Van Gelder Studio

The Van Gelder Studio is a recording studio located at 445 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. It was set up in 1959 by Rudy Van Gelder and has been used to record many albums released by major jazz labels such as Verve Records, Blue Note, Prestige and CTI Records.

Background

After having gained a reputation in the mid-Fifties for the quality of the recordings he made in the living room at his parents' house in Hackensack, New Jersey, Van Gelder moved to a new facility in Englewood Cliffs. The structure was inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and bore some resemblance to a chapel, with 39-foot ceilings and fine acoustics. Critic Ira Gitler described the studio in The Space Book (1964) liner notes:"In the high-domed, wooden-beamed, brick-tiled, spare modernity of Rudy Van Gelder's studio, one can get a feeling akin to religion". "When I started making records, there was no quality recording equipment available to me" Van Gelder recalled in 2005. "I had to build my own mixer. The only people who had quality equipment were the big companies. They were building their own electronics."

Notable recordings made at Hackensack include Miles Davis' Workin' and Steamin' ; solo debuts by Hank Mobley (Hank Mobley Quartet) and Johnny Griffin (Introducing Johnny Griffin).

Notable recordings made at Englewood Cliffs include John Coltrane's A Love Supreme (1964); Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus; and Stanley Turrentine's Cherry and Don't Mess with Mister T; Andrew Hill's Point of Departure; Carmell Jones's Jay Hawk Talk; Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay and Hank Mobley's Soul Station.

List of recordings

Hackensack
Recording Date	Album
April 16, 1953	New Faces, New Sounds
March 15, 1954	Blue Haze
April 3, 1954	Blue Haze / Walkin'
April 29, 1954	Walkin'
June 29, 1954	Bags' Groove
August 18, 1954	Moving Out
October 25, 1954	Moving Out
December 24, 1954	Bags' Groove / Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants
January 9, 1955	Django
January 30, 1955	Afro-Cuban
March 27, 1955	Hank Mobley Quartet
March 29, 1955	Afro-Cuban
June 7, 1955	The Musings of Miles
August 5, 1955	Quintet / Sextet
October 15, 1955	Nica's Tempo
October 22, 1955	Nica's Tempo
January 27, 1956	Lights Out!
January 30, 1956	The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley
February 8, 1956	The Jazz Message of Hank Mobley
February 10, 1956	Introducing Kenny Burrell: The First Blue Note Sessions
March 9, 1956	Fontainebleau
March 16, 1956	Collectors' Items
March 22, 1956	Sonny Rollins Plus 4
April 17, 1956	Introducing Johnny Griffin
May 11, 1956	Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet / Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet / Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet
May 24, 1956	Tenor Madness
May 29, 1956	Introducing Kenny Burrell / Kenny Burrell Volume 2
May 30, 1956	Introducing Kenny Burrell / Kenny Burrell Volume 2
June 9, 1956	The Magnificent Thad Jones
June 13, 1956	4, 5 and 6
June 14, 1956	The Magnificent Thad Jones
June 22, 1956	Saxophone Colossus
July 20, 1956	Mobley's Message / 4, 5 and 6
July 23, 1956	Jazz Message #2
July 27, 1956	Mobley's 2nd Message
August 31, 1956	Jackie's Pal
September 7, 1956	Tenor Conclave
September 21, 1956	Whims of Chambers
October 26, 1956	Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet / Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet / Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet / Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet
November 7, 1956	Jazz Message #2
November 25, 1956	Hank Mobley Sextet
November 30, 1956	Mating Call
December 14, 1956	McLean's Scene
December 16, 1956	Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1
January 4, 1957	All Day Long
January 13, 1957	Hank Mobley and his All Stars
January 27, 1957	Wailing with Lou
February 8, 1957	Jackie McLean & Co.
February 15, 1957	Makin' the Changes / McLean's Scene / A Long Drink of the Blues
February 25, 1957	Taylor's Wailers
March 8, 1957	Hank Mobley Quintet
March 22, 1957	Dig It! / Taylor's Wailers
April 4, 1957	Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2
April 6, 1957	A Blowin' Session
April 20, 1957	Dakar
April 21, 1957	Hank
May 31, 1957	Coltrane / Lush Life
June 23, 1957	Hank Mobley
July 21, 1957	Dial "S" for Sonny
August 3, 1957	Bud! The Amazing Bud Powell (Vol. 3)
August 16, 1957	Lush Life
August 18, 1957	Curtain Call
August 23, 1957	Traneing In
August 30, 1957	Makin' the Changes / A Long Drink of the Blues
September 1, 1957	Sonny's Crib
September 6, 1957	Gil Evans & Ten
September 15, 1957	Blue Train
September 22, 1957	Newk's Time
September 27, 1957	Gil Evans & Ten
September 29, 1957	The Cooker
October 10, 1957	Gil Evans & Ten
October 20, 1957	Poppin'
October 23, 1957	The Congregation
November 12, 1957	Two Altos
November 15, 1957	All Mornin' Long
December 8, 1957	Sonny Clark Quintets
December 13, 1957	Dig It!
December 15, 1957	Lou Takes Off
December 20, 1957	The Believer
January 10, 1958	The Believer / Lush Life
January 13, 1958	Further Explorations by the Horace Silver Quintet
February 2, 1958	Dig It!
February 9, 1958	Peckin' Time
March 7, 1958	Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane
March 9, 1958	Somethin' Else
March 13, 1958	Mainstream 1958: The East Coast Jazz Scene / Countdown: The Savoy Sessions
March 16, 1958	Minor Move
March 26, 1958	Settin' the Pace
May 13, 1958	Tanganyika Strut
May 23, 1958	Black Pearls
May 24, 1958	Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell (Vol. 4)
June 24, 1958	Tanganyika Strut / Jazz Way Out
July 15, 1958	Home Cookin'
September 16, 1958	Introducing the 3 Sounds
September 28, 1958	Introducing the 3 Sounds
October 30, 1958	Moanin'
November 16, 1958	The Art of The Trio
December 7, 1958	Blues in the Night
December 26, 1958	The Believer
December 28, 1958	The Scene Changes: The Amazing Bud Powell (Vol. 5)
January 18, 1959	Jackie's Bag
January 25, 1959	Walkin' & Talkin'
February 18, 1959	LD + 3
March 29, 1959	My Conception / Drums Around the Corner
May 24, 1959	Home Cookin'
June 16, 1959	Home Cookin'
May 20, 1959	Good Deal
May 31, 1959	Byrd in Hand
June 3, 1959	Taylor's Tenors
July 1, 1959	The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions / From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs

