1918 Norman Granz USA
Los Angeles. Today would have been the 95th birthday of Norman Granz. For me as a jazz lover he captured a special place. He was a talented and visionary producer who demanded respect for his artists in a time America was openly practicing racism. Jim Crow laws directed black musicians to a rear entrances, but Granz would require for his artists the same access as any of the white patrons - occasionally pulling his performers when they were still denied that access by club owners. In my jazz expedition, Norman Granz has stood out - richly deserving the many accolades as a producer and social activist during a very fertile time in jazz, about 1949-1960. He died on November 22, 2001 in Geneva, Switzerland. He was the founder of record labels - Clef , Norgran , Down Home, Verve and Pablo . Norman Granz and Louis Armstrong