Status Defunct Country of origin U.S. Defunct 1951 | Genre Blues, jazz Founded April 1947 | |
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Founders Evelyn Aron, Charles Aron, Art Spiegel | ||
Aristocrat Records, sometimes billed as the Aristocrat of Records, was founded in April 1947 by Charles and Evelyn Aron, together with their partners Fred and Mildred Brount and Art Spiegel. By September Leonard Chess had invested in the young record company. Over time, Leonard bought the others out, and by 1948, only he and Evelyn Aron ran the firm. By early 1950 Leonard and his brother Phil had become the sole owners, and in June of that year, they changed the company's name from Aristocrat to Chess Records. The Aristocrat brand was officially discontinued in January 1951.
In three years, Aristocrat released 183 songs, and recorded 18 more that were released under the new Chess label.
On August 27, 1947 Muddy Waters made his first recordings for Aristocrat, which produced the single "Gypsy Woman" b/w "Little Anna Mae." Backing Waters were bassist Big Crawford and pianist Sunnyland Slim. After a second session in December 1947, Aristocrat released "I Can't Be Satisfied" b/w "Feel Like Goin' Home," which became a minor hit.