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 Orrin Keepnews is an influential jazz record producer and a writer. He graduated from Columbia with a degree in English and fought in World War II.

Orrin worked as an editor for Simon & Schuster and Record Changer magazine.  Eventually he founded Riverside Records, which was originally devoted to reissuing traditional jazz.

Keepnews became interested in, and began to follow the modern jazz scene. This led to his label signing the legendary Thelonious Monk after he ended his contract with Prestige Records. Monk became Riverside’s first major artist andfrom this point, Orrin and his label set a sharp focus on the new modern jazz scene. Keepnews acted as producer and was able to contribute to significant recordings by Bill Evans, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Johnny Griffin, Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Heath.

Keepnews produced what many jazz heads and critics regard as the greatest live jazz recordings of all time by the Bill Evans trio, Sunday At The Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby.

Unfortunately, Riverside Records went belly up in 1964, but not before contributing a plethora of important jazz recordings.

This playlist is a 16 track glimpse into the production talents of Orrin Keepnews.

The Playlist:

1. Stablemates - Milt Jackson
2. Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk
3. Minority - Bill Evans
4. Israel - Bill Evans
5. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face - Wes Montgomery
6. Four On Six - Wes Montgomery
7. Waltz For Debby - Cannonball Adderley
8. Misterioso - Thelonious Monk
9. Well, You Needn’t - Thelonious Monk
10. If You Could See Me Now - Bill Evans
11. Five - Bill Evans
12. Hard, Oh Lord - Odetta
13. Someday My Prince Will Come - Bill Evans
14. Afro-Centric - Joe Henderson
15. My Man’s Gone Now - Bill Evans
16. Round Midnight - Wes Montgomery