Cadet Records

Cadet Records was an American record label that began as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK. Cadet stopped releasing records around 1974, when its artists were moved to Chess. Over its nearly 20-year lifespan, Cadet released more than 500 albums, establishing itself as a major force in soul-jazz and jazz-funk. The label's commercial peak came during 1965-1969, when pianist Ramsey Lewis became its most successful artist with hits like "Wade in the Water" (1966), while key producers and arrangers such as Esmond Edwards, Richard Evans, and Charles Stepney shaped its distinctive sound There was also Cadet Concept Records, for rock and more adventurous music, such as the Rotary Connection, and the experimental psychedelic Electric Mud album by Muddy Waters.