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
Illumination!Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison Sextet12" Vinyl6
A 49
Live at BirdlandJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl5
A 50
For Members OnlyShirley Scott Trio12" Vinyl8
A 51
After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!Freda Payne12" Vinyl12
A 53
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (mono)Charles Mingus12" Vinyl7
A 54[none]
Tell It the Way It Is!Paul GonsalvesVinyl6
A 55
Jazz 'Round the WorldYusef Lateef12" Vinyl10
A 56
Take It From MeTerry GibbsVinyl8
A 58
Man From Two WorldsChico HamiltonVinyl7
A 59
Mingus Plays PianoCharles Mingus12" Vinyl11
A 60
Everybody KnowsJohnny Hodges12" Vinyl8
A 61
Alexandria the GreatLorez AlexandriaVinyl10
A 62
Today and TomorrowMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl6
A 63[none]
The Happy Horns of Clark TerryClark Terry12" Vinyl8
A 64[none]
See You at the FairBen WebsterVinyl9
A 65
CrescentJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl5
A 66
Great Scott!!Shirley Scott Trio12" Vinyl9
A 67[none]
Jazz 'N' SambaMilt Jackson12" Vinyl9
A 70
Four for TraneArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
A 71[none]
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 1Various Artists12" Vinyl10
A 99
For Members OnlyShirley Scott Trio12" Vinyl8
A-51
I Just Dropped By to Say Hello (mono)Johnny Hartman12" Vinyl11
A-57[none]
Gordon Jenkins Presents My Wife the Blues SingerBeverly JenkinsVinyl10
AS 44
A Jazz MessageArt Blakey Quartet12" Vinyl6
AS 45
Point of DepartureGary McFarlandVinyl7
AS 46
Soul SistersGloria Coleman feat. Pola RobertsVinyl6
AS 47
Live at NewportMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl5
AS 48
Illumination!Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison SextetVinyl6
AS 49
Live at BirdlandJohn Coltrane12" Vinyl5
AS 50[none]
For Members OnlyShirley Scott Trio12" Vinyl8
AS 51[none]
Salt and PepperSonny Stitt & Paul GonsalvesVinyl5
AS 52
After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!Freda PayneVinyl12
AS 53
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus MingusCharles Mingus12" Vinyl7
AS 54
Tell It the Way It Is!Paul GonsalvesVinyl6
AS 55
Jazz 'Round the WorldYusef LateefVinyl10
AS 56
Take It From MeTerry GibbsVinyl8
AS 58
Man From Two WorldsChico Hamilton12" Vinyl7
AS 59
Mingus Plays Piano (stereo)Charles Mingus12" Vinyl11
AS 60[none]
Everybody KnowsJohnny HodgesVinyl8
AS 61
Alexandria the GreatLorez AlexandriaVinyl10
AS 62
Today and TomorrowMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl6
AS 63[none]
The Happy Horns of Clark TerryClark Terry12" Vinyl8
AS 64[none]
See You at the FairBen WebsterVinyl9
AS 65
CrescentJohn Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl5
AS 66
Great Scott!!Shirley Scott Trio12" Vinyl9
AS 67[none]
Jazz 'N' SambaMilt JacksonVinyl9
AS 70
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 1Various Artists12" Vinyl10
AS 99[none]
I Just Dropped By to Say Hello (stereo)Johnny Hartman12" Vinyl11
AS-57[none]
Everybody Knows Johnny HodgesJohnny HodgesVinyl8
AS-61
Four for TraneArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
AS-71[none]
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus MingusCharles Mingus12" Vinyl7
MCA-39119076741911912
A Love Supreme (stereo)John Coltrane12" Vinyl3
AS 77[none]
Wrapped Tight (mono)Coleman Hawkins12" Vinyl10
A-87[none]
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 2Various Artists12" Vinyl9
A 100
Proof PositiveJ.J. Johnson12" Vinyl6
A 68
Live at Pep’sYusef Lateef12" Vinyl7
A 69[none]
My Fair Lady Loves JazzBilly Taylor TrioVinyl8
A 72
Everybody Loves a LoverShirley Scott12" Vinyl7
A 73
The Voice That Is!Johnny HartmanVinyl11
A 74
More Blues and the Abstract TruthOliver Nelson12" Vinyl8
A 75
More of the GreatLorez AlexandriaVinyl10
A 76
A Love Supreme (mono)John Coltrane12" Vinyl3
A 77
You Better Know It!!!Lionel Hampton12" Vinyl9
A 78[none]
McCoy Tyner Plays EllingtonMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl7
A 79
HappinessThe Russian Jazz Quartet12" Vinyl6
A 80
Queen of the OrganShirley Scott12" Vinyl5
A 81[none]
Chic* Chic ChicoChico Hamilton12" Vinyl8
A 82
Sing a Song of BasieLambert, Hendricks & RossVinyl10
A 83
Fire MusicArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
A 86
Dear John C.Elvin Jones12" Vinyl9
A 88
Inspired AbandonLawrence BrownVinyl8
A 89
The New Wave in JazzVarious ArtistsVinyl5
A 90
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 3Various Artists12" Vinyl8
A 9101
Ascension (Edition I)John Coltrane12" Vinyl2
A 95
Ascension (Edition II)John ColtraneVinyl2
A 95
"In" Jazz for the Culture SetDannie Richmond12" Vinyl9
A 98[none]
The John Coltrane Quartet Plays Chim Chim Cheree, Song of Praise, Nature Boy, Brazilia (mono)John Coltrane Quartet12" Vinyl4
A-85[none]
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 2Various ArtistsVinyl9
AS 100
The Blues and the Abstract Truth (repress)Oliver Nelson12" Vinyl6
AS 5
Proof PositiveJ.J. JohnsonVinyl6
AS 68
Live at Pep’sYusef Lateef12" Vinyl7
AS 69, AS-69
My Fair Lady Loves JazzBilly Taylor TrioVinyl8
AS 72
Everybody Loves a LoverShirley Scott12" Vinyl7
AS 73[none]
The Voice That Is!Johnny Hartman12" Vinyl11
AS 74
More Blues and the Abstract TruthOliver Nelson12" Vinyl8
AS 75
More of the GreatLorez AlexandriaVinyl10
AS 76
You Better Know It!!!Lionel Hampton12" Vinyl9
AS 78
McCoy Tyner Plays EllingtonMcCoy Tyner12" Vinyl7
AS 79[none]
HappinessThe Russian Jazz Quartet12" Vinyl6
AS 80
Queen of the OrganShirley Scott12" Vinyl5
AS 81[none]
Chic* Chic ChicoChico HamiltonVinyl8
AS 82
Sing a Song of BasieLambert, Hendricks & RossVinyl10
AS 83
Fire MusicArchie Shepp12" Vinyl5
AS 86
Dear John C.Elvin JonesVinyl9
AS 88
Inspired AbandonLawrence BrownVinyl8
AS 89
The New Wave in JazzVarious ArtistsVinyl5
AS 90
Sonny Rollins on impulse!Sonny RollinsVinyl5
AS 91
The Definitive Jazz Scene, Volume 3Various ArtistsVinyl8
AS 9101
Ascension (Edition II)John Coltrane12" Vinyl2
AS 95
Ascension (Edition I)John Coltrane12" Vinyl2
AS 95