Contemporary Records
Contemporary Records, founded 1951: jazz artists and albums on the label.
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.
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Artists on Contemporary Records
Sonny Rollins
1930–2026 · American jazz saxophonist and composer (1930–2026)
André Previn
1929–2019 · German-American conductor, pianist, and composer (1929–2019)
Art Farmer
1928–1999 · American jazz trumpeter (1928–1999)
Barney Kessel
1923–2004 · American jazz guitarist (1923–2004)
Art Pepper
1925–1982 · American saxophonist (1925–1982)
Tom Harrell
b. 1946 · American composer, arranger, jazz trumpeter and…
Chris Connor
1927–2009 · American jazz singer (1927–2009)
Peter Erskine
b. 1954 · American musician
Hampton Hawes
1928–1977 · American jazz pianist (1928–1977)
Shelly Manne
1920–1984 · American jazz drummer (1920–1984)
Billy Higgins
1936–2001 · American jazz drummer (1936–2001)
Victor Feldman
1934–1987 · English recording artist; jazz musician, vibraphonist…
George Cables
b. 1944 · American jazz pianist
Harold Land
1928–2001 · American musician (1928–2001)
Lennie Niehaus
1929–2020 · American saxophonist and composer (1929–2020)
Teddy Edwards
1924–2003 · American jazz tenor saxophonist
Terry Gibbs
b. 1924 · American vibraphonist
Sonny Simmons
1933–2021 · American saxophonist (1933-2021)
Carol Sloane
1937–2023 · American singer (1937–2023)
Helen Humes
1913–1981 · American jazz and blues singer (1913–1981)
Buddy Collette
1921–2010 · American jazz musician (1921–2010)
Frank Morgan
1933–2007 · American jazz saxophonist (1933–2007)
Jimmy Rowles
1918–1996 · (1918–1996) American jazz pianist
Prince Lasha
1929–2008 · American jazz musician (1929–2008)
Leroy Vinnegar
1928–1999 · American jazz bassist (1928–1999)
Joe Gordon
1928–1963 · American trumpeter (1928-1963)
Bill Perkins
1924–2003 · American jazz musician (1924–2003)
Curtis Counce
1926–1963 · American musician (1926–1963)
Label profile
US label, also appears as "Contemporary" only.
Label Code: LC 0164 / LC 00164
In 1951, two years after establishing his label as an outlet for traditional jazz, Lester Koenig founded Contemporary Records originally intending to concentrate on issuing contemporary classical music, but jazz bassist , who operated the Lighthouse Club (with partners), persuaded Koenig to release the first of their All-Stars recordings as an album thus switching Koenig's label towards modern jazz. The Los Angeles-based company quickly set industry standards with its superb audio (in the first decade often by or ), quiet pressings, striking album graphics, and informative liner notes and, in 1956, was early in the switch to recording jazz in stereo.
Contemporary Records not only captured much of the Southern California jazz scene, including such musicians as , , , and , but also cut two albums by East Coast tenorist and launched the recording career of .
In 1984, seven years after Lester Koenig died, Contemporary was acquired by , which signed such artists as , , , , , , and led by and .
In UK, the label's albums were issued on [ in 1950s.
Profile from Discogs (CC0)