1921-09-21 Kurt born in Geneva, Switzerland
1931 Kurt buys a radio and discovers Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington
1931 onwards Bought records by Sleepy John Estes, Big Bill Broonzy, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, etc.
1936 Purchases Delaunay’s book Hot Discography
1940 Starts discographical correspondence with Charles Delaunay
1946 Moves to Basle as chemist
1950 onwards Paul Oliver comes to Paris to meet with Charles Delaunay
1950 onwards Kurt starts buying Chicago blues records
1954 Leaves job & moves from Basle to Paris
1954 onwards Works for Vogue, contacting Alladin, Aristocrat, Chess, King etc.
1954-1966 Writes for Jazz Hot magazine
1954 onwards Paul Oliver comes to Paris to meet with Kurt & Charles Delaunay
1955 onwards Charles Delaunay and Kurt collaborate on book Hot Discographie Encyclopedique
1957 Kurt leaves Vogue
1957-1959 Kurt works in record store on Boulevard St.Germain/Boulevard St. Michel
1957-11 Ron & Kurt meet in record store where Kurt works
1959 French Odeon asks Kurt to handle the British Top Rank label, which included Ace, King, Parlophone and Vee Jay.
1959-1963 Kurt issues LPs by King artists Earl Bostic,
Bill Doggett, Freddy King, etc.
1959-1963 Kurt issues LPs by Vee Jay artists John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Staple Singers, etc.
1959-1963 Kurt issues LPs by Ace artists Bobby Marcham
Frankie Lee Sims, Huey Smith, etc.
1960-10 Ron leaves Paris and returns to UK
1962 Kurt bring guitarist Mickey Baker to France, where Baker records for the Versailles label.
1963 Odeon was bought by CBS, which was bought by Sony
1963 Kurt leaves Odeon/Sony
1966 Kurt leaves Jazz Hot & joins Rock & Folk magazine
1968 Kurt leaves Rock & Folk and joins Soul Bag magazine
1968 Kurt contributes to Blues Records book
1970 to Kurt acts as consultant to EMI France on
late 80s reissues from the Blue Note, Capitol & Imperial labels
1987 Kurt credited in Blues Records Volume 1
“The first person who deserves acknowledgement from us all is Kurt Mohr. His ongoing discographical research is the inspiration of everyone engaged in similar enquiries, not just in the field of blues but in black music generally. Too little credit (and sometimes none at all) has been given to his unceasing efforts”
Late 80s Kurt acts as consultant to the Official label
to 1990
1990-2007 Kurt acts as consultant to Classics label
1997-01-31 Kurt interviewed by Philippe Sauret
2007-11-04 Kurt dies in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Radio: Kurt researched/prepared/presented numerous radio programs on Swiss radio during an unknown period.
Bill Coleman, 1904-1981
About Me
- Ron Sweetman
- Ron Sweetman has been an activist for jazz and blues since arriving in Canada in 1969. He was a founder member of L’Atelier de Musique Experimentale (1972), Jazz Ottawa (1976), and Music Now (1997). He has written for CODA magazine since 1970, and has been a member of the Down Beat International Critics Poll since 1982. He has hosted his weekly jazz and blues radio show “In A Mellow Tone” on CKCU-FM 93.1 since May 1976. In his spare time, Ron is a management consultant.
