[2] Among the first artists to record for the company were the Al Sims Trio, an uptown blues group, and a combo led by tenor saxophonist John "Schoolboy" Porter, who had developed a vigorous R&B style in the Cootie Williams band.
[3] In 1951, however, the company ran into big trouble with the American Federation of Musicians on account of employing non-Union personnel on one of Schoolboy Porter's sessions.
The company actually lost its license to record with Union musicians for one year,[4] although Sheridan was able to work in a few sessions by gospel groups, which in those days were almost entirely non-Union.
[5] Chance quickly recovered when the ban ended in May 1952, and Sheridan moved both the record company and his distribution operation to 1151 East 47th Street.
In the fall, bassist Al Smith took over as leader of a house band that featured tenor saxophonist Red Holloway, guitarist Lefty Bates, and drummer Vernel Fournier; among the first singers they backed was Bobby Prince.
[2] The established R&B combo led by Tommy Dean made a session, as did the jazz groups of pianist Jimmy Binkley and trumpeter Conte Candoli.
In the summer, Sheridan opened a new subsidiary called Sabre at 1225 East 47th Street to handle some of his expanding catalog.
[2] In June 1953, Sheridan lent a hand to an emerging outfit from Gary, Indiana called Vee-Jay, which needed marketing and distribution help on its first releases by bluesman Jimmy Reed and the vocal group The Spaniels.
[3] Quite a few Chance and Sabre artists, ranging from the Famous Boyer Brothers to Tommy Dean to King Kolax to the Five Echoes, resurfaced at Vee-Jay.