Transition Records
| Company type | Independent record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Tom Wilson |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Jazz and folk music recordings |
Transition Records was a record label specializing in jazz and folk genres, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1955 by Tom Wilson. Although the label operated for a short period, ceasing activities by 1957, it announced multiple albums that ultimately were never released. These unreleased projects included recordings by artists such as Jo Mapes, Yusef Lateef, Pepper Adams, Curtis Fuller, Charles Mingus, Jay Migliori, and Sheila Jordan.
One significant transaction involved the master recording of trumpeter Louis Smith's Here Comes Louis Smith (1958), which was acquired by Blue Note Records. Additionally, an unreleased session by Sun Ra initially recorded for Transition surfaced later; it was issued in 1968 through Delmark Records under the title Sound of Joy. A 1955 recording session featuring Pepper Adams alongside John Coltrane saw partial release on the compilation Jazz in Transition (1956), with further material appearing on Blue Note’s High Step (1975).
Discography
| Catalog number | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| TRLP 1 | Herb Pomeroy | Jazz in a Stable |
| TRLP 2 | Johnny Windhurst | Jazz at Columbus Ave. |
| TRLP 4 | Donald Byrd | Byrd's Eye View |
| TRLP 5 | Donald Byrd | Byrd Jazz |
| TRLP 10 | Sun Ra | Jazz by Sun Ra |
| TRLP 15 | Russell Woollen | Quartet for Flute and Strings |
| TRLP 17 | Donald Byrd | Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill |
| TRLP 19 | Cecil Taylor | Jazz Advance |
| TRLP 20 | Doug Watkins | Watkins at Large |
| TRLP 21 | Lucky Thompson | Lucky Strikes! |
| TRLP 23 | Dartmouth Indian Chiefs | Chiefly Jazz |
| TRLP 27 | Fran Thorne | Piano Reflections |
| TRLP 30 | Various Artists | Jazz in Transition |
| TRLP F-1 | Sam Gary | Sam Gary Sings |
| TRLP M-1 | Lovey Powell and Brooks Morton | Lovelady |