During the war he earned a Purple Heart and worked under Henry Kissinger, who was an intelligence officer at the time.
He later formed Groove Merchant in the early 1970s[5] The label released albums by jazz musicians such as Chick Corea, Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie,[5] and Jimmy McGriff.
The label was eventually consolidated into Blue Note Records[5] and Lester was named producer of the Denon Jazz series in 1986.
[4] The company's catalog includes recordings by Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Chick Corea, and Dizzy Gillespie.
In a 1993 interview with Crain's New York Business, Lester said, "Record companies are so big and monstrous, they don't have the time to nurture jazz artists.