# Groove Merchant

Groove Merchant was an American jazz and R&B record label during the 1970s. It was run by producer Sonny Lester and distributed by Pickwick Records. Notable artists included Chick Corea, O'Donel Levy, Buddy Rich, Jimmy McGriff, Lonnie Smith and Lionel Hampton. Lester would later close Groove Merchant and restructure it as Lester Radio Corporation, or LRC; TK Records were distributors for a period. Lester still retains the rights to the Groove Merchant/LRC back catalog and independently distributes them on compact disc.

## Discography
### 500 Series

The Groove Merchant 500 Series consisted of 34 albums released between 1971 and 1974.
| Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
| GM 501 | O'Donel Levy | Black Velvet | |
| GM 502 | Junior Parker | You Don't Have To Be Black To Love The Blues | UK title: Blue Shadows Falling |
| GM 503 | Jimmy McGriff | Groove Grease | |
| GM 504 | Joe Thomas | Joy of Cookin' | |
| GM 505 | Groove Holmes | American Pie | |
| GM 506 | Jimmy McGriff | Let's Stay Together | |
| GM 507 | O'Donel Levy | Breeding of Mind | |
| GM 508 | Lucky Thompson | Goodbye Yesterday | |
| GM 509 | Jimmy McGriff | Fly Dude | |
| GM 510 | Dakota Staton | Madame Foo-Foo | |
| GM 511 | Reuben Wilson | The Sweet Life | |
| GM 512 | Groove Holmes | Night Glider | |
| GM 513 | Junior Parker | Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On | originally released as The Outside Man on Capitol |
| GM 514 | Larry Willis | Inner Crisis | |
| GM 515 | Jimmy McGriff / Lucky Thompson + George Freeman + O'Donel Levy | Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail | Live split album |
| GM 516 | Ramon Morris | Sweet Sister Funk | |
| GM 517 | Lucky Thompson | I Offer You | |
| GM 518 | O'Donel Levy | Dawn of a New Day | |
| GM 519 | George Freeman | New Improved Funk | |
| GM 520 | Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes | Giants of the Organ Come Together | |
| GM 521 | Dakota Staton | I Want a Country Man | |
| GM 522 | Carmen McRae | It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling | |
| GM 523 | Reuben Wilson | The Cisco Kid | |
| GM 524 | No release issued for this part number | No release issued for this part number | No release issued for this part number |
| GM 525 | Mike Longo | Funkia | |
| GM 526 | O'Donel Levy | Simba | |
| GM 527 | Groove Holmes | New Groove | |
| GM 528 | Buddy Rich | The Roar of '74 | |
| GM 529 | Jimmy McGriff | If You're Ready Come Go with Me | Compilation featuring tracks from Soul Sugar, Groove Grease, Let's Stay Together and Fly Dude, plus two previously unreleased tracks. |
| GM 530 | Chick Corea | Sundance | Reissue of GM 2202 |
| GM 531 | Carmen McRae | Ms. Jazz | |
| GM 532 | Dakota Staton | Ms. Soul | |
| GM 533 | Zoot Sims and Bucky Pizzarelli + Buddy Rich | Nirvana | |
| GM 534 | Jimmy McGriff | The Main Squeeze | |
| GM 535 | O'Donel Levy | Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky | |

### 2200 Series

The 2200 Series, released in 1972, consisted of five albums which feature previously released and/or unissued material produced by Sonny Lester for various other labels.
| Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
| GM 2201 | Count Basie | Evergreens | originally released as Basic Basie on MPS. |
| GM 2202 | Chick Corea | Sundance | previously unreleased tracks from the 'Is' recording sessions for Solid State. |
| GM 2203 | Jimmy McGriff | Black and Blues | double LP of previously unreleased material recorded circa 1963. |
| GM 2204 | Jeremy Steig | Fusion | double LP featuring tracks originally released as Energy on Capitol, along with a whole LP (=7 tracks) of previously unreleased material. |
| GM 2205 | Jimmy McGriff and Junior Parker | Good Things Don't Happen Every Day | originally released as The Dudes Doin' Business on Capitol. |

### 3300 Series

The 3300 Series consisted of sixteen albums released between 1973 and 1976.
| Catalog | Artist | Album | Notes |
| GM 3300 | Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes | Giants of the Organ in Concert | Live 2LP set |
| GM 3301 | Buddy Rich | Very Live at Buddy's Place | |
| GM 3302 | Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton | Transition | |
| GM 3303 | Buddy Rich | The Last Blues Album Volume 1 | Later issued on LRC as Loot To Boot under Illinois Jacquet's name. |
| GM 3304 | Mike Longo | 900 Shares of the Blues | |
| GM 3305 | George Freeman | Man & Woman | |
| GM 3306 | Lee Konitz | Chicago 'n All That Jazz | |
| GM 3307 | Buddy Rich | Big Band Machine | |
| GM 3308 | Lonnie Smith | Afro–desia | |
| GM 3309 | Jimmy McGriff | Stump Juice | |
| GM 3310 | Joe Thomas | Masada | |
| GM 3311 | Jimmy McGriff | The Mean Machine | |
| GM 3312 | Lonnie Smith | Keep on Lovin' | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9312 |
| GM 3313 | O'Donel Levy | Windows | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9313 |
| GM 3314 | Jimmy McGriff | Red Beans | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9314 |
| GM 3315 | Joe Thomas | Feelin's from Within | Reissued in 1977 on LRC/T.K. 9315 |

### 4000 Series

The 4000 Series, released in 1974–1975, consisted of twelve double LP compilations of previously issued material.
* GM 4400 Lionel Hampton: The Works! (material later released as the single LPs: Hamp's Big Band Live! on Glad-Hamp, and Good Vibes on 51 West/CBS)
* GM 4401 Carmen McRae: Velvet Soul (compiles It Takes a Whole Lot of Human Feeling and Ms. Jazz)
* GM 4402 Groove Holmes: Hunk–a–Funk (compiles Night Glider and New Groove)
* GM 4403 Jimmy McGriff: Flyin' Time (compiles Fly Dude and Let's Stay Together)
* GM 4404 Reuben Wilson: Bad Stuff! (compiles The Sweet Life and The Cisco Kid)
* GM 4405 Various Artists: Blues in Concert (compiles selections from Jimmy McGriff/Junior Parker, Very Live at Buddy's Place, Concert: Friday the 13th - Cook County Jail, Giants of the Organ in Concert, plus two live tracks by Dakota Staton)
* GM 4406 Chick Corea / Mike Longo: Piano Giants (compiles Sundance and Funkia)
* GM 4407 Buddy Rich: Tuff Dude! (compiles The Roar of '74 and Very Live at Buddy's Place)
* GM 4408 O'Donel Levy: Hands of Fire (compiles Black Velvet and Simba)
* GM 4409 Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes: Supa Cookin' (compiles Giants of the Organ Come Together and the first LP from the Giants of the Organ in Concert 2LP set)
* GM 4410 Dakota Staton: Confessin' (compiles Madame Foo-Foo and I Want a Country Man)
* GM 4411 Lucky Thompson: Illuminations (compiles Goodbye Yesterday and I Offer You)