Ace Recording Co. (Mt. Vernon)

The above photo (found in a antique store) appears to show Joseph Biagi, owner and manager of the Ace Recording Co. in Mount Vernon, Illinois, showing off some of his equipment sometime in the 1950s.

The signs in the photo read "Register Here For A Free Recording" and"Hear Yourself As Others Hear You."

The Ace Recording Co. opened its doors sometime in the late 1940s.  The Mother's Day ad seen here is from 1949.

In addition to owning and operating the Ace studio, Mr. Biagi was an art instructor at the Mount Vernon high school.    

The Ace Recording Co. was listed in the directory of Record Labels and Their Manufactures published in the March 15, 1952 issue of Billboard magazine.  At the time, it was just one of five labels and/or recording studios with Illinois addresses outside of the Chicago area listed in the directory.

It is unclear how many, if any, musical groups recorded at Ace.  Most of the advertisements in the local newspaper were about rentals, repairs and the sale of home audio equipment such as the Dejur dictating / transcribing machine.  

The 1950 announcement seen here mentions Mr. Biagi's objective of making Mt. Vernon the "audio visual headquarters of Southern Illinois."

WESN Show #53 - June 24, 2021

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
Lloyd Benton & The Country Four	Yodeling For Fun	Mootrey's Studio	1972	Ashton / Franklin Grove
Wiley Moore	Cornbread & Butter Beans	Cornbelt	1964	Decatur
Bill Chambers & The Hillsiders	She's Treatin' Me Bad	Sun-Nel	1958	East St. Louis
Illinois Play Boys (vocal by Joe Durbin)	Top Of The World	Bonny	1971	Princeton
The Travelers	Keep Your Money (And Save Your Breath)	Midwest	1964	Champaign-Urbana
Mississippi Wunder Boy	Nashville Dream	Bonny	1971	LaSalle Co
Gene Pierson	Engineer Mountain	Nashville	1963	Springfield
Don Killion	Black Land Dust	Bonny	1972	Oglesby
Wayne Barnhill & The Rhythm Aces	Sing The Blues To Daddy	Illini	1974	Bloomington-Normal
Frank Durbin	A Drink Of Courage	Merryman	1969	Kappa
Lyle Grobe & The Rhythm Ramblers	Morning Dew	Midwest	1978	Dixon
Carl Trantham With The Rhythm All Stars	Our True Love	Starday	1958	Peoria
J.J. Dickens & The Barrier Breakers	I Want The Whole World To Love You	Mountain	1970	LaSalle-Peru
Junior Garner	Go On And Live With The Devil	Nashville	1963	Decatur
Jim Durdel	Bright Lights Uptown	Nashville	1962	Arthur
Steve Bounds & Ronald Brading	18 Wheels (Drive The Blues Away)	Farmer City Music Hall	1978	Farmer City / Bloomington
Terry Petersen	Love Ain't Worth A Dime Unless It's Free	Illini	1974	Chenoa
Marvin Lee	No One To Blame	Midwest	1964	Champaign-Urbana
Lucky Leroy and the Rhythm Ramblers	Now Get Goin'	Go-Lish	1955	Harrisburg
Earl Palmer & Ronnie Layne	Lonesome For Me	Globe	?	Lexington

WESN Show #52 - June 17, 2021

ARTIST	TRACK	LABEL	YEAR	TOWN / CITY
The Gardenias	My Baby's Tops	Federal	1956	Alton
Al Sears and His Rock 'n' Rollers	Goin' Uptown	Herald	1955	Macomb
Count Demon	Take It Upstairs Pt. 1	Po' Boy's	1962	Champaign
Jimmy Binkley and His Combo	Wine, Wine, Wine	Checker	1954	Peoria
Billy Gayles w/ Ike Turner's Rhythm Rockers	I'm Tore Up	Federal	1956	Cairo / East St. Louis
Jimmy Bell's Trio	Jimmys Swing Boogie	Aristocrat	1949	Peoria
Preston Jackson and The Rhythm Aces	Three Quarter Stomp Pts. 1&2	Hit	1963	Decatur
Johnny Wright	Gotta Have You For Myself	Stevens	1959	Madison
Byron Gipson	Etta Mae	Specialty	1956	Peoria
Eddie Snow	Ain't That Right	Sun	1955	Springfield
Albert King	Let's Have A Natural Ball!	Bobbin	1960	Brooklyn
Jimmy Binkley and His Combo	You Made A Boo Boo	Checker	1956	Peoria
Preston Jackson and The Rhythm Aces	Joni	Vee Jay	1961	Decatur
Byron Gipson	The One I Love	Specialty	1956	Peoria
Count Demon	I Don't Believe	Po' Boy's	1962	Champaign
Eddie Snow	Bring Your Love Back Home	Sun	1955	Springfield
Little Cooper and the Drifters	Moving Slow	Stevens	1959	East St. Louis
Birdlegs & Pauline	In So Many Ways	Cuca	1963	Rockford
Jmmie Bell Trio	Stranger In Your Town	Premium	1951	Peoria

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