Hand on the Torch - Framed Gold Record

Gold record of jazz-rap group Us3's 1993 album "Hand on the Torch," from the collection of Blue Note Records founder Alfred Lion and his wife Ruth Lion. Plaque reads: "Presented to Ruth Lion to commemorate RIAA certified Gold sales of more than 500,000 copies of the Blue Note Records album, cassette and CD 'Hand on the Torch.'" Framed with a poster of the group and a copy of the CD booklet to 19 x 25 inches; one large scratch to the plexi. Overall fine.

Blue Note Records was established in 1939 by German Jewish producer Alfred Lion and American musician and left-wing activist Max Margulis. The label's first releases were traditional "hot" jazz and boogie woogie, with the first hit a performance of "Summertime" by soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet. From 1947 the label began to switch its attention to modern jazz. That year, Thelonious Monk recorded his first sessions as a leader for the label, which were also the Blue Note debut of drummer Art Blakey. Monk's recordings for Blue Note between 1947 and 1952 did not sell well for some years, but have since come to be regarded as the most important of his career. Other bebop or modernist musicians who recorded for Blue Note during the late forties and early fifties were pianist Tadd Dameron, trumpeters Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee, saxophonist James Moody and pianist Bud Powell. (17815)

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