Vanguard

US label.
Label Code: LC 0381 / LC 00381
Founded in 1949 by Seymour Solomon (as president) and his younger brother Maynard Solomon (as vice president) in New York City. They started with a $10,000 loan from their father and rented a tiny one-room office in a rabbit warren at 80 East 11th Street (also known as 799 Broadway). Two years later, as the company was expanding, they were loaned an additional $13,000. This was the total capitalization for a company that within a few years was to become one of America's leading independent labels. Many releases were of classical music, but a Vanguard Jazz Showcase series of mainstream sessions were supervised by John Hammond and released from 1953 to 1958.

In the late 1950s, Vanguard launched a company in Austria: Austria Vanguard Ges.m.b.H. and the biggest Austrian label Amadeo saw the light of day - the early cat#s with AVRS prefix reflect the company name: Austrian Vanguard Recording Society.

In 1968, Philips Records Ltd. launched the Vanguard label in the UK as a bargain price label (originally priced at 27′11). Previously, in the UK, Vanguard recordings had been issued by Philips Records Ltd. on their Fontana label, and until 1962 by Pye Records.

In 1986, the label was purchased by Welk Record Group and, in 1995, a distribution network was established in Europe via Ace Records Ltd. for country and folk recordings. These were distributed in Germany by ZYX Music, in France by Warner/EastWest, Amigo Music in Scandinavia and by Ace Records Ltd. in the UK.

In 2015, Concord Music Group acquired the Vanguard label from Welk Music Group.

See also Vanguard Recording Society, Inc.

The label's slogan printed on many releases is "Recordings For The Connoisseur" - note this is just a marketing slogan and not a series.