A great Jazz aficionado, Bob Koester, born in Wichita (KS), began selling records by mail in St. Louis (MO) where he was studying business and cinematography (he wanted to become a film cameraman) at the city university. He was actively involved in the founding of the St. Louis Jazz Club, where he met Ron Fister and both opened a record store they called K & F Sales in a building that once housed a restaurant, later renaming it Blue Note Records Shop. Fister left the business and Koester founded Delmar Records in 1953 (since it was located on Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis). The first album the company recorded in 1953 was by the band called Windy City Six. Bob Koester was 21