Contemporary.
Sunny jazz from Los Angeles.

Art Pepper, the one and only1957

Meets The Rhythm Section places Art Pepper with Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones—the rhythm section associated with Miles Davis—and lets the encounter generate its own tension.

Have a listen “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” – begins with Pepper’s clear alto statement before the quartet opens the tune into flowing improvisation.

Art Pepper, the one and only1959

Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics places Pepper’s alto saxophone inside arrangements that retain big-band colour without sacrificing the focus of a featured soloist.

Have a listen “Move” – a compact theme at a brisk tempo; Pepper cuts through the ensemble without needing to overpower it.

Winners and stars1958

Jazz Giant gives Benny Carter room to display several sides of a musicianship refined across decades.

Have a listen “A Walkin’ Thing” – Benny Carter’s own piece, with a forward-moving theme that draws the horns into easy conversation.

Winners and stars1957

The Poll Winners joins Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne in a trio where guitar, bass and drums share both rhythmic and melodic responsibility.

Have a listen “Satin Doll” – Kessel’s chords and Ray Brown’s sure walking line renew an Ellington tune without excessive decoration.

Winners and stars1958

Four! brings Hampton Hawes together with guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Shelly Manne.

Have a listen “There Will Never Be Another You” – swings with easy confidence; Red Mitchell’s walking bass carries the exchanges between the four.

Winners and stars1960

On 14 October 1960, Ben Webster played with his quintet at the Renaissance in Hollywood.

Have a listen “Georgia on My Mind” – opens the album; like “Stardust” at the close, it leads back to Hoagy Carmichael.

Bebop on the West Coast1956/57 · released 1957

The title has wit; the music behind it has substance. You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce! presents a group whose interest cannot be measured simply by the fame of its leader.

Have a listen “Big Foot” – the earliest recording on the record, from 8 October 1956 – with Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Carl Perkins and Frank Butler.

Broadway as jazz1960

West Side Story allows André Previn, Shelly Manne and Red Mitchell to transform Leonard Bernstein’s theatre music into a piano-trio language.

Have a listen “America” – its alternating metre; Red Mitchell’s bass and Shelly Manne’s drums make the changes feel physical.

Broadway as jazz1956

My Fair Lady brings pianist André Previn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Shelly Manne to the songs of Lerner and Loewe’s musical.

Have a listen “On the Street Where You Live” – Leroy Vinnegar’s walking bass gives it both lift and direction.

Bebop on the West Coast1957

Leroy Walks! builds an album around the quality that made Leroy Vinnegar instantly valuable to countless sessions: a walking bass line with weight, lift and personality.

Have a listen “Walk On” – begins with the bass before the ensemble enters, turning accompaniment into the subject of the piece.

New directions1958

Something Else!!!! documents Ornette Coleman’s first album as a leader, already filled with the melodic independence that would reshape modern jazz.

Have a listen “The Blessing” – Ornette Coleman’s lyrical side: a plaintive, almost vocal theme.

New directions1959

Tomorrow Is the Question! is a title that looks openly ahead. For Ornette Coleman, that openness belongs directly to the album’s place in musical history.

Have a listen “Lorraine” – recorded first, on 16 January 1959, with Red Mitchell on bass – alto and trumpet with no piano between them.

Winners and stars1958 · released 1959

In October 1958, Sonny Rollins returned to Contemporary in Los Angeles for three days of recording.

Have a listen “You” – the only piece on which Victor Feldman plays vibraphone.

Winners and stars1959

In September 1959, Shelly Manne brought his quintet to the Black Hawk in San Francisco.

Have a listen “Summertime” – almost twelve minutes long, recorded on opening night, 22 September.

Bebop on the West Coast1961 · released 1962

A World of Piano! presents Phineas Newborn Jr. in two trio settings, both designed to keep the pianist’s extraordinary command in musical perspective.

Have a listen “Lush Life” – Phineas Newborn takes his time with Billy Strayhorn’s complex melody, letting its long phrases carry the drama.

Art Pepper, the one and only1960

Smack Up places Art Pepper in a quintet whose repertoire comes largely from fellow West Coast jazz composers.

Have a listen “How Can You Lose” – Pepper’s improvising grows from the melody; its line stays present even as the harmony opens.

Bebop on the West Coast1959 · released 1960

The Fox now seems firmly established within Harold Land's Contemporary discography.

Have a listen “The Fox” – Harold Land’s title piece opens the record; Elmo Hope wrote four more.

Bebop on the West Coast1958 · released 1961

On 17 March 1958, Hampton Hawes, Harold Land, Scott LaFaro and Frank Butler met at Contemporary 's Los Angeles studio.

Have a listen “Hip” – written by Hampton Hawes, the opener of side one.

Bebop on the West Coast1961

“Maggie” was Howard McGhee’s nickname, giving Maggie’s Back In Town!! a personal meaning that Nat Hentoff emphasised in the original liner notes.

Have a listen “Demon Chase” – Howard McGhee’s own opener; he told Nat Hentoff the title was inspired by the energy of Teddy Edwards’ young son.

New directions1962 · released 1963

The Cry! was recorded at Contemporary in Los Angeles on November 21, 1962.

Have a listen “Bojangles” – named after the dancer Bill Robinson; Gary Peacock plays here as the only bassist.

Art Pepper, the one and only1960

Three years after Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section , Art Pepper returned to a related idea.

Have a listen “Bijou The Poodle” – Art Pepper’s own piece, named after his dog; Conte Candoli plays trumpet.

One voice1960 · released 1961

The title Songs I Like To Sing! suggests a straightforward personal selection.

Have a listen “Million Dollar Secret” – her own song, which had already been an R&B chart success for her in 1950.

Bebop on the West Coast1961

The four exclamation marks in Together Again!!!! leave little doubt about the occasion.

Have a listen “Together Again” – written by Teddy Edwards, the album’s opener.

Art Pepper, the one and only1960 · released 1963

Intensity was recorded in November 1960 but did not appear on Contemporary Records until 1963.

Have a listen “Come Rain Or Come Shine” – written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for a 1946 musical.