Contemporary Records

Contemporary Records
Parent company Concord Bicycle Music
Founded 1951 (1951)
Founder Lester Koenig
Defunct 1984 (1984)
Status Inactive
Genre Jazz
Country of origin U.S.
Official website concordmusicgroup.com

Contemporary Records was a jazz record company and label founded by Lester Koenig in Los Angeles in 1951. Contemporary produced music from a variety of jazz styles and players.[1]

West Coast players

Contemporary became identified with a style of jazz called West Coast jazz as exemplified by Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, and André Previn.[1]

In the mid 1960s the company fell into relative limbo, but limited new recordings were made in the late 1970s, including a series of albums by Art Pepper recorded at the Village Vanguard club in New York. After Les Koenig's death in 1977, the label was run for seven years by his son,[1] John, who produced albums by George Cables, Joe Farrell, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Peter Erskine, and Chico Freeman.

In 1984 Contemporary was purchased by Fantasy Records, which used the name for a short time. Most Contemporary titles were reissued by Fantasy. Also, some titles have found new life among today's audiophiles as high-quality LP remasters from Analogue Productions and other audiophile labels. The Fantasy catalog, including Contemporary and its associated labels, Good Time Jazz Records, Society for Forgotten Music, and Contemporary Composers Series, was sold to Concord Records in 2004.

Over the years, a number of major figures in the music business worked for Contemporary. Among them were Atlantic Records executive Nesuhi Ertegun, writers Nat Hentoff and Leonard Feather, producer Joe Boyd, recording engineer and studio designer Howard Holzer, and mastering engineer Bernie Grundman.

Recording

Koenig maintained high audio standards. He hired Roy DuNann from Capitol Records in 1956, who, out of the label's shipping room turned studio, turned out some of the best sounding records of the time. DuNann provided some details of his techniques in a Stereophile article nearly 50 years later. He said Koenig provided him with German (Neumann/Telefunken U-47) and Austrian (AKG C-12) condenser microphones and he immediately noted the very high output of these microphones, especially close-in on jazz musicians' dynamic playing. DuNann achieved his signature sound—crisp, clear and balanced without distortion or unpleasant "peak presence"—by keeping his microphone setups very simple (generally one per musician) and avoided the use of pre-amplifiers for them.

He built a simple passive mixing system that directly fed the electronics of his Ampex 350 and 351 tape machines. Also, DuNann told Stereophile that Contemporary sessions were recorded "dry" (without electronic echo added or in a reverberant room). Sometimes, such as in the case of Sonny Rollins' Way Out West, a plate reverb unit was inserted between the tape machine and the LP disc cutting lathe. This is why some later LP and CD reissues of Contemporary albums sound "dry" and "dead" compared to the original LPs mastered by DuNann.

Discography

Contemporary 3500/7500 series

The 3500 (mono)/7500 (stereo) series of 12 inch LP records commenced in 1955 and ran until 1961.[2] Contemporary was the first jazz label to record albums in stereo from 1956.[3]

