Koester, Bob, 1932-

Bob Koester was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1932. Koester opened Delmar Records in 1953 in St. Louis. In 1958, Koester moved his record store to Chicago, changing the name to Delmark. During the 1960s, Koester focused on the Chicago jazz and blues scene, recording seminal Chicago blues artists and the avant-garde jazz of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He also reissued Sun Ra's first two albums. Delmark Records is one of the oldest independent record labels in the United States. Koester is also the owner of Jazz Record Mart, the world's largest blues and jazz record store. Jazz Record Mart became an influential hub for jazz recording and record collectors.

From the description of Bob Koester collection, 1958-1982, 2001 (inclusive). (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 606925111

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