5 Facts About Blue Note’s 1500 Series Catalog Numbers

The 1500 series is Blue Note Records’ original catalog numbering system. Every number in that range represents a release from the label’s foundational era.

Blue Note was founded in 1939, and the 1500 series covers its early output. These records mark the label’s first major wave of jazz history.

Each 1500 series number corresponds to a specific album or session from that period. The system is a direct map to Blue Note’s earliest catalog.

The series is not a reissue or later numbering scheme—it is the original. Collectors and historians use it to identify authentic early pressings.

The 1500 series ended as Blue Note expanded its catalog in later decades. But those numbers remain a definitive reference for the label’s classic era.