Jack White‘s Third Man label is to release the entire Paramount Records back catalogue on vinyl as its latest ambitious project.
Starting next month, artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ma Rainey, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver and Ethel Walters will have their music included as part of a collection which will eventually total 800 songs.
First edition ‘The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27)‘ is out on October 29th.
The venture is a joint undertaking by Third Man and Revenent Records, whose co-founder Dean Blackwood has said: “That was really the revelatory moment. Just sort of staring at that timeline on my wall, like, ‘Why hasn’t this story been told?'”
According to Rolling Stone, upwards of 50 people were involved in compiling the comprehensive compilation, which will be released with 200 restored contemporary adverts, two books and six 180-gram vinyl LPs.
Third Man’s support of influential early to mid-20th century American labels is also taking in Sun Records, whose body of work has received its own re-releases during the second half of 2013.