Producers definitely had a role in the history of jazz--in the early days, Guys like Eddie Condon and Norman Granz did everything you describe--arrange recordin

Producers definitely had a role in the history of jazz--in the early days, Guys like Eddie Condon and Norman Granz did everything you describe--arrange recording dates, including hiring musicians to play, and so on. Nesuhi Ertegun had this role at Atlantic Records for many years and shaped the label's jazz program.