Lester
Koenig's Dixieland and traditional jazz label created in May
1949 became the sister label to his Contemporary Records, launched
two years later.
The label was responsible for the 1950s revival of Dixieland
jazz and recording New Orleans Dixieland legends Kid Ory, Turk
Murphy, Lu Watters and Bunk Johnson as well as the Firehouse
Five Plus Two, a Dixieland combo led by Disney animators Ward
Kimball and Frank Thomas (2) and jazz traditionalists George
Smith and Harlem stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith.
Good Time Jazz was closed down in 1969 and sold to Fantasy along
with its parent Contemporary Records in 1984. Fantasy issued
anthologies and reissued a number of the LPs; in 1993, the label
was revived with new recordings by The Silver Leaf Jazz Band,
Jacques Gauthe, Scott Black's Hot Horns and other New Orleans-based
muscians.
In Germany the label was distributed through Ton-Treu and later
Philips/Fontana. |