Blue Note is the most collectible of all the jazz labels. They have a rich and long history, and as such there have been many label variations over the years, each with it’s own distinct characteristics. Below is a quick and simple Blue Note labelography for the serious and casual collector alike.

767 LEXINGTON AVE”

• Issued 1951- 1957.
• Found on the “1200” Series and catalog numbers 1501 to 1543.
• Deep Groove with hand-etched “RVG” and Playstylite “ear” in trail-off.
• This label is Mono only.
• Sometimes mistakenly referred to as “161” Lexington Ave.
• Considered to be the ultimate in audio quality for Blue Note LPs, these are the source of the much touted of the “Blue Note Sound.”
• For collectors with deep pockets.

“47 WEST 63rd • NEW YORK 23”

• Issued 1957.
• First appearance of the classic “47 WEST 63rd” label.
• Feature the distinctive “NEW YORK 23” following the address.
• New releases on this label are catalog numbers run roughly 1544 to 1559.
• This label is Mono only.
• Deep groove with “RVG” and Playstylite “ear” in vinyl trail-off.
• Excellent sound quality and highly collectible.

“47 WEST 63RD • NYC”
(Without INC and ®)

• Issued 1957 – 1959.
• Second appearance of the “47 WEST 63rd” label.
• “NY 23” is replaced by “NYC” after the address.
• No “INC” or Registered symbol (“R”) at bottom of label.
• New Releases on this label are catalog numbers 1560 to 1599 and 4001 to 4010.
• Mono and Stereo pressings exist with this label variety.
• Deep groove with “RVG” and Playstylite “ear” in trail-off.
• Excellent sound quality and highly collectible.

“47 WEST 63RD • NYC”
(With INC and ®)

• Issued 1959 – 1962
• Final appearance of the classic “47 WEST 63rd” label.
• With “NYC” following the address.
• “INC” and Registered symbol “R” are both present.
• New releases are catalog numbers 4011 to 4080, with some exceptions.
• Mono and Stereo pressings exist with this label variety.
• Deep Groove with “RVG” and Playstylite “ear” in the trail-off.
• Excellent sound and highly collectible.

<“NEW YORK USA”

• Issued 1962 – 1966.
• New releases on this label are catalog numbers 4081 to 4152.
• Deep groove generally only appears on earlier titles re-pressed on this label, not new releases from this time period.
• “RVG” and Playstylite “ear” appear in trail-off.
• Excellent sound quality that is often the equal of the “47 WEST 63rd” pressings.
• Mono and Stereo pressings exist for this label variety.
• Still very collectible and can often be had for much less than earlier pressings.

“A DIVISION OF LIBERTY RECORDS, INC.”

• Issued 1966 – 1970.
• End of an era: Blue Note is acquired by Liberty Records.
• New releases on this label run roughly from catalog numbers 4253 through 4375.
• Deep groove and Plastylite “ear” are gone from all “Liberty” pressings.
• Re-pressed titles from this era may have “NEW YORK USA” or “47 WEST 63rd” labels as they used up existing stock.
• Sound quality can be excellent, but no longer considered to have that classic “Blue Note Sound.”
• Prices vary depending on artist and title, with some good bargains to be had.

“Liberty / UA. INC”

• Issued 1970 until early 1971.
• New releases on this label are catalog numbers between 84376 and 84414, with some exceptions.
• Good sound quality, can often be had for much less than other label variations.

“A DIVISION OF UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS, INC.”

• Issued 1971 – 1973 and again in 1975.
• A short return to the original looking Blue Note design and color scheme.
• Many classic titles from the 1500 series were re-issued in mono with this label.
• New releases on this label are catalog number 84415 (Grant Green’s The Final Comedown) and then follow United Artists new numbering system BN-LA006-F through BN-LA059-F.
• Often excellent sound and early titles re-issued on this label can often be found at bargain prices.

“BLACK B”
(“A DIVISION OF UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS”)

• Issued 1973 – 1975.
• Has “A DIVISION OF UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS, INC.” along the bottom of label.
• New releases on this label are numbered between BN-LA098-G through BN-LA369-G.
• Many classic titles re-issued with this label.
• Sound quality on new releases and re-issued titles varies from decent to very good.
• Can be had for bargain prices, great for the collector who is not label-obsessed.

“BLACK B”
(“UNITED ARTISTS MUSIC AND RECORDS GROUP”)

• Issued 1975 – 1976.
• Has “MANUFACTURED BY UNITED ARTISTS MUSIC AND RECORDS GROUP, INC.” along the bottom of the label.
• New releases run roughly from catalog numbers BN-LA368-G through BN-LA667-G.
• Many classic titles re-issued on this label.
• Sound quality varies from decent to very good, great for the collector who is not label-obsessed.

“WHITE B”
(UNITED ARTISTS MUSIC AND RECORDS GROUP)

• Issued 1977 – 1978.
• Has the “MANUFACTURED BY UNITED ARTISTS MUSIC AND RECORDS GROUP, INC.” along the bottom of the label.
• Re-issues and new releases can be found on this label.
• Sound quality varies from decent to very good, great for the collector who is not label-obsessed.