Englewood Cliffs
Recording Date	Album
July 20, 1959	From Hackensack to Englewood Cliffs
August 29, 1959	Blowin' the Blues Away
August 30, 1959	Blowin' the Blues Away
September 13, 1959	Blowin' the Blues Away
October 2, 1959	Swing, Swang, Swingin'
October 25, 1959	Profile
October 31, 1959	The Time Is Right
November 28, 1959	The Time Is Right
December 13, 1959	Quiet Kenny
December 16, 1959	Tender Feelin's
December 19, 1959	Star Bright
December 19, 1959	Tender Feelin's
January 17, 1960	Byrd in Flight
January 25, 1960	Byrd in Flight
January 17, 1960	Byrd in Flight
February 5, 1960	Sunny Side Up
February 7, 1960	Soul Station
February 28, 1960	Sunny Side Up
February 29, 1960	Movin' & Groovin'
March 22, 1960	Open House / Plain Talk
April 17, 1960	Capuchin Swing
April 20, 1960	Us Three
April 25, 1960	Midnight Special
April 28, 1960	Leeway
May 12, 1960	Soundin' Off
May 27, 1960	Screamin' the Blues
June 19, 1960	Open Sesame
June 28, 1960	Feelin' Good / Moods
June 29, 1960	Blue Hour
July 8, 1960	Mucho, Mucho / Horace-Scope
July 9, 1960	Horace-Scope
July 10, 1960	Byrd in Flight
July 14, 1960	Speakin' My Piece
July 22, 1960	Midnight Sun
August 6, 1960	A.T.'s Delight
August 7, 1960	Like Someone in Love / A Night in Tunisia
August 13, 1960	Shades of Redd
August 14, 1960	Like Someone in Love / A Night in Tunisia
August 23, 1960	Nocturne
September 1, 1960	Back to the Tracks / Jackie's Bag / Street Singer
September 9, 1960	Soul Battle
September 25, 1960	The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions
October 20, 1960	Back to the Tracks
November 6, 1960	Goin' Up
November 13, 1960	Roll Call
November 18, 1960	Out of the Cool
November 30, 1960	Out of the Cool
December 6, 1960	Headin' South
December 10, 1960	Out of the Cool
December 11, 1960	Undercurrent
December 13, 1960	Here We Come / It Just Got to Be
December 14, 1960	Here We Come / It Just Got to Be
December 15, 1960	Out of the Cool
December 16, 1960	Blue Hour
December 21, 1960	Far Cry
January 8, 1961	Bluesnik
January 15, 1961	Whistle Stop
January 30, 1961	Face to Face
February 12, 1961	Pisces
February 18, 1961	Roots & Herbs
March 1, 1961	Straight Ahead
March 2, 1961	The Waiting Game
March 26, 1961	Workout
April 1, 1961	Green Street
April 9, 1961	Hub Cap
May 2, 1961	The Cat Walk
May 6, 1961	Doin' Allright
May 9, 1961	Dexter Calling...
May 22, 1961	Stop and Listen
May 27, 1961	Pisces / Roots & Herbs
June 4, 1961	Sunday Mornin'
June 8, 1961	Dearly Beloved
June 18, 1961	Up & Down
August 1, 1961	Grantstand
August 1, 1961	Percussion Bitter Sweet
August 3, 1961	Percussion Bitter Sweet
August 8, 1961	Percussion Bitter Sweet
August 9, 1961	Percussion Bitter Sweet
August 13, 1961	Babe's Blues
August 21, 1961	Ready for Freddie
August 22, 1961	Blue Seven
September 9, 1961	Let Me Tell You 'Bout It
September 13, 1961	ZT's Blues
September 14, 1961	Into the Hot
September 21, 1961	Royal Flush
September 25, 1961	A Man With a Horn
September 29, 1961	Afro/American Sketches
October 2, 1961	Mosaic
October 6, 1961	Into the Hot
October 10, 1961	Into the Hot
October 12, 1961	Rollin' with Leo
October 20, 1961	Rollin' with Leo
October 31, 1961	Into the Hot
November 10, 1961	Afro/American Sketches
November 13, 1961	Leapin' and Lopin'
November 26, 1961	Heavy Soul
December 5, 1961	Another Workout
December 9, 1961	It Might as Well Be Spring
December 11, 1961	Free Form
