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.
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.
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, 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 Lester Koenig was very particular about high-fidelity sounds. In 1956 Koenig hired away Roy DuNann from Capitol Records, and DuNann provided some creative recording techniques for the label. 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. Contemporary was the first jazz label to record albums in stereo from 1956. Catalog Artist Album3501 's Lighthouse All-Stars Sunday Jazz a la Lighthouse, Vol. 13502He Swings the Most3503Vol 3: The Octet #23504's Lighthouse All-StarsHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 63505 TrioHampton Hawes Trio350612-Tone Compositions and Arrangements by Lyle Murphy3507 & His MenThe West Coast Sound3508's Lighthouse All-StarsHoward Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 33509's Lighthouse All-Stars/Barney Kessel/Hampton Hawes Trio with Shelly ManneLighthouse at Laguna3510Vol 4: The Quintets & Strings3511Easy Like3512Kessel Plays Standards3513To Swing or Not to Swing3514Duane Tatro's Jazz for Moderns3515 TrioThis Is Hampton Hawes3516 & His MenSwinging Sounds3517's Lighthouse All-StarsIn the Solo Spotlight3518Volume 1: The Quintets3519 & His MenMore Swinging Sounds3520's Lighthouse All-StarsOboe/Flute3521Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By3522Man of Many Parts3523 TrioEverybody Likes Hampton Hawes3524Vol 5: The Sextet3525Shelly Manne & His Friends3526The Curtis Counce Group3527 & His FriendsMy Fair Lady3528's Lighthouse All-StarsMusic for Lighthousekeeping3529Pub Crawling with Jimmy Deuchar3530Way Out West3531Nice Day with Buddy Collette3532Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section3533 & His FriendsLi'l Abner3534Music to Listen to Red Norvo By3535, Shelly Manne and Ray BrownThe Poll Winners3536 & His MenConcerto for Clarinet & Combo3537 & Russ FreemanDouble Play!3538Presenting Red Mitchell3539You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce!3540Zounds!3541Suite Sixteen3542Leroy Walks!3543 & His PalsPal Joey3544Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper3545All Night Session! Vol. 13546All Night Session! Vol. 23547All Night Session! Vol. 33548 & His PalsGigi3549The Arrival of Victor Feldman3550Harold in the Land of Jazz3551Something Else!!!!3552Benny Golson's New York Scene3553Four!3554Portrait of Art Farmer3555Jazz Giant3556, Shelley Manne & Ray BrownThe Poll Winners Ride Again!3557 & His MenThe Gambit3558André Previn Plays Songs by Vernon Duke3559 & His FriendsBells Are Ringing3560 & His MenShelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn3561 QuartetSwingin' the '20s3562Looking Ahead!3563Carmen3564Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders3565Some Like It Hot3566 & His MenSon of Gunn!!3567André Previn Plays Songs by Jerome Kern3568Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics3569Tomorrow Is the Question!3570 Jazz TrioKing Size!3571'Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do3572 & His PalsWest Side Story3573Gettin' Together3574 GroupCarl's Blues3575Like Previn!3576, Shelly Manne & Ray BrownPoll Winners Three!3577 & His MenAt the Black Hawk 13578 & His MenAt the Black Hawk 23579 & His MenAt the Black Hawk 33580 & His MenAt the Black Hawk 43581Exploring the Scene!3582Songs I Like to Sing!3583Teddy's Ready!3584The Three & The Two3585Workin' Out! with the Barney Kessel Quartet3586André Previn Plays Songs by Harold Arlen3587 & His MenThe Proper Time3588 and Howard McGheeTogether Again!!!!3589For Real!3590Ruth Price with Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole3591Folk Jazz3592Good Gravy!3593/4 & His MenLive! Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole3595Relax and Enjoy It!3596Maggie's Back in Town!!3597Lookin' Good!3598Swingin' with Humes3599 & His MenShelly Manne & His Men Play Checkmate
Contemporary Popular 5000/9000 series The 5000 (mono)/9000 (stereo) series of 12 inch LP records commenced in 1956 and ran until 1962.Contemporary Records Catalog: 3600/7600, 5000, 6000 series - album index, January 5, 2017Contemporary Label Discography, accessed January 5, 2017 Catalog Artist Album5001 Dig Mel Henke5002 Claire Austin Sings "When Your Lover Has Gone"5003 Now Spin This!5004 !Flamenco Fenomeno!5005Latinsville!5006 and Jack MarshallSounds Unheard Of!
