Concord Jazz
The Story of Concord Jazz
The label grew directly out of the Concord Summer Music Festival, which was founded in 1969 in Concord, California, by local car dealer and jazz enthusiast Carl Jefferson. The festival showcased swing and straight-ahead jazz, laying the foundation and providing the initial talent pool for the future record company.
Concord Jazz was founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, with a mandate to document and record the under-represented swing and traditional straight-ahead jazz artists performing at his festival. The primary focus was on Swing, Bop, and Vocal jazz. Landmark albums include Seven, Come Eleven (Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, 1974) and Soular Energy (Ray Brown Trio, 1985).
This period marked the label's peak output, with hundreds of new releases issued, contributing to a total catalog of over 946 titles under Jefferson's tenure. Concord broadened its scope to include Post Bop and Contemporary Jazz, notably with albums like Stan Getz's The Dolphin (1981) and successful vocal collaborations like An Evening With George Shearing And Mel Tormé (1982).
Carl Jefferson sold the company to Alliance Entertainment in December 1994 (he passed away in 1995). The label became the foundation for the larger Concord Records launched in 1995. After being acquired by Norman Lear and Hal Gaba in 1999, the headquarters moved to Los Angeles. Today, Concord Jazz continues as a prestigious imprint of the global Concord music group, still releasing new material and managing its historic catalog.
Essential Concord Jazz Albums
Soular Energy
Ray Brown Trio, Gene Harris
1985
Post Bop
Gene Harris coaxed out of Boise retirement joining Ray Brown and Gerryck King. Recorded August 1984 with Red Holloway and Emily Remler guesting on one track. Audiophile treasure showing Harris lost none of his Three Sounds soul-jazz swing.
Just Friends
LA4
1978
Bossa Nova
Bud Shank, Laurindo Almeida, Ray Brown, and Jeff Hamilton direct-to-disc at Capitol. Bach adaptations meeting "Spain" with chamber-esque intimacy and detail-oriented production. Shank sticks to alto throughout making it more high-powered than usual.
Seven, Come Eleven (From Their Live Performance At The Concord Summer Festival)
Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Jake Hanna, Ray Brown
1974
Post Bop
Live at Concord Summer Festival capturing two guitar giants battling. Ellis barks "Seven Come Eleven - right now!" after Brown requests something fast. Frequently exciting bop-oriented date with loose club feel and off-mic banter.
An Evening With George Shearing And Mel Tormé
George Shearing, Mel Tormé
1982
Bop
Velvet Fog meets Shearing's sophisticated piano on Concord collaboration. Vocal jazz meets tasteful accompaniment across standards. Polished professionalism from two veterans who knew how to make it swing smoothly.
The Dolphin
Stan Getz Quartet
1981
Cool Jazz
Late-period Getz exploring Brazilian-tinged cool jazz. Tenor's signature warm tone over tasteful rhythm section. Mature statement from the man who brought bossa nova to America.
Windflower
Herb Ellis, Remo Palmieri
1978
Bossanova
Two guitar approach to Brazilian jazz on Concord. Ellis' swing meeting Palmieri's Latin sensibilities across bossa grooves. Tasteful collaboration blending swing and samba sophistication.
Firefly
Emily Remler
1981
Cool Jazz
Young guitarist's debut showing Wes Montgomery and Herb Ellis influences. Cool-toned bop proving Remler could hang with the Concord veterans. Promising start for talent gone too soon.
Source
Nubya Garcia
2020
London scene saxophonist's debut blending jazz, dub, and broken beat. Contemporary UK jazz sound with Caribbean influences and electronic textures. Forward-thinking saxophone leading new generation.
Moon And Sand
Kenny Burrell
1980
Cool Jazz
Burrell's elegant guitar on Concord with typical taste and restraint. Sophisticated ballad playing showing why he's jazz guitar's gentleman. Standards approached with warmth and intelligence.