December 16, 1961	Blue & Sentimental
December 21, 1961	Ballads
December 23, 1961	Blue & Sentimental
January 2, 1962	That's Where It's At
January 10, 1962	Inception
January 11, 1962	Inception
January 20, 1962	Easy Living
January 24, 1962	The African Beat
February 4, 1962	Black Orchid
February 5, 1962	Hootin' 'n Tootin' / The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions
February 13, 1962	The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions
March 7, 1962	Black Orchid
March 8, 1962	Black Orchid / Babe's Blues
March 19, 1962	Let Freedom Ring
March 26, 1962	Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith
March 28, 1962	Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith
April 9, 1962	Hootin' 'n Tootin'
April 11, 1962	Coltrane
April 26, 1962	The Latin Bit
May 3, 1962	Elder Don
May 9, 1962	The Natural Soul
May 28, 1962	Takin' Off
June 14, 1962	Vertigo
June 18, 1962	Preach Brother!
June 19, 1962	Coltrane
June 20, 1962	Coltrane
June 27, 1962	Black Orchid
June 29, 1962	Coltrane
July 2, 1962	The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard
July 13, 1962	The Tokyo Blues
July 14, 1962	The Tokyo Blues
August 23, 1962	Down to Earth
August 27, 1962	Go!
September 7, 1962	The Latin Bit
September 9, 1962	Today and Now
September 11, 1962	Today and Now
September 12, 1962	Desafinado
September 17, 1962	Desafinado
September 18, 1962	Ballads / Impressions
September 26, 1962	Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
September 28, 1962	Tippin' the Scales
October 5, 1962	Soul Samba
October 10, 1962	Hub-Tones
November 13, 1962	Ballads
November 14, 1962	Reaching Fourth
November 26, 1962	Bossa Nova Bacchanal
December 21, 1962	Feelin' the Spirit
December 27, 1962	Here to Stay
January 8, 1963	Midnight Blue
January 10, 1963	The Soul Is Willing
January 12, 1963	A New Perspective
January 21, 1963	Mo' Greens Please
January 24, 1963	Good Gracious!
February 11, 1963	Vertigo
February 15, 1963	Happy Frame of Mind
February 20, 1963	Blues for Lou
March 4, 1963	Nights of Ballads & Blues
March 7, 1963	John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman / The Turnaround
March 11, 1963	The Body & the Soul / Mo' Greens Please
March 19, 1963	My Point of View
April 1, 1963	Una Mas
April 29, 1963	Impressions
April 30, 1963	One Step Beyond
May 2, 1963	The Body & the Soul
May 16, 1963	Am I Blue
May 20, 1963	Blackjack
June 3, 1963	Page One
June 4, 1963	Today and Tomorrow
June 7, 1963	Blues for Lou / A Man With a Horn
June 10, 1963	Now!
July 29, 1963	Shoutin'
August 8, 1963	Illumination!
August 30, 1963	Inventions & Dimensions
September 4, 1963	Two Souls in One
September 9, 1963	Our Thing
September 17, 1963	Soul Shack
September 20, 1963	Destination... Out!
October 9, 1963	I Just Dropped by to Say Hello
October 14, 1963	A Chip Off the Old Block
October 15, 1963	Soul Shoutin'
October 17, 1963	I Just Dropped by to Say Hello
October 21, 1963	A Chip Off the Old Block
October 31, 1963	Song for My Father
November 4, 1963	Idle Moments
November 8, 1963	Black Fire
November 15, 1963	Idle Moments
November 21, 1963	Evolution
November 29, 1963	Good Move!
December 9, 1963	Good Move!
December 16, 1963	Soul Stream
December 21, 1963	The Sidewinder
December 29, 1963	The Kicker
December 31, 1963	Primitivo Soul!
January 8, 1964	Judgment!
January 20, 1964	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
