Argo Records
Argo Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Chess Records |
Founded | 1955 |
Founder |
Leonard Chess Phil Chess |
Defunct | 1965 |
Status | Inactive |
Genre | Jazz, blues |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | Chicago, Illinois |
Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 as a division of Chess Records.[1][2]
Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Argo.[3]
Although Chess was a blues label, the Argo divsion began to record jazz in 1955 and over decades attracted some big names: Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris, Illinois Jacquet, Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, James Moody, Max Roach, Red Rodney, and Ira Sullivan.[4]
Argo also recorded pop, blues, and calypso. Its first big hit was by Clarence "Frogman" Henry, whose song "Ain't Got No Home" came out in 1956.[5] By 1960, rhythm and blues performers on the label included Etta James and the Dells.[6]
Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet Records when the company discovered that an Argo Records already existed in the UK.[7]
Discography
Jazz Series (1956-1965)
Catalog number | Title | Artist |
---|---|---|
LP-601 | Melodies by Al Hibbler | Al Hibbler |
LP-602 | Chamber Music of the New Jazz | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-603 | Flute 'n the Blues | James Moody |
LP-604 | Lonely One | Pinky Winters |
LP-605 | Without Sauce | Dick Lane's Quartet |
LP-606 | Doorway to Dixie | Cy Touff, Miff Mole and Mike Simpson |
LP-607 | Norman Simmons Trio | Norman Simmons |
LP-608 | Zoot | Zoot Sims Quartet |
LP-609 | Chicago Scene | Ira Schulman, Sandy Moose and Eddie Baker |
LP-610 | Count 'Em 88 | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-611 | Ramsey Lewis and his Gentle-men of Swing | Ramsey Lewis |
LP-612 | Young John Young | John Young Trio |
LP-613 | Moody's Mood for Love | James Moody |
LP-614 | Chubby's Back | Chubby Jackson |
LP-615 | Dick Lane Quartet | Dick Lane Quartet |
LP-616 | Chet Chats | Chet Roble |
LP-617 | Time on My Hands | Seymour and His Heartbeat Trumpet |
LP-618 | Many Moods | Al Russ Orchestra |
LP-619 | My Memories | Melavano and Orchestra |
LP-620 | Out on a Limb with Clark Terry | Clark Terry |
LP-621 | MJT+3 | MJT+3 |
LP-622 | Jazz Exponents | Jazz Exponents |
LP-623 | MAX | Max Roach Quintet |
LP-624 | Johnny Griffin | Johnny Griffin Quartet |
LP-625 | I'm Entitled to You!! | Chubby Jackson |
LP-626 | Cookin' | Paul Gonsalves |
LP-627 | Ramsey Lewis and his Gentle-men of Jazz | Ramsey Lewis |
LP-628 | At the Pershing: But Not for Me | Ahmad Jamal Trio |
LP-629 | Sonny Stitt | Sonny Stitt |
LP-630 | The Colorful Strings of Jimmy Woode | Jimmy Woode |
LP-631 | Swinging the Loop | Vito Price |
LP-632 | Theme for the Tall One | Bess Bonnier Trio |
LP-633 | This Is Me, J. C. Heard | J. C. Heard and Orchestra |
LP-634 | Lateef at Cranbrook | Yusef Lateef |
LP-635 | 2:38 A.M. | Ralph Sharon Quartet and Friend |
LP-636 | Ahmad Jamal Trio Volume IV | Ahmad Jamal Trio |
LP-637 | Last Train from Overbrook | James Moody |
LP-638 | Portfolio of Ahmad Jamal | Ahmad Jamal Trio |
LP-639 | Relaxin' with Sandy Mosse | Sandy Mosse |
LP-640 | Marian McPartland at the London House | Marian McPartland |
LP-641 | Touff Assignment | Cy Touff |
LP-642 | Lem Winchester and the Ramsey Lewis Trio | Lem Winchester and Ramsey Lewis |
LP-643 | Red Rodney Returns | Red Rodney |
LP-644 | Breakin' It Up | Barry Harris Trio |
LP-645 | An Hour with the Ramsey Lewis Trio | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-646 | Jamal at the Penthouse | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-647 | [Unissued] | Will Green |
LP-648 | James Moody | James Moody |
LP-649 | Remember the Oldies | Various Artists |
LP-650 | Taylor Made Jazz | Billy Taylor |
LP-651 | Holiday on the Riviera | Caesar Giovannini |
LP-652 | Where There's Fire... There's Smokey Stover and his Original Firemen | Smokey Stover's Original Firemen |
LP-653 | The Last of the Big Plungers | Al Grey and The Basie Wing |
LP-654 | Blue Lou | The Lou McGarity Big Eight |
LP-655 | A Night at the Vanguard | The Kenny Burrell Trio |
LP-656 | Fanfare of Hits | Various Artists |
LP-657 | Jazz | Herb Pilhofer Trio |
LP-658 | Richard's Alamac | The Richard Evans Trio |
LP-659 | The Legend of Bix | Metropolitan Jazz Octet |
LP-660 | Mighty High | Milt Buckner |
LP-661 | Burnin' | Sonny Stitt |
