Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label run by Steve Backer. Backer worked at Impulse! Records until 1974, when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, asked him to oversee the jazz division at Arista.
Backer left Arista in the early 1980s, worked for Windham Hill Records, and then went to RCA to run Novus. Novus's roster included Muhal Richard Abrams, Warren Bernhardt, Steve Coleman, Larry Coryell, Oliver Lake, Steve Lacy, James Moody, Hilton Ruiz, and Henry Threadgill. Beginning in 1989, Backer signed Marcus Roberts, Roy Hargrove, Danilo Pérez, Antonio Hart, and Christopher Hollyday. The label closed in the mid-1990s. The catalogue is now managed by Sony Masterworks through its Masterworks Jazz imprint.
Discography 3000-N (RCA) series 3000: Muhal Richard Abrams – Lifea Blinec 3001: Warren Bernhardt – Solo Piano 3002: Air – Open Air Suit 3003: Oliver Lake – Life Dance of Is 3004: Baird Hersey – Looking for That Groove 3005: Larry Coryell – European Impressions 3006: Ran Blake – Rapport 3007: Muhal Richard Abrams – Spiral Live at Montreux 1978 3008: Air – Montreux Suisse 3009: Mike Mainieri & Warren Bernhardt – Free Smiles 3010: Oliver Lake – Shine 3011: Warren Bernhardt – Floating 3012: Michael Gregory – Gifts 3013: Henry Threadgill – X-75 Volume 1 3014: Air – Air Lore 3015: Michael Gregory – Heart and Center 3016: Baird Hersey – Have You Heard? 3017: Larry Coryell – Tributaries 3018: John Scofield – Who's Who? 3019: Ran Blake – Film Noir 3020: Warren Bernhardt – Manhattan Update 3021: Pharoah Sanders & Norman Connors – Beyond a Dream 3022: John Scofield – Bar Talk 3023: Steve Khan – Evidence 3024: Larry Coryell – Standing Ovation 3025: Henry Threadgill – Easily Slip Into Another World 3032: Michael Shrieve & Steve Roach – The Leaving Time 3037: Liz Story – Speechless 3051: Marcus Roberts – The Truth is Spoken Here 3054: Chet Baker – Let's Get Lost 3070: Hugh Masekela – Uptownship 3084: Opafire – Opafire featuring Zachary Norman E. 3115: John Hicks, Cecil McBee & Elvin Jones – Power Trio
63000 (BMG) series 63119: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Black Science 63125: Steve Coleman – Rhythm in Mind 63136: Hugh Masekela – Beatin' Aroun de Bush 63141: John Hicks - Friends Old and New 63144: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – Drop Kick 63153: Mulgrew Miller – Hand in Hand 63160: Steve Coleman and Five Elements – The Tao of Mad Phat 63171: Mulgrew Miller – With Our Own Eyes 63176: Opafire – Without a Trace 63188: Mulgrew Miller – Getting to Know You
References
External links
– Some albums are erroneously filed there, such as AN 3007 - Muhal Richard Abrams - Spiral: Live at Montreux 1978 Jazz Discography.com Article by Robert Christgau