Bop! Records was a short-lived American independent record label founded in Los Angeles in 1947 by Ralph Bass, shortly after he left Black & White Records. Bass established the label to record and promote jazz and rhythm and blues, becoming one of the early independent producers to focus on the emerging postwar Black music market. The label operated from 926 South Westmoreland Avenue in Los Angeles.
Bop!’s catalog included recordings by The Bopland Boys, Roy Porter, and other jazz and rhythm-and-blues performers. Bass was closely involved in the recording and production of the label’s releases. Although Bop! existed for only a short period, some of its recordings were subsequently licensed to Savoy and Regent, while the label’s remaining assets and masters were sold to 4 Star Records after Bop! ceased operations.
Bop! produced records during the formative years of modern rhythm and blues and bebop, making its small catalog significant despite the label’s brief existence. Ralph Bass subsequently went on to become an important producer and A&R executive at Federal Records and Chess Records, where he worked with numerous influential jazz, blues, and R&B artists.
Bop! Records Discography
| Cat# | Artist: | Title: | Matrix: | Xref: | Location: | Date: | Composer: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101A | Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray | The Hunt pt5 | BOP 7 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | (-) |
| 101B | Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray | The Hunt pt6 | BOP 8 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | (-) |
| 102 | Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray | The Hunt pt 7 | BOP 9 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 102 | Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray | The Hunt pt 8 | BOP 10 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 103 | Bill Moore Orchestra | Wild Bill pt1 | BOP 1 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 103 | Bill Moore Orchestra | Wild Bill pt2 | BOP 2 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 104A | Howard McGhee | The Hunt pt1 | BOP 3 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 104B | Sunny Kriss (sic) | The Hunt pt2 | BOP 4 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 105A | Trummy Young | The Hunt pt3 | BOP 5 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 105B | Barney Kessel | The Hunt pt4 | BOP 6 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 106 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 106 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 107 | Trummy Young | Bopera pt1 | BOP 15 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 107 | Wardell Gray | Bopera pt2 | BOP 16 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 108 | Howard McGhee | Bopera pt3 | BOP 17 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 108 | Sonny Kriss | Bopera pt4 | BOP 18 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 109A | Dexter Gordon | Bopera Part 5 | BOP 19 | - | - | - | (-) |
| 109 | Barney Kessel | Bopera Part 6 | BOP20 | - | - | - | (-) |
| 110A | Hamp Hawes | Bopera pt. 7 | BOP 21 | - | - | - | - |
| 110B | “Wild Bill” Moore | Unfinished Bopera | BOP 26 | - | - | - | - |
| 111 | Howard McGhee | Jeronimo pt1 | BOP 42 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 111 | Howard McGhee | Jeronimo pt2 | BOP 43 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 112 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt3 | BOP 44 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 112 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt4 | BOP 45 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 113 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt5 | BOP 46 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 113 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt6 | BOP 47 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 114 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt7 | BOP 48 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 114 | The Bopland Boys | Jeronimo pt8 | BOP 49 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 115 | The Bopland Boys | Bop After Hours pt1 | BOP 54 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 115 | The Bopland Boys | Bop After Hours pt2 | BOP 55 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 116 | The Bopland Boys | Bop After Hours pt3 | BOP 56 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 116 | The Bopland Boys | Bop After Hours pt4 | BOP 57 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 117 | Hamp Hawes | Bop After Hours pt5 | BOP 58 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
| 117 | Sonny Kriss | Bop After Hours pt6 | BOP 59 | - | LA | 7/6/1947 | - |
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[…] influential “Call It Stormy Monday.” Bass subsequently established the short-lived Bop! Records before joining Savoy Records in 1948, where he recorded artists including Brownie McGhee, Johnny […]