Verve Records Celebrates 70 Years With Exclusive Release Slate

Iconic imprint Verve Records celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026, and it’s doing it in style. The label officially kicked off the celebration today, and will mark the occasion with an exclusive slate of live and new music releases and events throughout the year.

Founded in 1956 to highlight the talents of Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz’s work will be highlighted once again for the 70th anniversary celebration. The label will re-release Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, her first release on Verve Records, on May 22 as a 32-track double LP. On April 17, Verve will debut the previously-unreleased Live at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge by Oscar Peterson. Recorded in 1960 in Detroit, the project was intended as a live album but never shared with the world—until now.

Throughout 2026, Verve will also continue its Acoustic Sounds Series, which was first launched in 2020. The series, which offers audiophile-grade productions of some of the best jazz albums ever, will share projects from artists including Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Grant Green, Lee Konitz, Jimmy Smith, and Wes Montgomery throughout the year. The Verve Vault, which launched last year, will also continue with releases from Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, Marcos Valle, George Benson, Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, and Billy Mitchel, among others. Finally, Verve Record Club members will also be able to look forward to releases like Sarah Vaughan’s Close To You in March and Anita O’Day’s Incomparable! in October.

“We are truly thrilled to celebrate 70 years of Verve Records. Since 1956, Verve has been the proud home to artists at the very top of their craft; from Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and the Velvet Underground, to today’s rich roster of talent like Diana Krall, Jon Batiste, Samara Joy, and Kurt Vile, to name just a few,” says Verve Label Group President and CEO Jamie Krents. “It’s an honor to be able to share the music and stories of these truly peerless artists, and we look forward to celebrating them and our label’s history throughout the year.”

Some of Verve’s newer talent has also joined the celebration. “Being a recording artist for Verve has changed the trajectory of my life. I’m incredibly grateful for the team & their unwavering support through each phase of my career thus far and am looking forward to more fruitful years ahead,” says recent Best New Artist Grammy winner Samara Joy. Adds singer, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab, “Extremely proud to be on Verve, a label that became synonymous with some of the greatest names in music. Glad to see them continue to build new legacy artists, honoring people with soul, integrity and unconventional creativity inside of the music.”

Explore the official Verve store featuring merch and exclusive releases from the legendary label.