Label Guide: Debut

Debut Records was an American jazz label, founded in 1952 by bassist Charles Mingus, his wife Celia and drummer Max Roach. The label was an attempt to avoid the compromises of working for major companies and to showcase work by new musicians. Several important jazz musicians made their first recordings as leaders for Debut, including Paul Bley, Kenny Dorham and Thad Jones. Hank Mobley made his recording debut on the label, as a sideman with Max Roach.

When Charles Mingus' then ex-wife Celia married Saul Zaentz, then head of Fantasy Records, Mingus gave Saul and Celia control of the Debut catalog as a wedding gift. Mingus thought the gift fitting as Celia had handled the bulk of Debut's business affairs, and most of the seed money came from Celia's mother. Debut Records closed its doors in 1957.

In 1957 Brande Boghandel (a bookshop in Jutland) assisted by Skandinavisk Grammophon A/S obtained the rights to issue the American Debut Records in Denmark. The Danish Debut label continued the original DEB numbering system to release many more albums from 1959 to 1969, several of them fetching high prices with collectors today.