Contemporary Records

Founded in 1951 by Lester Koenig, Contemporary Records, the Los Angeles-based audiophile jazz label, both defined and radically expanded the sound of West Coast jazz. Throughout the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, Lester Koenig’s artist-friendly company released career-defining performances by some of modern jazz’s most influential and accomplished improvisers, including Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Ray Brown, Red Mitchell, André Previn, Benny Carter, and Hampton Hawes.