Catwalk
Emily Remler
1985
Remler's mature Concord statement four years into her career. Confident bop guitar with sophisticated voicings and clean lines. Growing into her own voice before tragedy cut it short.
Similar Labels
Artists
| Musician | Instrument | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Edwards | Remix | 82 |
| Jake Hanna | Drums | 78 |
| Scott Hamilton | Tenor Saxophone | 75 |
| Ray Brown | Bass | 70 |
| Jeff Hamilton | Drums | 40 |
| Warren Vaché | Cornet | 37 |
| Herb Ellis | Guitar | 34 |
| Dave McKenna | Piano | 34 |
| Howard Alden | Guitar | 34 |
| Ken Peplowski | Clarinet | 30 |
Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| George Horn | Mastered By | 414 |
| Carl E. Jefferson | Producer | 281 |
| Kent Judkins | Art Direction | 172 |
| Carl E. Jefferson | Executive-Producer | 103 |
| John Burk | Executive-Producer | 98 |
| Dick Hendler | Art Direction | 95 |
| Glen Barros | Executive-Producer | 60 |
| DH Studio | Art Direction | 51 |
| Leonard Feather | Liner Notes | 47 |
| Phil Edwards | Engineer [Remix] | 45 |
Genres & Styles
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 944 | 85.7% |
| Pop | 44 | 4% |
| Latin | 27 | 2.5% |
| Funk / Soul | 25 | 2.3% |
| Blues | 17 | 1.5% |
| Electronic | 9 | 0.8% |
| Stage & Screen | 9 | 0.8% |
| Classical | 7 | 0.6% |
| Hip Hop | 3 | 0.3% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 3 | 0.3% |
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Swing | 255 | 23.1% |
| Bop | 216 | 19.6% |
| Post Bop | 111 | 10.1% |
| Contemporary Jazz | 94 | 8.5% |
| Vocal | 84 | 7.6% |
| Cool Jazz | 79 | 7.2% |
| Big Band | 45 | 4.1% |
| Bossa Nova | 43 | 3.9% |
| Latin Jazz | 40 | 3.6% |
| Soul-Jazz | 34 | 3.1% |
Releases Timeline
Concord Jazz Discography
Total: 946 releases
| Artist | Album | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Makiwicz Trio | My Favorite things | 1994 | |
| Adam Makowicz | At Maybeck | Swing | 1993 |
| Adam Makowicz Trio | The Music Of Jerome Kern | Bop | 1993 |
| Adam Makowicz Trio, George Mraz, Alan Dawson | My Favorite Things - The Music Of Richard Rodgers | Bop | 1994 |
| Adam Makowicz, George Mraz | Adam Makowicz / George Mraz | Bop | 1994 |
| Al Cohn | Nonpareil | Bop | 1981 |
| Al Cohn | Overtones | Bop | 1982 |
| Al Cohn | Standards Of Excellence | Bop | 1984 |
| Al Cohn, Scott Hamilton, Buddy Tate, Cal Collins, Jake Hanna, Bob Maize, Dave McKenna | Tour De Force | 1982 | |
| Alan Barnes, David Newton | Summertime | 2000 | |
| Alan Barnes, The David Newton Trio, Conte Candoli | Manhattan | Contemporary Jazz | 2001 |
| Alan Broadbent | Live At Maybeck Recital Hall Volume Fourteen | Bop | 1991 |
| Alan Broadbent Trio | Pacific Standard Time | Bop | 1995 |
| Alan Broadbent Trio | Personal Standards | Contemporary Jazz | 1997 |
| Alan Broadbent, Gary Foster | Concord Duo Series, Volume 4 | 1993 | |
| Ali Ryerson | Portraits In Silver | 1995 | |
| Ali Ryerson | In Her Own Sweet Way | Bop | 1996 |
| Allen Farnham | 5th House | 1990 | |
| Allen Farnham | Play-cation | Hard Bop | 1992 |
| Allen Farnham | At Maybeck | Bop | 1996 |