Contemporary Records

• Name — Contemporary Records • Parent — Concord Bicycle Music • Founded — 1951 • Founder — Lester Koenig • Defunct — 1984 • Status — Inactive • Genre — Jazz, West Coast jazz • Country — U.S.

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.

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 — Album • 3501 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — Sunday Jazz a la Lighthouse, Vol. 1 • 3502 — Lionel — He Swings the Most • 3503 — Lennie — Vol 3: The Octet # 2 • 3504 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 6 • 3505 — Hampton Trio — Hampton Hawes Trio • 3506 — Lyle — 12-Tone Compositions and Arrangements by Lyle Murphy • 3507 — Shelly & His Men — The West Coast Sound • 3508 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars Vol. 3 • 3509 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars/Barney Kessel/Hampton Hawes Trio with Shelly Manne — Lighthouse at Laguna • 3510 — Lennie — Vol 4: The Quintets & Strings • 3511 — Barney — Easy Like • 3512 — Barney — Kessel Plays Standards • 3513 — Barney — To Swing or Not to Swing • 3514 — Duane — Duane Tatro's Jazz for Moderns • 3515 — Hampton Trio — This Is Hampton Hawes • 3516 — Shelly & His Men — Swinging Sounds • 3517 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — In the Solo Spotlight • 3518 — Lennie — Volume 1: The Quintets • 3519 — Shelly & His Men — More Swinging Sounds • 3520 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — Oboe/Flute • 3521 — Barney — Music to Listen to Barney Kessel By • 3522 — Buddy — Man of Many Parts • 3523 — Hampton Trio — Everybody Likes Hampton Hawes • 3524 — Lennie — Vol 5: The Sextet • 3525 — Shelly — Shelly Manne & His Friends • 3526 — Curtis — The Curtis Counce Group • 3527 — Shelly & His Friends — My Fair Lady • 3528 — Howard's Lighthouse All-Stars — Music for Lighthousekeeping • 3529 — Jimmy — Pub Crawling with Jimmy Deuchar • 3530 — Sonny — Way Out West • 3531 — Buddy — Nice Day with Buddy Collette • 3532 — Art — Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section • 3533 — Shelly & His Friends — Li'l Abner • 3534 — Red — Music to Listen to Red Norvo By • 3535 — Barney, Shelly Manne and Ray Brown — The Poll Winners • 3536 — Shelly & His Men — Concerto for Clarinet & Combo • 3537 — André & Russ Freeman — Double Play! • 3538 — Red — Presenting Red Mitchell • 3539 — Curtis — You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce! • 3540 — Lennie — Zounds! • 3541 — Victor — Suite Sixteen • 3542 — Leroy — Leroy Walks! • 3543 — André & His Pals — Pal Joey • 3544 — Bob — Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper • 3545 — Hampton — All Night Session! Vol. 1 • 3546 — Hampton — All Night Session! Vol. 2 • 3547 — Hampton — All Night Session! Vol. 3 • 3548 — André & His Pals — Gigi • 3549 — Victor — The Arrival of Victor Feldman • 3550 — Harold — Harold in the Land of Jazz • 3551 — Ornette — Something Else!!!! • 3552 — Benny — Benny Golson's New York Scene • 3553 — Hampton — Four! • 3554 — Art — Portrait of Art Farmer • 3555 — Benny — Jazz Giant • 3556 — Barney, Shelley Manne & Ray Brown — The Poll Winners Ride Again! • 3557 — Shelly & His Men — The Gambit • 3558 — André — André Previn Plays Songs by Vernon Duke • 3559 — Shelly & His Friends — Bells Are Ringing • 3560 — Shelly & His Men — Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn • 3561 — Benny Quartet — Swingin' the '20s • 3562 — Cecil — Looking Ahead! • 3563 — Barney — Carmen • 3564 — Sonny — Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders • 3565 — Barney — Some Like It Hot • 3566 — Shelly & His Men — Son of Gunn!! • 3567 — André — André Previn Plays Songs by Jerome Kern • 3568 — Art — Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics • 3569 — Ornette — Tomorrow Is the Question! • 3570 — André Jazz Trio — King Size! • 3571 — Helen — Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do • 3572 — André & His Pals — West Side Story • 3573 — Art — Gettin' Together • 3574 — Curtis Group — Carl's Blues • 3575 — André — Like Previn! • 3576 — Barney, Shelly Manne & Ray Brown — Poll Winners Three! • 3577 — Shelly & His Men — At the Black Hawk 1 • 3578 — Shelly & His Men — At the Black Hawk 2 • 3579 — Shelly & His Men — At the Black Hawk 3 • 3580 — Shelly & His Men — At the Black Hawk 4 • 3581 — The — Exploring the Scene! • 3582 — Helen — Songs I Like to Sing! • 3583 — Teddy — Teddy's Ready! • 3584 — Shelly — The Three & The Two • 3585 — Barney — Workin' Out! with the Barney Kessel Quartet • 3586 — André — André Previn Plays Songs by Harold Arlen • 3587 — Shelly & His Men — The Proper Time • 3588 — Teddy and Howard McGhee — Together Again!!!! • 3589 — Hampton — For Real! • 3590 — Ruth — Ruth Price with Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole • 3591 — Bill — Folk Jazz • 3592 — Teddy — Good Gravy! • 3593/4 — Shelly & His Men — Live! Shelly Manne & His Men at the Manne-Hole • 3595 — Gerry — Relax and Enjoy It! • 3596 — Howard — Maggie's Back in Town!! • 3597 — Joe — Lookin' Good! • 3598 — Helen — Swingin' with Humes • 3599 — Shelly & His Men — Shelly Manne & His Men Play Checkmate