January 21, 1964	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
January 24, 1964	Hustlin'
January 27, 1964	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
January 28, 1964	Song for My Father
February 4, 1964	Today and Tomorrow
February 10, 1964	Free for All
February 15, 1964	Search for the New Land
February 25, 1964	Out to Lunch!
March 21, 1964	Point of Departure
March 27, 1964	Extension
April 10, 1964	In 'n Out
April 15, 1964	Pisces
April 24, 1964	Indestructible
April 27, 1964	Crescent
April 29, 1964	Night Dreamer
May 7, 1964	Breaking Point!
May 15, 1964	Indestructible
May 20, 1964	Matador
June 1, 1964	Crescent
June 12, 1964	Matador]
June 17, 1964	Empyrean Isles
June 25, 1964	Andrew!!!
July 6, 1964	Some Other Stuff
July 30, 1964	The Thing to Do
August 3, 1964	JuJu
August 5, 1964	It's Time!
August 10, 1964	Four for Trane
August 11, 1964	Tom Cat
August 21, 1964	Life Time
August 24, 1964	Life Time
August 25, 1964	Soul People
September 11, 1964	Talkin' About!
September 14, 1964	Trompeta Toccata
September 16, 1964	Action Action Action
October 16, 1964	All That's Good
October 26, 1964	Song for My Father
November 10, 1964	More Blues and the Abstract Truth
November 11, 1964	More Blues and the Abstract Truth
November 12, 1964	Into Somethin'
November 16, 1964	Street of Dreams
November 18, 1964	Mustang!
November 21, 1964	Wahoo!
November 30, 1964	Inner Urge
December 2, 1964	McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington
December 7, 1964	McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington
December 8, 1964	McCoy Tyner Plays Ellington
December 9, 1964	A Love Supreme
December 11, 1964	Fuchsia Swing Song
December 17, 1964	I'm Tryin' to Get Home
December 18, 1964	I'm Tryin' to Get Home
December 24, 1964	Speak No Evil
January 13, 1965	Rip, Rig and Panic
January 22, 1965	Bossa Nova Bacchanal
January 29, 1965	Right Now!
February 5, 1965	The Turnaround
February 10, 1965	Pax
February 17, 1965	The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
February 18, 1965	The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
February 19, 1965	Blue Spirits
February 23, 1965	Dear John C.
February 25, 1965	Dear John C.
February 26, 1965	Fire Music / Blue Spirits
March 4, 1965	The Soothsayer
March 9, 1965	Fire Music
March 17, 1965	Maiden Voyage
March 31, 1965	I Want to Hold Your Hand
April 3, 1965	Dialogue
April 9, 1965	The Rumproller
April 14, 1965	Joyride
April 21, 1965	The Rumproller
May 8, 1965	Jay Hawk Talk
May 10, 1965	Intermodulation
May 17, 1965	The John Coltrane Quartet Plays
May 19, 1965	Basra
May 21, 1965	Contours
June 10, 1965	Kulu Se Mama / Living Space / Components
June 28, 1965	Ascension
September 18, 1965	Cornbread
September 24, 1965	Jacknife
October 4, 1965	A Simple Matter of Conviction
October 8, 1965	Compulsion!!!!!
October 15, 1965	The All Seeing Eye
November 10, 1965	Unity
November 16, 1965	Infinity
November 23, 1965	Meditations
December 3, 1965	Consequence
January 27, 1966	Mode for Joe
February 2, 1966	Adam's Apple
February 14, 1966	Adam's Apple
March 1, 1966	Laughing Soul
March 5, 1966	Blue Spirits
March 7, 1966	Change
April 8, 1966	Delightfulee Morgan
April 15, 1966	Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands
April 18, 1966	Jacknife
April 19, 1966	Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands
May 11, 1966	Peter & the Wolf
May 12, 1966	Peter & the Wolf
