouac — The Subterraneans
  4. Mort Sahl — The Future Lies Ahead
  5. Jonathan Winters — Football Game
  6. Shelley Berman — Department Store
  7. Count Basie and Joe Williams — Thou Swell
  8. Spike Jones and His City Slickers — Cocktails for Two
  9. Margaret Whiting — Why Was I Born?
  10. Mel Tormé — On the Street Where You Live
  11. Anita O’Day — Lullaby of the Leaves
  12. Bing Crosby and Buddy Bregman — Blue Room
  13. Billie Holiday — I Thought About You
  14. Ella Fitzgerald — Chelsea Bridge — rehearsal
  15. Fred Astaire — No Strings (I’m Fancy Free)

ABOUT VERVE RECORDS

Founded in 1956 by impresario Norman Granz in order to create a fair and just label home for Ella Fitzgerald, Verve Records has become home to some of the most pioneering acts in music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, The Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, Dizzy Gillespie, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, and more. Today, the label continues this rich legacy with artists such as Jon Batiste, Kurt Vile, Samara Joy, Arooj Aftab, Diana Krall, and more.

For more information on Verve 70th activations and releases please visit Verve Records.