SARCO

Sarco Records Company was established by Lewis Finston in early 1946 when he released several recordings by the Vivien Garry Quartet and Bando Carioca featuring Jose Oliveira and Nestor Amaral as 78 rpm singles. Prior to establishing the Sarco Records label all of Finston’s productions had been individual recordings, acetate disks, for private parties and no commercial recordings had been produced. A notice in the December 1939 issue of Tempo magazine noted that Alex Compinsky, former cellist with the Los Angeles Symphony was joining Lew Finston at Studio & Artists Music Shop on November 25th for the Wednesday night musicale in the plant’s recording studio.

The circumstances that resulted in the first recording session are unknown. The AFM contract for the December 15, 1945, session notes Vivien Garry as leader with her husband, Arv Garrison on guitar; George Handelman (Handy), piano; and Roy Hall, drums. Wages for the three hour session came to $150.00. The studio listed on the contract is Master Recording Co at 6107 Sunset Boulevard, not Studio & Artists Recorders.

Source: Jazz Research