Storyville, the infamous legal red-light district that operated in New Orleans from 1898 until WWI, is the source of many legends that have gone unexplored, as few have endeavored to tell its story. In it’s heyday, 2000 prostitutes were employed on 16 square blocks in the center of the business district. A singularity in American history, the district's prostitutes who worked there as well as turn-of-the-century erotica, both of which helped to illuminate the mood of the time. The genesis of jazz in New Orleans had its development here. Many would prefer to forget STORYVILLE which brilliantly illuminates one of the most hedonistic and extravagant places in American history

Karl Emil Knudsen, named his label Storyville, after the infamous district where jazz was born over 100 years ago. Knudsen’s career spans over fifty years working with some of the greatest jazz and blues artists of all time. The aim of the label and its founder has always been to show the diversity of jazz & blues in Denmark, Europe and the world. Because of Knudsen’s great interest in jazz history, his other company JAZZMEDIA has published several books since 1962, such as the discography JAZZ RECORDS which documents all the jazz records produced from 1942 to 1969 . This 11-volume work has for many years been the leading disco graphical work concerning this period.

Along with the record business Storyville also bought rights to numerous jazz films from such companies as Official Films (the Soundies) and Pathe Pictures (the Snader Telescriptions)
The company also started licensing film clips to other film makers and television stations, and a series of jazz home videos ,as part of the Storyville catalog, were created for the growing video market.

Storyville is the oldest independent European jazz label and sometimes called the “Blue Note” of Europe.