The Contemporary Records Story
Various Artists
TWO Formats Available
- $59.98
- $39.98
-
CAT # 4CCD-4441-2
DISC ONE 1. Big Girl 3:07 Preview 2. Viva Zapata! 8:13 Preview 3. You And The Night And The Music 4:04 Preview 4. Lullaby Of Birdland 3:08 Preview 5. Bags' Groove 3:13 Preview 6. Day By Day 3:55 Preview 7. Flip 2:56 Preview 8. Billie's Bounce 3:12 Preview 9. The Champ 5:18 Preview 10. Blues The Most 5:43 Preview 11. Blue Moon 2:53 Preview 12. Easy Terms 4:13 Preview 13. Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas 7:54 Preview 14. Ruby 5:49 Preview 15. I Could Have Danced All Night 3:00 Preview 16. A Fifth For Frank 7:11 Preview DISC TWO 1. Serenade In Blue 4:02 Preview 2. All The Things You Are 6:34 Preview 3. Star Eyes 2:35 Preview 4. Paying The Dues Blues 5:52 Preview 5. I'm An Old Cowhand 5:35 Preview 6. Jordu 7:05 Preview 7. Scrapple From The Apple 4:59 Preview 8. Old Fashioned Love 7:46 Preview 9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street 6:50 Preview 10. Whisper Not 6:01 Preview 11. I Could Write A Book 4:52 Preview 12. Grooveyard 6:57 Preview 13. Serpent's Tooth 3:24 Preview 14. Invisible 4:43 Preview DISC THREE 1. Hip 6:14 Preview 2. Stablemates 4:51 Preview 3. African Violets 5:12 Preview 4. Autumn In New York 3:50 Preview 5. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star 5:24 Preview 6. Someone To Watch Over Me 4:43 Preview 7. Bill Bailey 2:24 Preview 8. Peter Gunn 2:12 Preview 9. Barfly 6:15 Preview 10. Greensleeves 5:03 Preview 11. Airegin 3:04 Preview 12. Down Among The Sheltering Palms 4:06 Preview 13. Blue Daniel 3:18 Preview 14. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise 6:58 Preview 15. The Sermon 3:41 Preview DISC FOUR 1. Stardust 2:15 Preview 2. Misty 4:15 Preview 3. Summertime 3:14 Preview 4. Oleo 5:52 Preview 5. Exodus 2:25 Preview 6. A Deed For Dolphy 8:56 Preview 7. My Funny Valentine 6:52 Preview 8. Morning 7:28 Preview 9. Will You Still Be Mine? 7:07 Preview 10. Beyond The Rain 3:30 Preview 11. Love Walked In 2:10 Preview 12. Over The Rainbow 6:49 Preview Also available as
$59.98
-
CAT # 4CCD-4441-25
DISC ONE 1. Big Girl 3:07 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 2. Viva Zapata! 8:13 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 3. You And The Night And The Music 4:04 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 4. Lullaby Of Birdland 3:08 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 5. Bags' Groove 3:13 Preview Album Only 6. Day By Day 3:55 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 7. Flip 2:56 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 8. Billie's Bounce 3:12 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 9. The Champ 5:18 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 10. Blues The Most 5:43 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 11. Blue Moon 2:53 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 12. Easy Terms 4:13 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 13. Collard Greens And Black-Eyed Peas 7:54 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 14. Ruby 5:49 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 15. I Could Have Danced All Night 3:00 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 16. A Fifth For Frank 7:11 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ DISC TWO 1. Serenade In Blue 4:02 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 2. All The Things You Are 6:34 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 3. Star Eyes 2:35 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 4. Paying The Dues Blues 5:52 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 5. I'm An Old Cowhand 5:35 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 6. Jordu 7:05 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 7. Scrapple From The Apple 4:59 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 8. Old Fashioned Love 7:46 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street 6:50 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 10. Whisper Not 6:01 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 11. I Could Write A Book 4:52 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 12. Grooveyard 6:57 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 13. Serpent's Tooth 3:24 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 14. Invisible 4:43 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ DISC THREE 1. Hip 6:14 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 2. Stablemates 4:51 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 3. African Violets 5:12 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 4. Autumn In New York 3:50 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 5. I've Told Ev'ry Little Star 5:24 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 6. Someone To Watch Over Me 4:43 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 7. Bill Bailey 2:24 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 8. Peter Gunn 2:12 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 9. Barfly 6:15 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 10. Greensleeves 5:03 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 11. Airegin 3:04 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 12. Down Among The Sheltering Palms 4:06 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 13. Blue Daniel 3:18 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 14. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise 6:58 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 15. The Sermon 3:41 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ DISC FOUR 1. Stardust 2:15 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 2. Misty 4:15 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 3. Summertime 3:14 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 4. Oleo 5:52 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 5. Exodus 2:25 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 6. A Deed For Dolphy 8:56 Preview Album Only 7. My Funny Valentine 6:52 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 8. Morning 7:28 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 9. Will You Still Be Mine? 7:07 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 10. Beyond The Rain 3:30 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 11. Love Walked In 2:10 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ 12. Over The Rainbow 6:49 Preview Buy MP3 89¢ BUY ALBUM AS MP3 DOWNLOAD — only
$39.98
- View Cart
- 00 Items in Cart
PLEASE NOTE: MP3 DOWNLOADS ARE CURRENTLY ONLY FOR SALE TO OUR CUSTOMERS IN NORTH AMERICA (USA and CANADA) AT THIS TIME.