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.Contemporary Records Catalog: 3600/7600 series, accessed May 7, 2015 After 3624 all releases were stereo only.Callahan, M. Contemporary Label Discography, Both Sides Now website, accessed May 7, 2015 Catalog Artist Album3600A World of Piano!3601Love Moods3602Smack Up3603Let's Cook!3604Make the Man Love Me3605Awakening!!3606Heart & Soul3607Intensity3608Leroy Walks Again!!3609My Son the Jazz Drummer!3610 Quintet featuring Sonny SimmonsThe Cry!3611The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr.3612Conflict3613Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party3614The Green Leaves of Summer3615The Newborn Touch3616Here and Now3617 and Sonny SimmonsFirebirds3618Feeling Free3619The Fox3620 Elmo Hope Trio3621The Seance7622Please Send Me Someone to Love3623Rumasuma3624Outside7625/6Burning Spirits7627/8Blackstone Legacy7629Alive in London7630The Way It Was!7631I'm All Smiles7632Song of Songs7633Living Legend7634Harlem Blues7635Straight Ahead7636On the Road7637Hampton Hawes at the Piano7638The Trip7639No Limit7640Beyond the Rain7641Something for Lester7642Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard7643Friday Night at the Village Vanguard7644Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard7645 and The Lighthouse All-StarsAt Last!7646Ben Webster at the Renaissance7647Dream Band7648Back Home7649 and The Lighthouse All-StarsWitch Doctor7650More for Les at the Village Vanguard7651Contemporary Alternate Takes7652 Dream BandThe Sundown Sessions7653The Sermon7654 Dream BandFlying Home7655Sonority7656 Dream BandMain Stem7657The Big Cat7658 Dream BandOne More Time
14000 series The 14000 series began in 1980 with 12 inch LP records and in 1982 commenced releases on compact disc.Contemporary Records Catalog: 14000 series, accessed May 7, 2015 After 1992 all releases were CD only. Catalog Artist Album 14001 Cables' Vision 14002 Sonic Text 14003 Avant Garson 14004 Lunch in L.A. 14005 Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit 14006 Relaxin' at Camarillo 14007 Rain Forest 14008 Destiny's Dance 14009 Solo / Quartet 14010 Peter Erskine 14011 Journey to the East 14012 California Concert 14013 Easy Living 14014 Phantom of the City 14015 Circle 14016 and Red Mitchell Jimmy Rowles with the Red Mitchell Trio 14017 and Snooky Young In a Mellotone 14018 In Zurich 14019 That Old Feeling 14020 Back to the City 14021 Lament 14022 The Latin Connection 14023 Classic 14024 Bridgework 14025 Quintet Echoes 14026 Quintet Bebop Lives! 14027 Bud Shank Quartet at Jazz Alley 14028 Luther Hughes and Cahoots 14029 Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn 14030 By George 14031 Serious Swingers 14032 I'm Glad There Is You 14033 Spontaneous Combustion 14034 Real Time 14035 & George Cables Double Image 14036 and Buddy DeFranco Chicago Fire 14037 and George Robert Sun Dance 14038 New Again 14039 and the McCoy Tyner Trio Major Changes 14040 Evening Star 14041 Phoenix Rising 14042 Blame It On My Youth 14043 Stories 14044 Red Hot & Blue 14045 Quartet Yardbird Suite 14046Jackie and RoyFull Circle 14047 and Buddy DeFranco Holiday for Swing 14048 Tomorrow's Rainbow 14049 Love You Madly 14050 Quartet Self-Portrait in Swing 14051 Rumsey, Howard Jazz Invention 14052 Allstars Reflections 14053 After Hours 14054 Sail Away 14055 Ph.D. 14056 and Buddy DeFranco Air Mail Special 14057 and Frank Morgan Central Avenue Reunion 14058 Guiding Spirit 14059 Form 14060 The Real Thing 14061 Turning Point 14062 Trio 9 by 3 14063 Visions 14064 and Bud Shank Quiet Fire 14065 Sunup to Sundown 14066 Memories of You 14067 Kings of Swing 14068 Walking the Basses 14069 and Celin Romero Spanish Guitar Music 14070 ¡Flamenco Fenomeno! 14071 'Deed I Do 14072 Something Special 14073 Focus 14074 Back to Avalon 14075 Boiling Point 14076 Freedom Tower 14077 Mexican Passport 14078 Soul Mates 14079 Woody 14080 Mean Streets Beat 14081 Images 14082 Soul Serenade 14083 Hamp 14084 Pacific Standard 14085 St. Louis Blues 14086 San Francisco Samba 14087 In the Still of the Night 14088 After Hours
See also Cool jazz Modal jazz Bebop List of record labels
References
External links Conrad, Thomas. "The Search for Roy DuNann" (April 2002; Stereophile Web site) Contemporary Records Listing Lester Koenig, Contemporary Records, Shelly Manne, AKG