“THE BLUE NOTE RE-ISSUE SERIES”

• Issued 1975 – 1978.
• Identified by “THE BLUE NOTE RE-ISSUE SERIES” logo on top left of label.
• These were double LP releases in tan gatefold covers.
• Many releases in this series contained unreleased music from the Blue Note vaults.
• The Re-Issue Series ran between catalog numbers BN-LA451-H2 and BN-LA883-J2.
• Good sound quality and can often be found for an affordable price.

“WHITE B”
(LT SERIES)

• Issued 1979 – 1980. After these releases Blue Note was no longer active as a label until 1984.
• Has “MANUFACTURED BY LIBERTY/UNITED RECORDS, INC.” along the bottom.
• Easily identified by the “LT” prefix in the catalog number, running from LT-987 to LT-1103.
• Titles issued in this series were unreleased albums from the Blue Note vaults.
• Cover artwork is solid white with a rectangular picture in the middle and a black bar along the top with a rainbow stripe and “blue b” in the top left corner.
• Buyer beware: these have been re-issued by Scorpio (see below) with the same cover and different label.
• Sound quality is good and originals are usually quite cheap.

“PATHE MARCONI”

• Issued 1983 – 1985.
• Pressed by the French EMI affiliate Pathe Marconi, easily identified by “Reedition de” beneath the catalog number on left side of label.
• This series features re-issued titles only and used copies are easily found in the US.
• Sound quality is average, but many rare titles can be found for a fraction of the originals.

“MANHATTAN RECORDS”
(FRENCH PRESSINGS)

• Issued 1984 – 1986.
• Label reads “MFD FOR MANHATTAN RECORDS, A DIVISION OF CAPITOL RECORDS, INC. AND CAPITOL INDUSTRIES – EMI INC. BY EMI FRANCE” along the left side.
• This series consists of re-issued early titles and some unreleased sessions.
• All pressings are “Direct Metal Mastering” (DMM) although not all have the symbol on label.
• Sound quality varies wildly, generally not recommended and not considered collectible.

“MANHATTAN RECORDS”
(USA PRESSINGS) 

• Issued 1985 – 1986.
• The last of the Manhattan Records pressings, this time pressed in the USA.
• Labels have “© [year] Manhattan Records, a division of Capitol Records, Inc.”
• All releases are “Direct Metal Mastering” on this label variety.
• Better sound than the EMI France pressings, the last Blue Note vinyl worth your time issued in the 1980’s.

“CAPITOL / EMI”

• Issued 1985 – 1990.
• New releases on this label are digital recordings, while the re-issues most likely used “Direct Metal Mastering.”
• New releases on this label can be enjoyable, but the re-issued titles should be avoided as they are generally regarded to be the worst sounding of all vinyl re-issues.
• Not considered to be collectible.

“CONNOISSEUR SERIES”

• Issued 1994 – 1995.
• This series was made up of about 25 titles focusing on some overlooked classic titles, including some from the LT series above.
• Identified by a catalog number beginning with “B1” prefix on left side of label.
• These were limited edition, audiophile pressings on 180 gram vinyl remastered from the original analog source.
• Excellent sound quality, and can be found for reasonable prices.

“TOP TEN SERIES”

• Issued 1997.
• A brief re-issue series of ten of the most classic Blue Note albums.
• Identified by a catalog number beginning with a “0777 7” prefix on the left side of the label.
• These were limited edition, audiophile pressings on 180 gram vinyl remastered from the original analog source.
• Titles were: Blue Train, Moanin’, Somethin’ Else, Go, Speak No Evil, Soul Station, Sonny Rollins Volume 2, Maiden Voyage, The Sidewinder and Song For My Father.
• Excellent sound quality, often a nice substitute for an original copy.

“RARE GROOVES SERIES”

• Issued 1995 – 1997.
• The “Rare Grooves” series focused on some of the best soul jazz and jazz-funk that Blue Note had to offer.
• Releases included individual albums as well as some compilation LPs.
• Identified by a catalog number beginning with a “B1 7243” prefix on the right side of the label.
• Decent sound, but not audiophile, these can be a cheaper way to get some rare funky titles.

“304 PARK AVE. SOUTH”
(SCORPIO PRESSINGS)

• Currently available.
• Known as “Scorpio” pressings (they appear to hail from Scorpio Music in New Jersey).
• Identified by the “304 PARK AVE. SOUTH” on the label or back cover (or both).
• Most have “S-xxxx” etched in the vinyl trail-off.
• Digital to vinyl transfers, certainly not audiophile sound, but a cheap way to acquire rare titles.
• Not considered collectible.

“BLUE NOTE 75”

• Currently available.
• Starting in 2014, Blue Note embarked on a “75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative” to re-issue 100 classic titles on vinyl.
• Identified by the “©20xx Blue Note Records” along outer edge on right side of label and “150 5th Avenue” address on back cover.
• Beautiful reproductions of original artwork and labels.
• Full line-up of current and planned releases can be found here.
• Great sound, not quite audiophile, but undisputed classic titles can be had for affordable prices.