JAS Album Discography

JAS Records was founded in 1975 by Jack Lewerke, Sid Talmadge, and Sammy Ricklin. JAS Records was located at 1525 S. Berendo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90006. The parent company, A.K. Enterprises, run by the three, also operated Record Merchandising, a record distributorship, and the Record Rack stores.

Sid Talmadge, brother of Mercury's Art Talmadge, had run Record Merchandising since the 1950s when he pushed the Penguins' "Earth Angel" (having a good deal of responsibility for it becoming a hit) and was the owner of Highland Records ("Angel Baby"). He also was the main distributor for Leon René's Class/Rendezvous Records and eventually bought their masters when the company closed down. Ricklin was a longtime Los Angeles distributor and record store owner. Talmadge and Ricklin had merged their operations in 1971. Lewerke, another distributor and owner of Vault Records and the Autumn Records masters, was an obvious third partner, and when Lewerke came aboard they started JAS.

Thomas Baker, who worked for the company back in the day, wrote us the following: "I worked for Jack Lewerke and Sid Talmadge from late 1973 to late 1979. I attended Jack's funeral in '77. If you check out the Berendo Street address, you will find it no longer exists. The property was bought by Loyola High School. We were forced to move around 1979. Today the property is in the middle of their athletic fields. Record Rack was actually the tape distributor as well as a one-stop. They did some "rack" business. During the Berendo days, they were across Berendo with a branch in San Diego. For a while, Sid and company owned a small chain of stores called Discount Records. He had around five or six stores, one on Hollywood Blvd. and one in the Montclair Plaza. Warehouse Music's success sort of forced them to sell. During the time I was there Sam Ricklin operated California Music on Pico Blvd., which specialized in singles, largely for the juke box market."

The JAS label was a vehicle for reissuing material, primarily from the Vault/Autumn masters, but with some new jazz recordings, also. It was in operation for about a year, stopping issuing albums in late 1976, but JAS was still a legal business entity when Lewerk died in November, 1977.

JAS apparently had only one label design over its short lifetime. The label was an off-white with black print, with the circular JAS logo at the top of the label in red, white, and black.

We would appreciate any additions or corrections to this discography. Just send them to us via e-mail. Both Sides Now Publications is an information web page. We are not a catalog, nor can we provide the records listed below. We have no association with JAS Records. Should you be interested in acquiring albums listed in this discography (which are all out of print), we suggest you see our Frequently Asked Questions page and follow the instructions found there. This story and discography are copyright 2010 by Mike Callahan.

JAS ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

Cover	Number - Title - Artist - [Release Date] Contents
	JAS-4000 Jazz Series:
	JAS-4000 - Second Carneval - Jayson Lindh [1975] Jazz flute. Second Carneval/House Of Lights/Stephan's Boogie Woogie//Second Line Strut/Honky Tonk Train Blues/3rd Meter Stroll/Pivo
	JAS-4001 - Don Randi and the Baked Potato Band - Don Randi [1975] Don Randi is proprietor of the Baked Potato club in North Hollywood. Don Randi (piano), Roland Bautista (guitar), Luther Hughes Jr. (Bass), John Sumner (drums), Hall Gordon (percussion), and Steve Douglas (flute, sax). Bahama Mama/Moonbeams/Shaft/Shark Bait/Down Country Blues/J.A.M.F./Two Brothers
	JAS-4002 - Hampton Hawes Trio at Montreux - Hampton Hawes Trio [1976] Issued with two different covers. With Hampton Hawes (piano), Henry Franklin (bass), and Michael Carvin (drums). This Guy's In Love With You//High In The Sky
	JAS-4003 - Spirit's Samba - Ron Escheté [1976] With Ron Escheté (guitar), Tom Ranier (piano), John Perett (drums), Luther Hughes (bass), and Carol Escheté (vocals). Spirit's Samba/Mama's Song/Is Dis It Or Whut/Desert Air/Metz/Why Did I Choose You/Isn't She Lovely
	JAS-4004-2 - The Two Sides of Hampton Hawes - Hampton Hawes [1976] (2-LP set) Reissue of Vault SLP-9009 (Hampton Hawes Plays Movie Musicals) and Vault SLP-9010 (High in the Sky). Disc 1: Where Is Love/When I'm Not Near The Girl I Love/My Man/The Music That Makes Me Dance/Old Devil Moon/How Are Things In Glocca Morra?/As Long As She Needs Me/People; Disc 2: High In The Sky/Carmel/Spanish Girl//The Look Of Love/Evening Trane/Muffin Man
	JAS-4005 - Hampton Hawes All Stars Live at Memory Lane - Hampton Hawes All Stars [1976] With Sonny Criss (alto sax), Hampton Hawes (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Bobby Thompson (drums). Memory Lane Blues/Blues For J.L./Feeling Happy [Joe Turner, vocal]/Shake, Rattle And Roll [Joe Turner, vocal]/Teddy's Blues
	JAS-5000 Popular Series:
	JAS-5000 - The Original Hits of the Beau Brummels - Beau Brummels [1975] Label gives title as Beau Brummels' Greatest Hits. Reissue of Vault LP 114 with a few track changes. Laugh Laugh (S)/Still In Love With You Baby (S)/Just A Little (S)/They'll Make You Cry (S)/I Want You (S)/You Tell Me Why (S)//Don't Talk To Strangers (S)/In Good Time (S)/Sad Little Girl (S)/Ain't That Lovin' You Baby (S)/Not Too Long Ago (S)/Woman (S)
	JAS-5001 - San Francisco Roots - Various Artists [1976] A reissue of Vault SLP-119 with three added tracks and a couple of typos. Has original liner notes from Vault 199 plus additional notes by Jack Lewerke and Rachel Donahue, widow of the former owner of Autumn Records. Laugh Laugh - Beau Brummels (S)/Somebody To Love - Great Society (E)/Free Advice - Great Society (E)/Stick Like Glue - Beau Brummels (S)/That's If You Want Me To - Beau Brummels (S)/Dance With Me - Mojo Men (M)/She's My Baby - Mojo Men (M)/I - Knight Riders (M)//S-W-I-M, Part I - Bobby Freeman (M)/S-W-I-M, Part II - Bobby Freeman (M)/Don't Talk To Strangers - Beau Brummels (S)/Sad Little Girl - Beau Brummels (S)/Anything - Vejtables [cover erroneously credits Beau Brummels] (M)/I Still Love You - Vejtables [cover and label erroneously list "Still In Love With You Baby" by Beau Brummels] (M)/Darkest Night Of The Year - Tikis (M)/Pay Attention To Me - Tikis (M)
	JAS-5002 - Teddy Turner's Bunsen Burners Present: The Hits of Today, The Sounds of the Thirties - Templeton Twins [1976] Tippy & Terry Templeton. Modified reissue of Vault SLP-134 with a couple of track substitutions and a reordered lineup. Love Will Keep Us Together/Rhinestone Cowboy/By The Time I Get To Phoenix/Everybody's Talkin'/Something/Hey Jude//(I) We Write The Songs/MacArthur Park/Yesterday/Spinning Wheel/Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You/Light My Fire

Thanks to Thomas Baker.



Back to the Discography Listings Page


Back to the Both Sides Now Home Page