Contemporary Records Story / Various (CD)

This LA label was one of the top pace-setters for West Coast jazz in the '50s and '60s, yet in no way did it limit itself to the quot;coolquot; sounds of the day. Their eclectic catalog boasts a bit of everything, from West Coast stars (The Three Flip Shelly Manne; Lullaby of Birdland Barney Kessel) to the hard bop of Curtis Counce (A Fifth for Frank) to giants like Benny Carter (Someone to Watch over Me), Ben Webster (Stardust) and Red Norvo (Paying the Dues Blues) to the early avant-garde work of Ornette Coleman (Invisible). 54 tracks and eloquent liner notes tell the Contemporary story!