Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 as a division of Chess Records.Edwards, D & Callahan, M. The Chess Story, accessed September 12, 2012
Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Argo.Cohodas, Nadine (2000). Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records. New York: St. Martins.
Although Chess was a blues label, the Argo division began to record jazz in 1955 and over decades attracted some big names: Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris, Illinois Jacquet, Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, James Moody, Max Roach, Red Rodney, and Ira Sullivan.
Argo also recorded pop, blues, and calypso. Its first big hit was by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, whose song "Ain't Got No Home" came out in 1956. By 1960, rhythm and blues performers on the label included Etta James and the Dells.Edwards, D & Callahan, M. Argo Album Discography, Part 2 (1961–1965): Pop/Blues/Folk Series, accessed September 12, 2012
Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet Records when the company discovered that an Argo Records already existed in the UK.Brack R. Chess 'Withdraws' Argo Name, Billboard, October 9, 1965. pp. 8–10. As with its parent label and British Argo, the catalog is owned by Universal Music Group. Argo was one of several record labels to lose master recordings in the 2008 Universal fire.
Discography Jazz Series (1956–1965) Catalog number Title Artist LP-601 Melodies by Al Hibbler LP-602 Chamber Music of the New Jazz LP-603 Flute 'n the Blues LP-604 Lonely One Pinky Winters LP-605 Without Sauce 's Quartet LP-606 Doorway to Dixie , Miff Mole and Mike Simpson LP-607 Norman Simmons Trio LP-608 Zoot Quartet LP-609 Chicago Scene , Sandy Moose and Eddie Baker LP-610 Count 'Em 88 LP-611 Ramsey Lewis and his Gentle-men of Swing LP-612 Young John Young Trio LP-613 Moody's Mood for Love LP-614 Chubby's Back LP-615 Dick Lane Quartet Quartet LP-616 Chet Chats LP-617 Time on My Hands Seymour and His Heartbeat Trumpet LP-618 Many Moods Orchestra LP-619 My Memories Melavano and Orchestra LP-620 Out on a Limb with Clark Terry LP-621 MJT+3 MJT+3 LP-622 Jazz Exponents Jazz Exponents LP-623 MAX Quintet LP-624 Johnny Griffin Quartet LP-625 I'm Entitled to You!! LP-626 Cookin' LP-627 Ramsey Lewis and his Gentle-men of Jazz LP-628 At the Pershing: But Not for Me Trio LP-629 Sonny Stitt LP-630 The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode LP-631 Swinging the Loop LP-632 Theme for the Tall One Trio LP-633 This Is Me, J. C. Heard and Orchestra LP-634 Lateef at Cranbrook LP-635 2:38 A.M. Quartet and Friend LP-636 Ahmad Jamal Trio Volume IV Trio LP-637 Last Train from Overbrook LP-638 Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal Trio LP-639 Relaxin' with Sandy Mosse LP-640 Marian McPartland at the London House LP-641 Touff Assignment LP-642 Lem Winchester and the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Ramsey Lewis LP-643 Red Rodney Returns LP-644 Breakin' It Up Trio LP-645 An Hour with the Ramsey Lewis Trio Trio LP-646 Jamal at the Penthouse LP-647 [Unissued] LP-648 James Moody LP-649 Remember the Oldies Various Artists LP-650 Taylor Made Jazz LP-651 Holiday on the Riviera LP-652 Where There's Fire... There's Smokey Stover and his Original Firemen 's Original Firemen LP-653 The Last of the Big Plungers and The Basie Wing LP-654 Blue Lou Big Eight LP-655 A Night at the Vanguard Trio LP-656 Fanfare of Hits Various Artists LP-657 Jazz Trio LP-658 Richard's Alamac Trio LP-659 The Legend of Bix Metropolitan Jazz Octet LP-660 Mighty High LP-661 Burnin' LP-662 Happy Moods Trio LP-663 Early in the Morning with the Ramsey Lewis Trio LP-664 Meet the Jazztet and Benny Golson LP-665 Stretching Out Trio LP-666 Hey! It's James Moody LP-667 Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing, Volume 2 LP-668 The Music of Quincy Jones , Joe Harris, Åke Persson and the Quincetet LP-669 Introducing Roland Kirk and Ira Sullivan LP-670 Please Mr. Organ Player LP-671 The Ramsey Lewis Trio in Chicago Trio LP-672 Big City Sounds and Benny Golson LP-673 Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet LP-674 Jubilee 's Original Firemen LP-675 Home Cookin''' | Trio |- | LP-676 | Playtime| and His Buddies |- | LP-677 | The Thinking Man's Trombone| |- | LP-678 | Art| |- | LP-679 | Moody with Strings| |- | LP-680 | More Music from the Soil| Trio |- | LP-681 | Take a Number from 1 to 10| |- | LP-682 | Sing No Sad Songs for Me| |- | LP-683 | Sonny Stitt at the D. J. Lounge| |- | LP-684 | The Jazztet and John Lewis| , Art Farmer and Benny Golson |- | LP-685 | Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra| |- | LP-686 | Never on Sunday| Trio |- | LP-687 | Sound of Christmas| Trio |- | LP-688 | The Jazztet at Birdhouse| and Benny Golson |- | LP-689 | The Al Grey - Billy Mitchell Sextet| and Billy Mitchell |- | LP-690 | Dorothy Ashby| |- | LP-691 | All of You| |- | LP-692 | Themes and Things| Trio |- | LP-693 | The Sound of Spring| Trio |- | LP-694 | Deep Roots| |- | LP-695 | Another Bag| |- | LP-696 | Look Out! Look Out!