It was founded by Nesuhi Ertegun to record a band that was assembled to perform on CBS Radio's 1944 variety series The Orson Welles Almanac.
Only eight discs were released on the Crescent label, all of them made by the group Ertegun renamed Kid Ory's Creole Jazz Band.
[2]: 133–134 The All Star Jazz Group was founded in February 1944[3]: 243 by Marili Morden at the request of Orson Welles.
Within minutes Morden assembled Mutt Carey (trumpet), Ed Garland (bass), Kid Ory (trombone), Bud Scott (guitar), Zutty Singleton (drums), Buster Wilson (piano), and Jimmie Noone (clarinet, replaced by Barney Bigard after Noone's death).
[4] Their performances on the Welles show were so popular that the band became a regular feature, launched Ory's comeback, and was an important force in reviving interest in New Orleans jazz.