Articles about jazz were a frequent feature of “men’s” magazines in the 1950’s. After the emergence of Playboy in 1953 a flock of “knock-offs” took flight in the mid 1950’s such as Caper, Eve, and Escapade to name a few. The September 1956 issue of Escapade published an extended article by Joe Knefler that documented […]
Continue ReadingLarry Bunker
Teddy Charles / Dave Brubeck / Chet Baker
Teddy Charles / Dave Brubeck / Chet Baker – Los Angeles 1953 The individual careers of Teddy Charles, Dave Brubeck, and Chet Baker intersected when they appeared at clubs and concerts in 1953. Teddy Charles shared the stage with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and a Shelly Manne group at Wilshire-Ebell in July for what was […]
Continue ReadingHampton Hawes Memorial by Pete Welding
Pete Welding wrote liner notes for many reissues of classic West Coast sessions for a variety of record labels. His notes for the Xanadu collection, The Hampton Hawes Memorial Album, provide a snapshot of Hampton Hawes place in the emerging jazz scene in Los Angeles. Before West Coast Jazz exploded in the ears […]
Continue ReadingFRANKLY JAZZ with Frank Evans
Jazz returned to the television screen in Los Angeles in the summer of 1962. The first program was created for syndication by Steve Allen who hired Jimmie Baker to produce the shows. Baker was a veteran jazz TV producer who had been one of the creative forces responsible for the award winning Stars of Jazz […]
Continue ReadingART PEPPER: THE DISCOVERY SESSIONS
Albert Marx resigned as A&R vice president at Musicraft in the spring of 1948 when that label was undergoing reorganization. He moved to Los Angeles that summer and established Discovery Records, Hollywood, in the fall of 1948. A Hollywood column in the September 4, 1948, issue of Billboard magazine noted that “Marx leaves here September […]
Continue ReadingTHE CHET BAKER QUARTET: FIRST RECORDINGS PART THREE
The European release of Chet Baker’s first 10” LP, Pacific Jazz PJLP-3, on UK Vogue (L.D.E. 045), French Swing (M. 33.308) and Swedish Karusell (KLP – 1) replaced THE LAMP IS LOW with WINTER WONDERLAND. The Swing LP label did not register the change and listed THE LAMP IS LOW in error. The UK LP […]
Continue ReadingJAZZ SCENE USA #14 – SHORTY ROGERS
The 14th episode of Steve Allen’s Jazz Scene USA featured Shorty Rogers and His Giants: Lou Levy on piano, Gary LeFebvre on tenor sax and flute, Gary Peacock on bass and Larry Bunker on drums.
Continue ReadingART PEPPER ON STARS OF JAZZ
STARS OF JAZZ premiered on local Los Angeles television, channel 7 KABC, on June 25, 1956. It was a half hour show that aired at 10:30 PM on Monday nights following Lawrence Welk’s New Faces, also an American Broadcasting Company program. Several employees at ABC including producers, writers, and technical staff were jazz fans and […]
Continue ReadingJAZZ SCENE USA #5 – PAUL HORN
The 5th episode of Steve Allen’s Jazz Scene USA featured Paul Horn, alto sax, clarinet, flute; Calvin Jackson, piano; Fred Katz, cello; Don Payne, bass; Gene Estes, drums.
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