Moodsville Series

In the early 1960s, when jazz fans often had to choose between improvisation-heavy releases or mood music backed by soothing—if sometimes formulaic—orchestration, one label sought to shake up the industry, tapping the era’s leading jazz musicians to deliver inspired yet melodic interpretations of standards. Moodsville, a subsidiary of legendary jazz label Prestige Records, was originally active from 1960 to 1963, with a focus on expressive ballads for late-night listening, featuring songs that would later become part of The Great American Songbook.