ABSTRACT
An American record issued from 1937 to 1948 by the Musicraft Corp. of New York, and founded by entrepreneur Oliver Sabin. It offered pop, jazz, classical, country, Latin, folk, children’s, and gospel material. An important series of organ music, performed by Carl Weinrich, was released beginning in 1937. In 1938 Musicraft issued the first original cast album of a Broadway musical, The Cradle Will Rock (#1075/81 in album 18). After World War II, the label made a serious attempt at expansion, signing major jazz artists including Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, and, in May 1946, a generous contract with Duke Ellington. However, the company was soon overextended and by June 1947 Ellington had left. New management temporarily stabilized the label’s situation, but by 1948 it was bankrupt.