During the golden era of independent jazz record companies, from the early 1950s to the late '60s, Contemporary Records' sunny label was instantly recognizable to serious jazz fans. More important, Contemporary's roster of top‑flight jazz players and singers would yield a catalog that is, to this day, pure gold.
Founded by New York‑born, Dartmouth College and Yale Law School‑educated Lester Koenig, a one‑time assistant to director William Wyler, Contemporary Records began operations in Los Angeles in 1951. Koenig (1917‑1977) had not long before refused to testify before the House Un‑American Activities Committee (HUAC) and, as such, found himself blacklisted in Hollywood. (He already had previous experience as a record industry entrepreneur, having formed Good Time Jazz, devoted entirely to trad and Dixieland, in 1949.)
Along with Pacific Jazz, also based in Los Angeles, and San Francisco's Fantasy Records, Contemporary was one of the three pace‑setters among West Coast jazz indies, in much the way that Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside concurrently ruled the indie‑jazz roost on the East Coast. However, while Contemporary sprang to life during the heyday of so‑called "West Coast" jazz, the early‑to‑mid 1950s, its eventual roster was hardly limited to the "cool sounds" eschewed by some East Coast jazz buffs.
True, Disc One of this judiciously‑selected 4‑CD set, which covers the years 1952 to 1977, is a veritable Who's Who of West Coast Jazz, with key contributions from, among others, Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All‑Stars (the first jazz group to grace the Contemporary label), Shelly Manne and his Men, and small bands led by Barney Kessel, Lennie Niehaus, Hampton Hawes, and Buddy Collette. The sidemen include Shorty Rogers, Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper, Jimmy Giuffre, Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Bob Cooper, Andre Previn, Red Mitchell, Leroy Vinnegar, and many more who put the West Coast on the jazz map. But by the very end of the first disc‑‑when the hard‑bopping Curtis Counce Group checks in‑‑the proceedings become increasingly eclectic, and the participants cross both geographical and generational borderlines.
There are the mainstream stylings of giants like Benny Carter and Ben Webster, the more chamber‑oriented approach of fellow Swing Era veteran Red Norvo, the wickedly witty tenor saxophone of Sonny Rollins, and the bracing takes of show tunes by the Andre Previn trio. The set also contains the burning hard bop of Curtis Counce and Harold Land, the tuneful post‑bop of Benny Golson's nonet, Helen Humes's open‑hearted singing, Teddy Edwards's soul‑jazz, and Shelly Manne's crisp, later editions of his Men. The stunning, early avant‑garde work of Ornette Coleman (who made his first two albums for Contemporary) and Cecil Taylor is also represented, as is the post‑modernist approach of Woody Shaw and Chico Freeman, and some of Art Pepper's most profoundly moving performances, with various brilliant rhythm sections, from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s.
A true audiophile (and an early convert to stereo), Lester Koenig insisted that his recordings achieve the highest of standards in sound reproduction. As such, the sound of "The Contemporary Story" is commensurate with the level of performances throughout. That story is further amplified by Richard S. Ginell, whose liner notes are as informative as they are eloquent.
Find out more about Various Artists