LP-662 | Happy Moods | Ahmad Jamal Trio |
LP-663 | Early in the Morning | Lorez Alexandria with the Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-664 | Meet the Jazztet | Art Farmer and Benny Golson |
LP-665 | Stretching Out | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-666 | Hey! It's James Moody | James Moody |
LP-667 | Ahmad Jamal At The Pershing, Volume 2 | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-668 | The Music of Quincy Jones | Benny Bailey, Joe Harris, Åke Persson and the Quincetet |
LP-669 | Introducing Roland Kirk | Roland Kirk and Ira Sullivan |
LP-670 | Please Mr. Organ Player | Milt Buckner |
LP-671 | The Ramsey Lewis Trio in Chicago | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-672 | Big City Sounds | Art Farmer and Benny Golson |
LP-673 | Listen to the Ahmad Jamal Quintet | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-674 | Jubilee | Smokey Stover's Original Firemen |
LP-675 | Home Cookin' | Richard Evans Trio |
LP-676 | Playtime | Buddy Rich and His Buddies |
LP-677 | The Thinking Man's Trombone | Al Grey |
LP-678 | Art | Art Farmer |
LP-679 | Moody with Strings | James Moody |
LP-680 | More Music from the Soil | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-681 | Take a Number from 1 to 10 | Benny Golson |
LP-682 | Sing No Sad Songs for Me | Lorez Alexandria |
LP-683 | Sonny Stitt at the D. J. Lounge | Sonny Stitt |
LP-684 | The Jazztet and John Lewis | John Lewis, Art Farmer and Benny Golson |
LP-685 | Ahmad Jamal's Alhambra | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-686 | Never on Sunday | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-687 | Sound of Christmas | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-688 | The Jazztet at Birdhouse | Art Farmer and Benny Golson |
LP-689 | Al Grey and the Billy Mitchell Sextet | Al Grey and Billy Mitchell |
LP-690 | Dorothy Ashby | Dorothy Ashby |
LP-691 | All of You | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-692 | Themes and Things | John Young Trio |
LP-693 | The Sound of Spring | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-694 | Deep Roots | Lorez Alexandria |
LP-695 | Another Bag | James Moody |
LP-696 | Look Out! Look Out! | Red Holt |
LP-697 | Dig Him! | Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt |
LP-698 | Just Jug | Gene Ammons |
LP-699 | Just for Kicks | Eldee Young and Company |
LP-700 | Snap Your Fingers | Al Grey and Billy Mitchell |
LP-701 | Country Meets the Blues | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-702 | Midnight Mood | Milt Buckner |
LP-703 | Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk | Ahmad Jamal Trio |
LP-704 | Soul Cookin' | Thornel Schwartz and Bill Leslie |
LP-705 | Bossa Nova | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-706 | Blues on the Other Side | Mike Mainieri Quartet |
LP-707 | Breakthrough | Gene Shaw Quintet |
LP-708 | Trumpet Caliente | Don Goldie |
LP-709 | Rearin' Back | Sonny Stitt |
LP-710 | Diggin' the Chicks | Bill Leslie |
LP-711 | Night Song | Al Grey and Billy Mitchell |
LP-712 | Macanudo | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-713 | A Touch of Pepper | John Young |
LP-714 | Soul Merchant | Sam Lazar |
LP-715 | Pot Luck | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-716 | Free | Benny Golson Quartet |
LP-717 | Basie Is Our Boss | Frank Foster |
LP-718 | Having a Ball | Al Grey |
LP-719 | Poinciana | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-720 | For Swingers Only | Lorez Alexandria |
LP-721 | French Cookin' | Budd Johnson |
LP-722 | The Message | Illinois Jacquet with Kenny Burrell |
LP-723 | Barefoot Sunday Blues | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-724 | Signifyin' | Lou Donaldson |
LP-725 | Great Day | James Moody |
LP-726 | Debut in Blues | Gene Shaw |
LP-727 | Ready and Willing | Herman Foster |
LP-728 | Here's Love | Hank Jones |
LP-729 | World of Travel | Jimmy Grissom |
LP-730 | Move on Over | Sonny Stitt |
LP-731 | Boss Bone | Al Grey |
LP-732 | Bach to the Blues | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-733 | Naked City Theme | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-734 | Possum Head | Lou Donaldson |
LP-735 | Desert Winds | Illinois Jacquet |
LP-736 | Ya! Ya! | Budd Johnson |
LP-737 | Fantabulous | Oliver Nelson and his Orchestra |
LP-738 | Perception | Art Farmer |
LP-739 | Mo' Rock | Baby Face Willette |