The 5000 (mono)/9000 (stereo) series of 12 inch LP records commenced in 1956 and ran until 1962. • Catalog — Artist — Album • 5001 — Mel — Dig Mel Henke • 5002 — Claire — Claire Austin Sings "When Your Lover Has Gone" • 5003 — Mel — Now Spin This! • 5004 — Pepe —!Flamenco Fenomeno! • 5005 — Victor — Latinsville! • 5006 — Shelly and Jack Marshall — Sounds Unheard Of!

The 3600 (mono)/7600 (stereo) series of 12 inch LP records commenced in 1962 and ran until around the early 1980s. After 3624 all releases were stereo only. • Catalog — Artist — Album • 3600 — Phineas — A World of Piano! • 3601 — Helyne — Love Moods • 3602 — Art — Smack Up • 3603 — Barney — Let's Cook! • 3604 — Joy — Make the Man Love Me • 3605 — Jimmy — Awakening!! • 3606 — Teddy — Heart & Soul • 3607 — Art — Intensity • 3608 — Leroy — Leroy Walks Again!! • 3609 — Shelly — My Son the Jazz Drummer! • 3610 — Prince Quintet featuring Sonny Simmons — The Cry! • 3611 — Phineas — The Great Jazz Piano of Phineas Newborn Jr. • 3612 — Jimmy — Conflict • 3613 — Barney — Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party • 3614 — Hampton — The Green Leaves of Summer • 3615 — Phineas — The Newborn Touch • 3616 — Hampton — Here and Now • 3617 — Prince and Sonny Simmons — Firebirds • 3618 — Barney — Feeling Free • 3619 — Harold — The Fox • 3620 — Elmo — Elmo Hope Trio • 3621 — Hampton — The Seance • 7622 — Phineas — Please Send Me Someone to Love • 3623 — Sonny — Rumasuma • 3624 — Shelly — Outside • 7625/6 — Sonny — Burning Spirits • 7627/8 — Woody — Blackstone Legacy • 7629 — Shelly — Alive in London • 7630 — Art — The Way It Was! • 7631 — Hampton — I'm All Smiles • 7632 — Woody — Song of Songs • 7633 — Art — Living Legend • 7634 — Phineas — Harlem Blues • 7635 — The — Straight Ahead • 7636 — Art — On the Road • 7637 — Hampton — Hampton Hawes at the Piano • 7638 — Art — The Trip • 7639 — Art — No Limit • 7640 — Chico — Beyond the Rain • 7641 — Ray — Something for Lester • 7642 — Art — Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard • 7643 — Art — Friday Night at the Village Vanguard • 7644 — Art — Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard • 7645 — Miles and The Lighthouse All-Stars — At Last! • 7646 — Ben — Ben Webster at the Renaissance • 7647 — Terry — Dream Band • 7648 — Phineas — Back Home • 7649 — Chet and The Lighthouse All-Stars — Witch Doctor • 7650 — Art — More for Les at the Village Vanguard • 7651 — Sonny — Contemporary Alternate Takes • 7652 — Terry Dream Band — The Sundown Sessions • 7653 — Hampton — The Sermon • 7654 — Terry Dream Band — Flying Home • 7655 — Curtis — Sonority • 7656 — Terry Dream Band — Main Stem • 7657 — Terry — The Big Cat • 7658 — Terry Dream Band — One More Time