| |- | LP-697 | Dig Him!| and Sonny Stitt |- | LP-698 | Just Jug| |- | LP-699 | Just for Kicks| and Company |- | LP-700 | Snap Your Fingers| and Billy Mitchell |- | LP-701 | Country Meets the Blues| Trio |- | LP-702 | Midnight Mood| |- | LP-703 | Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk| Trio |- | LP-704 | Soul Cookin'| and Bill Leslie |- | LP-705 | Bossa Nova| Trio |- | LP-706 | Blues on the Other Side| Quartet |- | LP-707 | Breakthrough| Quintet |- | LP-708 | Trumpet Caliente| |- | LP-709 | Rearin' Back| |- | LP-710 | Diggin' the Chicks| |- | LP-711 | Night Song| and Billy Mitchell |- | LP-712 | Macanudo| |- | LP-713 | A Touch of Pepper| |- | LP-714 | Soul Merchant| |- | LP-715 | Pot Luck| Trio |- | LP-716 | Free| Quartet |- | LP-717 | Basie Is Our Boss| |- | LP-718 | Having a Ball| |- | LP-719 | Poinciana| |- | LP-720 | For Swingers Only| |- | LP-721 | French Cookin'| |- | LP-722 | The Message| with Kenny Burrell |- | LP-723 | Barefoot Sunday Blues| Trio |- | LP-724 | Signifyin'| |- | LP-725 | Great Day| |- | LP-726 | Debut in Blues| |- | LP-727 | Ready and Willing| |- | LP-728 | Here's Love| |- | LP-729 | World of Travel| |- | LP-730 | Move on Over| |- | LP-731 | Boss Bone| |- | LP-732 | Bach to the Blues| Trio |- | LP-733 | Naked City Theme| |- | LP-734 | Possum Head| |- | LP-735 | Desert Winds| |- | LP-736 | Ya! Ya!| |- | LP-737 | Fantabulous| and his Orchestra |- | LP-738 | Perception| |- | LP-739 | Mo' Rock| |- | LP-740 | Comin' on Strong| |- | LP-741 | The Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Bohemian Caverns| Trio |- | LP-742 | Summer Dawn| |- | LP-743 | Carnival Sketches| |- | LP-744 | My Main Man| with Bennie Green |- | LP-745 | More Sounds of Christmas| Trio |- | LP-746 | Bosses of the Ballad| |- | LP-747 | Cole Slaw| |- | LP-748 | Off the Wall| |- | LP-749 | Behind the 8 Ball| |- | LP-750 | You Better Believe Me| Trio with Jean DuShon |- | LP-751 | The Roar of the Greasepaint| |- | LP-752 | Cool| 's Piano |- | LP-753 | Testifyin' Time| |- | LP-754 | Spectrum| |- | LP-755 | Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio| Trio |- | LP-756 | Cookin' the Blues| |- | LP-757 | The In Crowd| Trio |- | LP-758 | Extensions| |- | LP-759 | Musty Rusty| |- |LP-1078 | At the Spotlite Club Vol. 1'' Trio
Pop/Blues/Folk Series (1961–1965)
Catalog number Title Artist LP-4000 The Eyes of Love Osborne Smith LP-4001 Johnny Hamlin Quintet Johnny Hamlin Quintet featuring Marci Miller LP-4002 Space Flight Sam Lazar LP-4003 At Last! Etta James LP-4004 Misty Night King Fleming Trio LP-4005 The Three Souls The Three Souls LP-4006 Morris Grants Presents JUNK Various Artists LP-4007 Drum Sum Buck Clarke Quintet LP-4008 Drums, Drollery And Drivel Professor Paradiddle LP-4009 You Always Hurt the One You Love Clarence Henry LP-4010 Brilliant! The Trumpet of Don Goldie Don Goldie LP-4011 The Second Time Around Etta James LP-4012 Dodo's Back! Dodo Marmarosa LP-4013 Etta James Etta James LP-4014 [Unissued] LP-4015 Playback Sam Lazar LP-4016 For the First Time Shelley Moore LP-4017 Brown Gal Bonnie Graham LP-4018 Etta James Sings for Lovers Etta James LP-4019 Stand By! King Fleming Trio LP-4020 House Warmin'! Howard McGhee and the Blazers LP-4021 The Buck Clarke Sound Buck Clarke LP-4022 Let Me In/Music, Music, Music The Sensations LP-4023 The Campus Singers at the Fickle Pickle The Campus Singers LP-4024 I'm on My Way Willie Wright LP-4025 Etta James Top Ten Etta James LP-4026 The Blues, Volume 1 Various Artists LP-4027 The Blues, Volume 2 Various Artists LP-4028 Cheer Up Me Lads The Outsiders LP-4029 Martin Yarbrough Showcase Martin Yarbrough LP-4030 Folk Swinger Dean DeWolf LP-4031 Folk Festival of the Blues Various Artists LP-4032 Etta James Rocks the House Etta James LP-4033 Road of Blue The Campus Singers LP-4034 The Blues, Volume 3 Various Artists LP-4035 High Tide: The Folk Songs of Dean DeWolf Dean DeWolf LP-4036 Dangerous Dan Express The Three Souls LP-4037 The Soul of Blues Harmonica Shakey Horton LP-4038 Composer's Choice Johnny Nash LP-4039 Make Way for Jean DuShon Jean DuShon LP-4040 The Queen of Soul Etta James LP-4041 Dick Williams Kids Sing for Big People (and Little People Too) Dick Williams LP-4042 The Blues, Volume 4 Various Artists LP-4043 Mixed Moods Martin Yarbrough LP-4044 Soul Sounds The Three Souls LP-4045 The Real George Kirby George Kirby LP-4047 Jammin' with the Windjammers The Windjammers
See also List of record labels
References
External links Argo discography