impulse! (jazz label active during the 60s‐70s, now property of Universal Music Group, mainly used as a reissue label)

~ Label

Annotation

"The new wave of jazz is on impulse!"

One of the mythic names in the jazz industry, impulse! has been known as "the house that Trane built".
The first activity period under ABC is the glorious one - covering the 60s until 1974 - with an emphasis on free jazz.
New production eventually faded out during the late 70s, though ABC continued to print reissues.
Sold to MCA in 1979, it was almost silent until being folded in under GRP in 1990, which eventually became the Verve Music Group. It has since been mainly reissuing its own stuff only - with a few exceptions: a handful of remix releases and commercial jazz stuff, a few new releases by artists with ties to the former impulse!, and a serie of new compilations and anthology box sets.
This reissue campaign intensified starting 1995, with enhanced/remastered reissues, etc.

Sleeves have a distinctive black and orange design, and sparse liner notes.
Note the label name is correctly capped as "impulse!" (see logos for symetry between "i" and "!").
Catalog numbers were as follow:
* First period: A # (mono) AS # (stereo) AQ # (quadraphonic, not all releases) with # from 1 to 100, then appending a 9 (eg: 9101 up to 9361). Two discs sets used an additional /2. There is a promotional (AS 1974) as well, and a rare 29000 serie (29065 to 29073)
* 1980s: MCD, MCAD
* 1991-1995: prefix GRD optionally followed by one digit (number of discs in the set) followed by a three digit catalog number. Example: GRD2113 (3 discs set)
* 1995-1999: prefix IMPD optionally followed by one digit (number of discs in the set) followed by a three digit catalog number. Example: IMPD8280 (8 discs set)
* 1999-2003: used a subset of the barcode. Example 3145479582 for 731454795821
* 2003-*: prefix B, followed by three zeros, followed by a four digits cat #, followed by 02 for CD, 16 for SACD. Example: B000427002
* some rare Universal Japanese release used cat # like UCCI-####

For a more indepth history, you may consult The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records, Ashley Kahn, 2006, W.W. Norton.

Yet unconfirmed:
Note that there appear to exist 7" EP releases for some (?) of the 12".
Currently spotted: at ebay at discogs
Or even reel-2-reel EPs: at ebay
They don't seem to bear a distinctive cat #...
More:
at ebay
at ebay
Shirley Scott Everybody...

Notes:
Don't forget to sort out the Jasmine reissues.

Annotation last modified on 2007-07-12 11:19 UTC.

