Groove Merchant

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.

• Name — Groove Merchant • Founded — 1971 • Founder — Sonny Lester • Distributor — Pickwick Records • Genre — Jazz, R&B • Country — U.S. • Website — lrc-groovemerchantrecords.com

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

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 — Evergreens — originally released as Basic Basie on MPS. • GM 2202 — Chick — Sundance — previously unreleased tracks from the 'Is' recording sessions for Solid State. • GM 2203 — Jimmy — Black and Blues — double LP of previously unreleased material recorded circa 1963. • GM 2204 — Jeremy — 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 and Junior Parker — Good Things Don't Happen Every Day — originally released as The Dudes Doin' Business on Capitol.

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

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)