Catalog Artist Album
3501 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Sunday Jazz a la Lighthouse, Vol. 1
3502 Hampton, LionelLionel Hampton He Swings the Most
3503 Niehaus, LennieLennie Niehaus The Octet #2
3504 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 6
3505 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Trio Hampton Hawes Trio
3506 Murphy, LyleLyle Murphy 12-Tone Compositions and Arrangements by Lyle Murphy
3507 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men The West Coast Sound
3508 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 3
3509 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars/Barney Kessel/Hampton Hawes Trio with Shelly Manne Lighthouse at Laguna
3510 Niehaus, LennieLennie Niehaus The Quintets & Strings
3511 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Easy Like
3512 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Kessel Plays Standards
3513 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel To Swing or Not to Swing
3514 Tatro, DuaneDuane Tatro Duane Tatro's Jazz for Moderns
3515 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Trio This Is Hampton Hawes
3516 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Swinging Sounds
3517 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars In the Solo Spotlight
3518 Niehaus, LennieLennie Niehaus The Quintets
3519 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men More Swinging Sounds
3520 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Oboe/Flute
3521 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By
3522 Collette, BuddyBuddy Collette Man of Many Parts
3523 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Trio Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes
3524 Niehaus, LennieLennie Niehaus The Sextet
3525 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne Shelly Manne & His Friends
3526 Counce, CurtisCurtis Counce The Curtis Counce Group
3527 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Friends My Fair Lady
3528 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Music for Lighthousekeeping
3529 Deuchar, JimmyJimmy Deuchar Pub Crawling with Jimmy Deuchar
3530 Rollins, SonnySonny Rollins Way Out West
3531 Collette, BuddyBuddy Collette Nice Day with Buddy Collette
3532 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
3533 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Friends Li'l Abner
3534 Norvo, RedRed Norvo Music to Listen to Red Norvo By
3535 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel, Shelly Manne and Ray Brown The Poll Winners
3536 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Concerto for Clarinet & Combo
3537 Previn, AndréAndré Previn & Russ Freeman Double Play!
3538 Mitchell, RedRed Mitchell Presenting Red Mitchell
3539 Counce, CurtisCurtis Counce You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce!
3540 Niehaus, LennieLennie Niehaus Zounds!
3541 Feldman, VictorVictor Feldman Suite Sixteen
3542 Vinnegar, LeroyLeroy Vinnegar Leroy Walks!
3543 Previn, AndréAndré Previn & His Pals Pal Joey
3544 Cooper, BobBob Cooper Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper
3545 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes All Night Session! Vol. 1
3546 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes All Night Session! Vol. 2
3547 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes All Night Session! Vol. 3
3548 Previn, AndréAndré Previn & His Pals Gigi
3549 Feldman, VictorVictor Feldman The Arrival of Victor Feldman
3550 Land, HaroldHarold Land Harold in the Land of Jazz
3551 Coleman, OrnetteOrnette Coleman Something Else!!!!
3552 Golson, BennyBenny Golson Benny Golson's New York Scene
3553 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Four!
3554 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer Portrait of Art Farmer
3555 Carter, BennyBenny Carter Jazz Giant
3556 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel, Shelley Manne & Ray Brown The Poll Winners Ride Again!
3557 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men The Gambit
3558 Previn, AndréAndré Previn André Previn Plays Songs by Vernon Duke
3559 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Friends Bells Are Ringing
3560 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn
3561 Carter, BennyBenny Carter Quartet Swingin' the '20s
3562 Taylor, CecilCecil Taylor Looking Ahead!
3563 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Carmen
3564 Rollins, SonnySonny Rollins Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders
3565 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Some Like It Hot
3566 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Son of Gunn!!
3567 Previn, AndréAndré Previn André Previn Plays Songs by Jerome Kern
3568 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics
3569 Coleman, OrnetteOrnette Coleman Tomorrow Is the Question!
3570 Previn, AndréAndré Previn Jazz Trio King Size!
3571 Humes, HelenHelen Humes 'Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do
3572 Previn, AndréAndré Previn & His Pals West Side Story
3573 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Gettin' Together
3574 Counce, CurtisCurtis Counce Group Carl's Blues
3575 Previn, AndréAndré Previn Like Previn!
3576 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel, Shelly Manne & Ray Brown Poll Winners Three!
3577 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men At the Black Hawk 1
3578 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men At the Black Hawk 2
3579 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men At the Black Hawk 3
3580 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men At the Black Hawk 4
3581 Poll Winners, TheThe Poll Winners Exploring the Scene!
3582 Humes, HelenHelen Humes Songs I Like to Sing!
3583 Edwards, TeddyTeddy Edwards Teddy's Ready!
3584 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne The Three and the Two
3585 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Workin' Out! with the Barney Kessel Quartet
3586 Previn, AndréAndré Previn André Previn Plays Songs by Harold Arlen
3587 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men The Proper Time
3588 Edwards, TeddyTeddy Edwards and Howard McGhee Together Again!!!!
3589 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes For Real!
3590 Price, RuthRuth Price Ruth Price with Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole
3591 Smith, BillBill Smith Folk Jazz
3592 Edwards, TeddyTeddy Edwards Good Gravy!
3593/4 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Live! Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole
3595 Wiggins, GerryGerry Wiggins Relax and Enjoy It!
3596 McGhee, HowardHoward McGhee Maggie's Back in Town!!
3597 Gordon, JoeJoe Gordon Lookin' Good!
3598 Humes, HelenHelen Humes Swingin' with Humes
3599 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne & His Men Shelly Manne & His Men Play Checkmate

Contemporary 3600/7600 series

The 3600 (mono)/7600 (stereo) series of 12 inch LP records commenced in 1962 and ran until around the early 1980s.[4] After 3624 all releases were stereo only.[5]

