ARTISAN is the new record series created by Sam Records and Saga designed for all jazz music and record cover art lovers.
By the late 1940s, the emergence of vinyl records created new opportunities for graphic artists to express their talent. The new 12” square format seemed particularly suitable for experimentation and many labels became reputed for their innovative designs. Amazingly gifted artists such as David Stone Martin, Jim Flora, Pierre Merlin, Burt Goldblatt or Reid Miles, to name just a few, made a name for themselves illustrating or designing jazz record covers.
ARTISAN reissues some of the rare and beautiful records that have made the fine days of the vinyl era. Within the series, we also issue previously unreleased recordings by some of the greatest performers of blues and jazz.
Every album cover is manually screen-printed, making each record a unique object. Screen printing is well known to provide vivid colors and refined details, and we are selecting the best inks and papers to produce the highest quality record covers possible. The print run for each album is comprised between 200 and 500 copies and there are no repress.
In addition to the fine cover prints, ARTISAN brings the same level of quality as our current Sam Records/Saga releases, including meticulous sound restoration, 180g pressing and booklets with photos and liners.
Stay tuned to get the latest info on our upcoming releases!
Artisan 01 – Donald Byrd / Byrd Jazz (Transition TRLP-5)
Artisan 02 – Billy Harper Quintet / Antibes ’75 (previously unreleased)
Artisan 03 – Big Bill Broonzy / Blues Singer Vol. 1 (Vogue LD-30)
Artisan 04 – Big Bill Broonzy / Blues Singer Vol. 2 (Vogue LD-72)
Artisan 05 – Django Reinhardt / The Great Artistry Of (Blue Star 6830)
Artisan 06 – Sun Ra / Jazz by Sun Ra Vol. 1 (Transition TRLP-10)
Artisan 07 – Sun Ra / Jazz by Sun Ra Vol. 2 (Transition TRLP-28)