LP-740 | Comin' on Strong | James Moody |
LP-741 | The Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Bohemian Caverns | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-742 | Summer Dawn | Sahib Shihab |
LP-743 | Carnival Sketches | Gene Shaw |
LP-744 | My Main Man | Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green |
LP-745 | More Sounds of Christmas | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-746 | Bosses of the Ballad | Illinois Jacquet |
LP-747 | Cole Slaw | Lou Donaldson |
LP-748 | Off the Wall | Budd Johnson |
LP-749 | Behind the 8 Ball | Baby Face Willette |
LP-750 | You Better Believe Me | Ramsey Lewis Trio with Jean DuShon |
LP-751 | The Roar of the Greasepaint | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-752 | Cool | Rune Ofwerman's Piano |
LP-753 | Testifyin' Time | Bunky Green |
LP-754 | Spectrum | Illinois Jacquet |
LP-755 | Choice! The Best of the Ramsey Lewis Trio | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-756 | Cookin' the Blues | James Moody |
LP-757 | The In Crowd | Ramsey Lewis Trio |
LP-758 | Extensions | Ahmad Jamal |
LP-759 | Musty Rusty | Lou Donaldson |
Pop/Blues/Folk Series (1961-1965)
Catalog number | Title | Artist |
---|---|---|
LP-4000 | The Eyes of Love | Osborne Smith |
LP-4001 | Johnny Hamlin Quintet | Johnny Hamlin Quintet featuring Marci Miller |
LP-4002 | Space Flight | Sam Lazar |
LP-4003 | At Last! | Etta James |
LP-4004 | Misty Night | King Fleming Trio |
LP-4005 | The Three Souls | The Three Souls |
LP-4006 | Morris Grants Presents JUNK | Various Artists |
LP-4007 | Drum Sum | Buck Clarke Quintet |
LP-4008 | Drums, Drollery And Drivel | Professor Paradiddle |
LP-4009 | You Always Hurt the One You Love | Clarence Henry |
LP-4010 | Brilliant! The Trumpet of Don Goldie | Don Goldie |
LP-4011 | The Second Time Around | Etta James |
LP-4012 | Dodo's Back! | Dodo Marmarosa |
LP-4013 | Etta James | Etta James |
LP-4014 | [Unissued] | |
LP-4015 | Playback | Sam Lazar |
LP-4016 | For the First Time | Shelley Moore |
LP-4017 | Brown Gal | Bonnie Graham |
LP-4018 | Etta James Sings for Lovers | Etta James |
LP-4019 | Stand By! | King Fleming Trio |
LP-4020 | House Warmin'! | Howard McGhee and the Blazers |
LP-4021 | The Buck Clarke Sound | Buck Clarke |
LP-4022 | Let Me In/Music, Music, Music | The Sensations |
LP-4023 | The Campus Singers at the Fickle Pickle | The Campus Singers |
LP-4024 | I'm on My Way | Willie Wright |
LP-4025 | Etta James Top Ten | Etta James |
LP-4026 | The Blues, Volume 1 | Various Artists |
LP-4027 | The Blues, Volume 2 | Various Artists |
LP-4028 | Cheer Up Me Lads | The Outsiders |
LP-4029 | Martin Yarbrough Showcase | Martin Yarbrough |
LP-4030 | Folk Swinger | Dean DeWolf |
LP-4031 | Folk Festival of the Blues | Various Artists |
LP-4032 | Etta James Rocks the House | Etta James |
LP-4033 | Road of Blue | The Campus Singers |
LP-4034 | The Blues, Volume 3 | Various Artists |
LP-4035 | High Tide: The Folk Songs of Dean DeWolf | Dean DeWolf |
LP-4036 | Dangerous Dan Express | The Three Souls |
LP-4037 | The Soul of Blues Harmonica | Shakey Horton |
LP-4038 | Composer's Choice | Johnny Nash |
LP-4039 | Make Way for Jean DuShon | Jean DuShon |
LP-4040 | The Queen of Soul | Etta James |
LP-4041 | Dick Williams Kids Sing for Big People (and Little People Too) | Dick Williams |
LP-4042 | The Blues, Volume 4 | Various Artists |
LP-4043 | Mixed Moods | Martin Yarbrough |
LP-4044 | Soul Sounds | The Three Souls |
LP-4045 | The Real George Kirby | George Kirby |
LP-4047 | Jammin' with the Windjammers | The Windjammers |
See also
References
- ↑ Edwards, D & Callahan, M. The Chess Story, accessed September 12, 2012
- ↑ Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London: Penguin Books. p. 17. ISBN 0-141-00646-3.
- ↑ Cohodas, Nadine (2000). Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records. New York: St. Martins. http://www.bluestogold.com/index2.html
- ↑ Gardner, Mark (2002). Kernfeld, Barry, ed. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 65. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
- ↑ "Clarence "Frogman" Henry Biography by Bill Dahl". Allmusic.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
- ↑ Edwards, D & Callahan, M. Argo Album Discography, Part 2 (1961-1965): Pop/Blues/Folk Series, accessed September 12, 2012
- ↑ Brack R. Chess 'Withdraws' Argo Name, Billboard 9 Oct 1965 pp8–10