Catalog Artist Album
3600 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. A World of Piano!
3601 Stewart, HelyneHelyne Stewart Love Moods
3602 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Smack Up
3603 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Let's Cook!
3604 Bryan, JoyJoy Bryan Make the Man Love Me
3605 Woods, JimmyJimmy Woods Awakening!!
3606 Edwards, TeddyTeddy Edwards Heart & Soul
3607 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Intensity
3608 Vinnegar, LeroyLeroy Vinnegar Leroy Walks Again!!
3609 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne My Son the Jazz Drummer!
3610 Lasha, PrincePrince Lasha Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons The Cry!
3611 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr.
3612 Woods, JimmyJimmy Woods Conflict
3613 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party
3614 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes The Green Leaves of Summer
3615 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. The Newborn Touch
3616 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Here and Now
3617 Lasha, PrincePrince Lasha and Sonny Simmons Firebirds
3618 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Feeling Free
3619 Land, HaroldHarold Land The Fox
3620 Hope, ElmoElmo Hope Elmo Hope Trio
3621 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes The Seance
7622 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. Please Send Me Someone to Love
3623 Simmons, SonnySonny Simmons Rumasuma
3624 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne Outside
7625/6 Simmons, SonnySonny Simmons Burning Spirits
7627/8 Shaw, WoodyWoody Shaw Blackstone Legacy
7629 Manne, ShellyShelly Manne Alive in London
7630 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper The Way It Was!
7631 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes I'm All Smiles
7632 Shaw, WoodyWoody Shaw Song of Songs
7633 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Living Legend
7634 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. Harlem Blues
7635 Poll Winners, TheThe Poll Winners Straight Ahead
7636 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer On the Road
7637 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Hampton Hawes at the Piano
7638 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper The Trip
7639 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper No Limit
7640 Freeman, ChicoChico Freeman Beyond the Rain
7641 Brown, RayRay Brown Something for Lester
7642 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard
7643 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Friday Night at the Village Vanguard
7644 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard
7645 Davis, MilesMiles Davis and The Lighthouse All-Stars At Last!
7646 Webster, BenBen Webster Ben Webster at the Renaissance
7647 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Dream Band
7648 Newborn, Jr., PhineasPhineas Newborn, Jr. Back Home
7649 Baker, ChetChet Baker and The Lighthouse All-Stars Witch Doctor
7650 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper More for Les at the Village Vanguard
7651 Rollins, SonnySonny Rollins Contemporary Alternate Takes
7652 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Dream Band The Sundown Sessions
7653 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes The Sermon
7654 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Dream Band Flying Home
7655 Counce, CurtisCurtis Counce Sonority
7656 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Dream Band Main Stem
7657 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs The Big Cat
7658 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Dream Band One More Time

14000 series

The 14000 series began in 1980 with 12 inch LP records and in 1982 commenced releases on compact disc.[6] After 1992 all releases were CD only.[5]