The 14000 series began in 1980 with 12 inch LP records and in 1982 commenced releases on compact disc. After 1992 all releases were CD only. • Catalog — Artist — Album • 14001 — George — Cables' Vision • 14002 — Joe — Sonic Text • 14003 — Mike — Avant Garson • 14004 — Tete — Lunch in L.A. • 14005 — Chico — Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit • 14006 — Joe — Relaxin' at Camarillo • 14007 — Jay — Rain Forest • 14008 — Chico — Destiny's Dance • 14009 — Bobby — Solo / Quartet • 14010 — Peter — Peter Erskine • 14011 — Bill — Journey to the East • 14012 — Bud — California Concert • 14013 — Frank — Easy Living • 14014 — George — Phantom of the City • 14015 — George — Circle • 14016 — Jimmy and Red Mitchell — Jimmy Rowles with the Red Mitchell Trio • 14017 — Bob and Snooky Young — In a Mellotone • 14018 — Shelley — In Zurich • 14019 — Bud — That Old Feeling • 14020 — The — Back to the City • 14021 — Frank — Lament • 14022 — Terry — The Latin Connection • 14023 — Chris — Classic • 14024 — Billy — Bridgework • 14025 — Joshua Quintet — Echoes • 14026 — Frank Quintet — Bebop Lives! • 14027 — Bud — Bud Shank Quartet at Jazz Alley • 14028 — Luther — Luther Hughes and Cahoots • 14029 — Art — Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn • 14030 — George — By George • 14031 — Bud — Serious Swingers • 14032 — Jimmy — I'm Glad There Is You • 14033 — Barney — Spontaneous Combustion • 14034 — The — Real Time • 14035 — Frank & George Cables — Double Image • 14036 — Terry and Buddy DeFranco — Chicago Fire • 14037 — Tom and George Robert — Sun Dance • 14038 — Chris — New Again • 14039 — Frank and the McCoy Tyner Trio — Major Changes • 14040 — Joshua — Evening Star • 14041 — Kerry — Phoenix Rising • 14042 — Art — Blame It On My Youth • 14043 — Tom — Stories • 14044 — Barney — Red Hot & Blue • 14045 — Frank Quartet — Yardbird Suite • 14046 — Jackie and Roy — Full Circle • 14047 — Terry and Buddy DeFranco — Holiday for Swing • 14048 — Bud — Tomorrow's Rainbow • 14049 — Carol — Love You Madly • 14050 — Joshua Quartet — Self-Portrait in Swing • 14051 — Rumsey, Howard — Jazz Invention • 14052 — Frank Allstars — Reflections • 14053 — John — After Hours • 14054 — Tom — Sail Away • 14055 — Art — Ph.D. • 14056 — Terry and Buddy DeFranco — Air Mail Special • 14057 — Art and Frank Morgan — Central Avenue Reunion • 14058 — Kenny — Guiding Spirit • 14059 — Tom — Form • 14060 — Carol — The Real Thing • 14061 — John — Turning Point • 14062 — Joshua Trio — 9 by 3 • 14063 — Tom — Visions • 14064 — Frank and Bud Shank — Quiet Fire • 14065 — Kenny — Sunup to Sundown • 14066 — Terry — Memories of You • 14067 — Terry — Kings of Swing • 14068 — Leroy — Walking the Basses • 14069 — Celedonio and Celin Romero — Spanish Guitar Music • 14070 — Pepe — ¡Flamenco Fenomeno! • 14071 — Helen — Deed I Do • 14072 — Hampton — Something Special • 14073 — Chico — Focus • 14074 — Teddy — Back to Avalon • 14075 — Melton — Boiling Point • 14076 — Michael — Freedom Tower • 14077 — Howard — Mexican Passport • 14078 — Terry — Soul Mates • 14079 — Billy — Woody • 14080 — Eric — Mean Streets Beat • 14081 — Dennis — Images • 14082 — Jesse — Soul Serenade • 14083 — Billy — Hamp • 14084 — Lanny — Pacific Standard • 14085 — Melton — St. Louis Blues • 14086 — Art — San Francisco Samba • 14087 — Tom — In the Still of the Night • 14088 — Eric — After Hours