Contemporary Records

US label, also appears as "Contemporary" only.
Label Code: LC 0164 / LC 00164
In 1951, two years after establishing his Good Time Jazz label as an outlet for traditional jazz, Lester Koenig founded Contemporary Records originally intending to concentrate on issuing contemporary classical music, but jazz bassist Howard Rumsey, 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 Roy DuNann or Howard Holzer), 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 Hampton Hawes, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, and André Previn, but also cut two albums by East Coast tenorist Sonny Rollins and launched the recording career of Ornette Coleman.

In 1984, seven years after Lester Koenig died, Contemporary was acquired by Fantasy, Inc., which signed such artists as Frank Morgan, Carol Sloane, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Bud Shank, Chris Connor, and The Jazztet led by Art Farmer and Benny Golson.

In UK, the label's albums were issued on [Vogue Records in 1950s.