May 27, 1966	Delightfulee Morgan
June 24, 1966	Mustang!
July 1, 1966	Rough 'n' Tumble
July 14, 1966	Stick-Up!
August 5, 1966	Soul People
September 29, 1966	Charisma
November 3, 1966	Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz
November 4, 1966	Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz
November 21, 1966	Musart
November 29, 1966	The Rajah
December 7, 1966	Sweet Honey Bee
January 3, 1967	Musart
January 9, 1967	Blackjack
January 20, 1967	Lush Life
March 10, 1967	Schizophrenia
March 21, 1967	Sweet Rain
March 24, 1967	New and Old Gospel
March 30, 1967	Sweet Rain
April 7, 1967	Alligator Bogaloo
April 21, 1967	The Real McCoy
May 12, 1967	Slow Drag
July 14, 1967	The Procrastinator
September 8, 1967	'Bout Soul
October 5, 1967	The Creeper
October 27, 1967	Mr. Shing-A-Ling
November 10, 1967	The Sixth Sense
December 1, 1967	Tender Moments
December 22, 1967	Demon's Dance
February 15, 1968	Taru
February 23, 1968	Serenade to a Soul Sister
March 6, 1968	Speak Like a Child
March 9, 1968	Speak Like a Child
March 15, 1968	Midnight Creeper
March 29, 1968	Serenade to a Soul Sister
April 8, 1968	Puttin' It Together
April 19, 1968	Grass Roots
May 17, 1968	Time for Tyner
August 5, 1968	Grass Roots
August 23, 1968	Expansions
September 6, 1968	The Ultimate
September 13, 1968	The Sixth Sense
October 10, 1968	Summertime
October 11, 1968	Dance with Death
October 16, 1968	Summertime
October 24, 1968	Summertime
November 5, 1968	Summertime
November 20, 1968	Summertime
November 22, 1968	Cosmos
December 26, 1968	Summertime
March 14, 1969	The Prime Element
April 4, 1969	Cosmos
April 18, 1969	The Prisoner
April 21, 1969	The Prisoner
April 23, 1969	The Prisoner
June 24, 1969	From the Hot Afternoon
June 25, 1969	From the Hot Afternoon
May 9, 1969	Fancy Free
May 16, 1969	Lift Every Voice
June 6, 1969	Fancy Free
August 13, 1969	From the Hot Afternoon
August 14, 1969	From the Hot Afternoon
August 22, 1969	Everything I Play Is Funky
September 12, 1969	The Procrastinator
September 15, 1969	Soul People
September 26, 1969	Poly-Currents
October 10, 1969	The Procrastinator
November 7, 1969	Passing Ships
November 14, 1969	Passing Ships
November 18, 1969	Kathy McCord
November 19, 1969	Kathy McCord
November 20, 1969	Kathy McCord
November 24, 1969	Kathy McCord
December 2, 1969	Kathy McCord
January 9, 1970	Everything I Play Is Funky
February 9, 1970	Extensions
March 6, 1970	Lift Every Voice
March 13, 1970	Lift Every Voice
May 15, 1970	Electric Byrd
July 1, 1970	Joe Farrell Quartet
July 2, 1970	Joe Farrell Quartet
July 17, 1970	Coalition
July 21, 1970	Cosmos
September 10, 1970	Asante
November 16, 1970	Straight Life
February 12, 1971	Genesis / Merry-Go-Round
September 1971	Inner City Blues
September 17, 1971	Lee Morgan: The Last Session
September 18, 1971	Lee Morgan: The Last Session
December 16, 1971	Merry-Go-Round
May 17, 1972	Cherry
May 18, 1972	Cherry
May 24, 1972	Cherry
1972, May	All the King's Horses
1972, June	All the King's Horses
July 12, 1972	Mr. Jones
July 13, 1972	Mr. Jones
1973, March	Soul Box
June 7, 1973	Don't Mess with Mister T.
June 8, 1973	Don't Mess with Mister T.
1974, November	Mister Magic
April 16, 1975	Concierto
April 23, 1975	Concierto
1975, May	Feels So Good
1975, July	Feels So Good
1976, October	A Secret Place
1985, October	Water from an Ancient Well

See also

• List of US recording studios