The RCA Victor Encyclopedia Of Recorded Jazz: Album 12 Ven-Z

The RCA Victor Encyclopedia of Recorded Jazz was an ambitious, multi-volume anthology released in 1956, designed to serve as a comprehensive survey of the genre's history. Conceived during a period when the long-playing record was firmly establishing jazz as a serious art form worthy of archival preservation, the series sought to organize the sprawling legacy of RCA’s extensive catalog into an accessible, educational format for enthusiasts and scholars alike.

Album 12, covering the artists from Venuti to Zeno, was produced under the curatorial guidance of Leonard Feather, a prominent jazz journalist and critic of the era. Feather selected tracks that highlighted the transition from early big-band traditions to the evolving modern styles, aiming to balance popular appeal with historical significance. While the series was highly regarded for its educational intent and liner notes, it remains a product of its time, reflective of the mid-century effort to codify jazz history through the commercial lens of a major label.