Editing Atlantic Records (section)

===Founding and early history===
In 1944, when their mother and sister returned to Turkey after the death of their father [[Munir Ertegun]], Turkey's first ambassador to the U.S., brothers [[Nesuhi Ertegun|Nesuhi]] and Ahmet Ertegun remained in the United States. The brothers were fans of jazz and rhythm & blues, amassing a collection of over 15,000 78 RPM records.<ref name="Atlantic Records Story">{{cite web |author1=David Edwards |author2=Mike Callahan |url=http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html |title=The Atlantic Records Story |website=Both Sides Now Publications |date=February 20, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328183334/http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html |archive-date=March 28, 2018 |url-status = live}}{{unreliable source?|date=May 2018}}</ref> Ahmet stayed in Washington to undertake post-graduate music studies at [[Georgetown University]], and immersed himself in the Washington music scene. He entered the record business, which was enjoying a resurgence after wartime restrictions on the shellac used in manufacture had been lifted.<ref>Wade & Picardie 1990, pp. 31–32.</ref> He convinced the family dentist, Vahdi Sabit, to invest $10,000 and hired [[Herb Abramson]], a dentistry student.

Herb had worked as a part-time A&R manager/producer for [[Al Green (record producer)|Al Green]] at the jazz label [[National Records]], signing [[Big Joe Turner]] and [[Billy Eckstine]]. He founded [[Jubilee Records|Jubilee]] in 1946 but had no interest in its most successful musicians. In September 1947, he sold his share in Jubilee to his partner, [[Jerry Blaine]], and invested $2,500 in Atlantic.

Atlantic was incorporated in October 1947 and was run by Herb (president) and Ertegun (vice-president in charge of A&R, production, and promotion). Herb's wife [[Miriam Bienstock|Miriam Abramson]] ran the label's publishing company, Progressive Music. She did most office duties until 1949, when Atlantic hired its first employee, bookkeeper Francine Wakschal, who remained with the label for the next 49 years.<ref name="Broven 2009, p. 65">Broven 2009, p. 65.</ref> Miriam gained a reputation for toughness. Staff engineer [[Tom Dowd]] recalled, "Tokyo Rose was the kindest name some people had for her"<ref>Wade & Picardie 1990, p. 36.</ref> and [[Doc Pomus]] described her as "an extraordinarily vitriolic woman".<ref>Wade & Picardie 1990, p. 37.</ref> When interviewed in 2009, she attributed her reputation to the company's chronic cash-flow shortage: "... most of the problems we had with artists were that they wanted advances, and that was very difficult for us ... we were undercapitalized for a long time".<ref name="Broven 2009, p. 65"/> The label's office in the [[Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company|Ritz Hotel]] in Manhattan proved too expensive, so they moved to a room in the Hotel Jefferson.<ref>Wade & Picardie 1990, pp. 32–33.</ref><ref name="msnbc">{{Cite news |date=December 14, 2006 |title=Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun dies |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/atlantic-records-founder-ahmet-ertegun-dies-wbna16212086 |access-date=May 28, 2007 |publisher=[[Today.com]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name=rollingstone>{{cite news |author=James Sullivan |title=Rock & Roll Founding Father Ahmet Ertegun Dies at 83 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/rock-roll-founding-father-ahmet-ertegun-dies-at-83-117341/ |date=December 14, 2006 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518100400/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12811234/rock__roll_founding_father_ahmet_ertegun_dies_at_83 |archive-date=May 18, 2007 |url-status = live}}</ref> In the early fifties, Atlantic moved from the Hotel Jefferson to offices at 301 West 54th St and then to 356 West 56th St.

Atlantic's first recordings were issued in late January 1948 and included "That Old Black Magic" by [[Tiny Grimes]] and "The Spider" by Joe Morris.<ref>Kramer 1958, p. 35.</ref> In its early years, Atlantic concentrated on modern jazz,<ref name=msnbc/><ref name="Kramer p. 24">Kramer 1958, p. 24.</ref><ref name="Atlantic Debut">{{cite news |title=Atlantic Diskery Makes Its Debut |magazine=Billboard |date=January 17, 1948 |page=19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=efUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19}}</ref> although it released some [[country music|country and western]] and [[spoken word]] recordings. Herb also produced "Magic Records", children's records with four grooves on each side. Each groove contained a different story, so the story played would be determined by the groove in which the stylus happened to land.<ref>{{cite news |title=Atlantic Puts 256 Stories on a Pair Of 10-In. Kidisks |magazine=Billboard |date=October 22, 1949 |page=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lg4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT16 }}</ref>

In late 1947, [[James Petrillo]], head of the [[American Federation of Musicians]], announced an indefinite ban on all recording activities by union musicians. This came into effect on January 1, 1948. The union action forced Atlantic to use almost all its capital to cut and stockpile enough recordings to last through the ban, which was expected to continue for at least a year.<ref name="Kramer p. 24" />

Ertegun and Herb spent much of the late 1940s and early 1950s scouring nightclubs in search of talent. Ertegun composed songs under the alias "A. Nugetre", including Big Joe Turner's hit "[[Chains of Love (Ahmet Ertegun song)|Chains of Love]]", recording them in booths in Times Square, then giving them to an arranger or session musician.<ref>Wade & Picardie 1990, p. 34.</ref> Early releases included music by [[Sidney Bechet]], [[Barney Bigard]], [[The Cardinals]], [[The Clovers]], [[Frank Culley]], [[The Delta Rhythm Boys]], [[Erroll Garner]], [[Dizzy Gillespie]], [[Tiny Grimes]], [[Al Hibbler]], [[Earl Hines]], [[Johnny Hodges]], [[Jackie & Roy]], [[Lead Belly]], [[Meade Lux Lewis]], [[Professor Longhair]], [[Shelly Manne]], [[Howard McGhee]], [[Mabel Mercer]], [[James Moody (saxophonist)|James Moody]], [[Joe Morris (trumpeter)|Joe Morris]], [[Art Pepper]], [[Django Reinhardt]], [[Pete Rugolo]], [[Pee Wee Russell]], [[Bobby Short]], [[Sylvia Syms]], [[Billy Taylor]], [[Sonny Terry]], [[Big Joe Turner]], [[Jimmy Yancey]], [[Sarah Vaughan]], [[Mal Waldron]], and [[Mary Lou Williams]].<ref name="Atlantic Records Story"/>