Releases

ReleaseArtistFormatTracksCountry/DateCatalog#Barcode
Selflessness, Featuring My Favorite ThingsJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl3
AS-9161
Bill Plummer and the Cosmic BrotherhoodBill Plummer and the Cosmic Brotherhood12" Vinyl7
AS 9164[none]
Love CryAlbert Ayler12" Vinyl8
AS 9165
The Way AheadArchie Shepp12" Vinyl4
AS-9170[none]
Memphis JacksonMilt JacksonVinyl4
  • US1969-10-09
AS-9193
Cosmic MusicJohn Coltrane, Alice Coltrane12" Vinyl4
AS-9148[none]
Three for a Quarter One for a DimeArchie Shepp12" Vinyl2
AS-9162[none]
New GrassAlbert Ayler12" Vinyl7
AS-9175[none]
Ornette at 12Ornette Coleman12" Vinyl4
AS-9178
Blues for WeMel Brown12" Vinyl8
AS 9180
KarmaPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl3
AS-9181[none]
Spirit Of 1976 / Live At Donte'sEmil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band12" Vinyl7
AS-9182
Dave Mackay & Vicky HamiltonDave Mackay & Vicky Hamilton12" Vinyl10
AS 9184[none]
Huntington Ashram MonasteryAlice Coltrane12" Vinyl6
AS-9185[none]
That's the Way It IsMilt Jackson Quintet feat. Ray Brown12" Vinyl6
AS 9189
Jewels of ThoughtPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl3
AS-9190[none]
This Rather Than ThatBuddy Montgomery12" Vinyl8
AS-9192
Ornette at 12Ornette Coleman12" Vinyl4
MIPL 518
Ornette at 12Ornette Coleman12" Vinyl4
SIPL 518
At the Top: Poinciana RevisitedAhmad Jamal12" Vinyl7
Music Is the Healing Force of the UniverseAlbert Ayler12" Vinyl6
AS-9191[none]
The AwakeningThe Ahmad Jamal Trio12" Vinyl7
AS 9194, AS-9194[none]
TransitionJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl3
AS-9195[none]
Ptah, the El DaoudAlice Coltrane12" Vinyl4
AS-9196
Liberation Music OrchestraCharlie Haden12" Vinyl8
AS-9183[none]
I'd Rather Suck My ThumbMel Brown12" Vinyl7
AS-9186
For LosersArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
AS-9188
Memphis JacksonMilt Jackson with The Ray Brown Big Band12" Vinyl10
AS-9193[none]
Memphis JacksonMilt Jackson12" Vinyl9
AS-9193
Memphis JacksonMilt Jackson with The Ray Brown Big BandVinyl10
AS-9193
East Side San JoseClifford Coulter12" Vinyl7
AS-9197
Deaf, Dumb, Blind: Summun, Bukmun, UmyunPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl2
AS 9199
TrespassGenesis12" Vinyl6
AS-9205[none]
Live in SeattleJohn Coltrane feat. Pharoah Sanders2×12" Vinyl3 + 3
AS-9202-2[none]
Journey in SatchidanandaAlice Coltrane12" Vinyl5
AS-9203
His Great HitsGabor Szabo2×12" Vinyl9 + 9
AS 9204-2
ThembiPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl6
AS-9206
Mel Brown's FifthMel Brown12" Vinyl8
AS-9209
Universal ConsciousnessAlice Coltrane12" Vinyl6
AS-9210
Sun ShipJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl5
AS 9211
Things Have Got to ChangeArchie Shepp12" Vinyl6
AS-9212[none]
Do It Now, Worry About It LaterClifford Coulter12" Vinyl7
AS-9216
Antelope FreewayHoward Roberts QuartetVinyl10
"Live" At The Village VanguardColtrane12" Vinyl3
A-10
Art Blakey & His Jazz MessengersArt Blakey12" Vinyl6
A-7[none]
Sonny Rollins on impulse!Sonny Rollins12" Vinyl5
A-91[none]
Live at BirdlandJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl5
AS-50, IMP-88078[none]
Greek Cooking (stereo)Phil Woods12" Vinyl7
AS-9143
The Spirit of '67Pee Wee Russell And Oliver Nelson and His Orchestra12" Vinyl10
AS-9147
Constant ThrobJohn Klemmer12" Vinyl8
AS-9214
Spirit DanceMichael White12" Vinyl7
AS-9215
FreeflightAhmad Jamal12" Vinyl5
AS-9217
World GalaxyAlice Coltrane With Strings12" Vinyl5
AS-9218
Black UnityPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl2
AS-9219
WaterfallsJohn Klemmer12" Vinyl8
AS-9220
PneumaMichael White12" Vinyl8
AS-9221
Attica BluesArchie Shepp12" Vinyl10
AS-9222[none]
Lord of LordsAlice Coltrane12" Vinyl5
AS-9224
InfinityJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl4
AS-9225
OutertimeinnerspaceAhmad Jamal12" Vinyl3
AS 9226, AS-9226
Live at the EastPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl3
AS-9227, SMAS-94885[none]
The Best of Pharoah SandersPharoah Sanders2×12" Vinyl3 + 4
AS-9229-2[none]
Wisdom Through MusicPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl5
AS-9233[none]
Astro BlackSun Ra12" Vinyl4
AS-9255[none]
WaterfallsJohn KlemmerCD8
MCAD-33123076741312320
Big Foot Country GirlMel Brown12" Vinyl7
AS 9249
The Land of Spirit and LightMichael White12" Vinyl7
9241
Live at the EastPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl4
AS-9227[none]
The Cry of My PeopleArchie Shepp12" Vinyl8
AS-9231[none]
Reflection on Creation and Space (A Five Year View) (quadraphonic)Alice Coltrane2×12" Vinyl7 + 7
AS-9232[none]
Reevaluation: The Impulse YearsCharles Mingus2×12" Vinyl7 + 7
AS-9234-2
Reevaluation: The Impulse YearsFreddie Hubbard2×12" Vinyl6 + 7
AS-9237-2[none]
TranquilityAhmad Jamal12" Vinyl9
AS-9238[none]
AtlantisSun Ra and His Astro Infinity ArkestraVinyl5
AS-9239
Fort YawuhKeith Jarrett12" Vinyl4
AS-9240
The Magic CitySun Ra12" Vinyl4
AS-9243
IntensityJohn Klemmer12" Vinyl7
AS-9244
Concert in JapanJohn Coltrane2×12" Vinyl3 + 3
AS-9246
En MedioGary Saracho12" Vinyl5
AS 9247[none]
The Ear of the BehearerDewey Redman12" Vinyl7
AS-9250[none]
StreamsSam Rivers12" Vinyl6
AS-9251[none]
Village of the PharoahsPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl7
AS-9254
Village of the PharoahsPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl7
AS-9254
Ellingtonia - Reevaluations: The Impulse YearsVarious Artists2×12" Vinyl10 + 8
AS-9256-2
Reevaluations: The Impulse YearsAlbert Ayler2×12" Vinyl7 + 4
AS 9257-2
Reevaluations: The Impulse YearsColeman Hawkins2×12" Vinyl8 + 8
AS-9258-2[none]
ElevationPharoah Sanders12" Vinyl5
AS-9261[none]
Fate in a Pleasant MoodSun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra12" Vinyl7
AS-9270
Liberation Music OrchestraCharlie Haden12" Vinyl9
IMJ-80037[none]
The Artistry of Freddie HubbardFreddie Hubbard12" Vinyl5
IMP-88092[none]
Live At The Village Vanguard Again!John Coltrane12" Vinyl3
IMP-88110
Geechee RecollectionsMarion Brown12" Vinyl8
IMP-88144
The Ear of the BehearerDewey Redman12" Vinyl7
IMP-88145[none]
Cosmic MusicJohn Coltrane And Alice Coltrane12" Vinyl4
IMP-88158[none]
Chapter One: Latin AmericaGato Barbieri(unknown)5
Geechee RecollectionsMarion BrownVinyl8
Attica BluesArchie Shepp12" Vinyl10
AS 9222
The Nubians of PlutoniaSun Ra and his Myth Science Arkestra12" Vinyl7
AS-9242
KwanzaArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
AS-9262[none]
Father Music, Mother DanceMichael White12" Vinyl6
AS-9268