Catalog Artist Album
14001 Cables, GeorgeGeorge Cables Cables' Vision
14002 Farrell, JoeJoe Farrell Sonic Text
14003 Garson, MikeMike Garson Avant Garson
14004 Montoliu, TeteTete Montoliu Lunch in L.A.
14005 Freeman, ChicoChico Freeman Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit
14006 Henderson, JoeJoe Henderson Relaxin' at Camarillo
14007 Hoggard, JayJay Hoggard Rain Forest
14008 Freeman, ChicoChico Freeman Destiny's Dance
14009 Hutcherson, BobbyBobby Hutcherson Solo / Quartet
14010 Erskine, PeterPeter Erskine Peter Erskine
14011 Perkins, BillBill Perkins Journey to the East
14012 Shank, BudBud Shank California Concert
14013 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan Easy Living
14014 Cables, GeorgeGeorge Cables Phantom of the City
14015 Cables, GeorgeGeorge Cables Circle
14016 Rowles, JimmyJimmy Rowles and Red Mitchell Jimmy Rowles with the Red Mitchell Trio
14017 Cooper, BobBob Cooper and Snooky Young In a Mellotone
14018 Manne, ShelleyShelley Manne In Zurich
14019 Shank, BudBud Shank That Old Feeling
14020 Jazztet, TheThe Jazztet Back to the City
14021 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan Lament
14022 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs The Latin Connection
14023 Connor, ChrisChris Connor Classic
14024 Higgins, BillyBilly Higgins Bridgework
14025 Breakstone, JoshuaJoshua Breakstone Echoes
14026 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan Bebop Lives
14027 Shank, BudBud Shank Bud Shank Quartet at Jazz Alley
14028 Hughes, LutherLuther Hughes Luther Hughes and Cahoots
14029 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
14030 Cables, GeorgeGeorge Cables By George
14031 Shank, BudBud Shank Serious Swingers
14032 Rowles, JimmyJimmy Rowles I'm Glad There Is You
14033 Kessel, BarneyBarney Kessel Spontaneous Combustion
14034 Jazztet, TheThe Jazztet Real Time
14035 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan & George Cables Double Image
14036 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco Chicago Fire
14037 Harrell, TomTom Harrell and George Robert Sun Dance
14038 Connor, ChrisChris ConnorConnor, Chris New Again
14039 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan and the McCoy Tyner Trio Major Changes
14040 Breakstone, JoshuaJoshua Breakstone Evening Star
14041 Campbell, KerryKerry Campbell Phoenix Rising
14042 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer Blame It On My Youth
14043 Harrell, TomTom Harrell Stories
14044 Kessell, BarneyBarney Kessell Red Hot & Blue
14045 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan Yardbird Suite
14046 Jackie and Roy Full Circle
14047 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco Holiday for Swing
14048 Shank, BudBud Shank Tomorrow's Rainbow
14049 Sloane, CarolCarol Sloane Love You Madly
14050 Breakstone, JoshuaJoshua Breakstone Self-Portrait in Swing
14051 Rumsey, Howard Jazz Invention
14052 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan Reflections
14053 Campbell, JohnJohn Campbell After Hours
14054 Harrell, TomTom Harrell Sail Away
14055 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer Ph.D.
14056 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco Air Mail Special
14057 Farmer, ArtArt Farmer & Frank Morgan Central Avenue Reunion
14058 Burrell, KennyKenny Burrell Guiding Spirit
14059 Harrell, TomTom Harrell Form
14060 Sloane, CarolCarol SloaneSloane, Carol The Real Thing
14061 Campbell, JohnJohn Campbell Turning Point
14062 Breakstone, JoshuaJoshua Breakstone 9 by 3
14063 Harrell, TomTom Harrell Visions
14064 Morgan, FrankFrank Morgan and Bud Shank Quiet Fire
14065 Burrell, KennyKenny Burrell Sunup to Sundown
14066 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Memories of You
14067 Gibbs, TerryTerry Gibbs Kings of Swing
14068 Vinnegar, LeroyLeroy Vinnegar Walking the Basses
14069 Romero, CeledonioCeledonio Romero and Celin Romero Spanish Guitar Music
14070 Romero, PepePepe Romero ¡Flamenco Fenomeno!
14071 Humes, HelenHelen Humes 'Deed I Do
14072 Hawes, HamptonHampton Hawes Something Special
14073 Freeman, ChicoChico Freeman Focus
14074 Edwards, TeddyTeddy Edwards Back To Avalon
14075 Mustafa, MeltonMelton Mustafa Boiling Point
14076 Orta, MichaelMichael Orta Freedom Tower
14077 Rumsey, HowardHoward Rumsey Mexican Passport
14078 Myers, TerryTerry Myers Soul Mates
14079 Ross, BillyBilly Ross Woody
14080 Allison, EricEric Allison Mean Streets Beat
14081 Points, DennisDennis Points Images
14082 Jones, JesseJesse Jones Soul Serenade
14083 Marcus, BillyBilly Marcus Hamp
14084 Morgan, LannyLanny Morgan Pacific Standard
14085 Mustafa, MeltonMelton Mustafa St. Louis Blues
14086 Pepper, ArtArt Pepper San Francisco Samba
14087 Ranier, TomTom Ranier In the Still of the Night
14088 Allison, EricEric Allison After Hours

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gardner, Mark (2002). Barry Kernfeld, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 506. ISBN 1561592846.
  2. ↑ Contemporary Records Catalog: 3500/7500 series, accessed May 6, 2015
  3. ↑ Concord Music Group website, accessed May 7, 2015
  4. ↑ Contemporary Records Catalog: 3600/7600 series, accessed May 7, 2015
  5. 1 2 Callahan, M. Contemporary Label Discography, Both Sides Now website, accessed May 7, 2015
  6. ↑ Contemporary Records Catalog: 14000 series, accessed May 7, 2015

External links

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