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 ReadingRed Mitchell
The Haig – Part Six
The Bud Shank Quartet returned to The Haig at the beginning of 1957. The Ad Lib column in the January 9, 1957, issue of Down Beat noted that Shank’s return gave a boost to business. The same column mentioned that the Jimmy Giuffre Three spent a week at The Haig in December.
Continue ReadingThe Haig – Part Four
Newspaper ads for the Haig in 1955 were sparse. It seems that John Bennett relied on the good graces of Down Beat for the occasional mention of who was performing at the club. The twice a month publication of the magazine required considerable lead time before each issue went to press. The “freebies” were noted […]
Continue ReadingLIGHTHOUSE AT LAGUNA
Jazz became a permanent fixture at the Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach when Howard Rumsey convinced the owner, John Levine, that a regular music offering would attract patrons to the bar/cafe who would linger and leave with a lighter wallet. Levine was skeptical at first but agreed to give Rumsey a trial run. The trial […]
Continue ReadingJAZZ SCENE USA #21 – MARK MURPHY
The 21st episode of Steve Allen’s Jazz Scene USA featured Mark Murphy, vocal accompanied by Jimmy Rowles, piano; Red Mitchell, bass; Mel Lewis, drums and Steve Geradino, bongos.
Continue ReadingJAZZ SCENE USA #8 – HAROLD LAND / RED MITCHELL
The 8th episode of Steve Allen’s Jazz Scene USA featured Harold Land, tenor sax; Red Mitchell, bass; Carmell Jones, trumpet; Frank Strazzeri, piano and Lawrence Marable, drums.
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