Five-Star Collection... Bill Evans and Jim Hall

Bill Evans & Jim Hall

Undercurrent

In June 1961, Bill Evans reached the pinnacle of jazz with his trio at New York's Village Vanguard. However, the euphoria was brutally cut short just days later by the tragic death of his bassist, Scott LaFaro. Devastated, Evans withdrew from the world and stopped playing for nearly a year. It was Jim Hall who gently pulled him out of the darkness. Undercurrent was that saving grace—a masterpiece born from raw healing and absolute creative empathy.

The visual gateway to this profound rebirth is one of the most hauntingly beautiful covers in jazz history. The striking image, captured by pioneering photographer Toni Frissell in December 1947 at Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida, depicts a performer suspended in crystalline waters like an underwater phantom. Her drifting white dress embodies the very essence of the album's title: a weightless, deep, and silent undercurrent that mirrors the quiet intensity of Evans' piano and Hall's guitar.

Yet, when turning over the sleeve of this deeply emotional and visual album, any collector expecting traditional, comforting liner notes is in for a shock. Instead, we run into a wonderful, cryptic anomaly titled "Wait Quickly", signed by the experimental writer Barry J. Titus.

Leaving the sacred jazz critics of the day aside, visionary producer Alan Douglas decided that this profound return to music shouldn't be explained, but rather translated into modern art. The result is a sharp literary fiction; a cross between hard-boiled pulp and William Burroughs' cut-up beat poetry, masterfully driven by the stream of consciousness technique immortalized by James Joyce in Ulysses.

Titus shatters syntax and discards punctuation, blending flashes of pure poetry with mundane, everyday thoughts—perhaps capturing the fragmented mind of a healing genius. Yet, through the apparent chaos, real clues from the studio remain: explicit mentions of the piano leg shadows ("piano leg shadows"), the instrument's keys ("fat ended keys"), and even the fetishized date of May 15th, 1959.

Do not look for linear logic here; this text has dated in a way the music never will, yet it remains a fascinating relic meant to be felt. Below, we share this visual and literary experiment for you to experience on your screen while letting the music play...

Rimmed iron wheels chew candy between tracks window smithers Xmas tree window silver money fleeing present unone given coca cola smiling blank wall perspires omens heads nodding close gaped lips seen stick stuck taxi sign disrobes May 15th, 1959, hanging about her knees mail bundle wheeled cripple clutches Read Wall Street clock white sun monocle IIV or VII long blink see eyes time? Appari-tional liquid hesitates a foot, a universe below the white paint-trussed varicose cieling. Liquid slips, drops, unoutlineable shape, presenting absence, glides unreal, an excuse for splattering focus, a school of Dolphins or a dark Grecian head. Virtu-oso: practice makes perfect. Two sharps. Ice crystal diamond egg frog oan wrkwrx-wrxwrx. Donned rubber belts nose mouth. Nub knuckled fingers bounce overfilled heat tear salt balling. Again. Two sharps: Ice crystal, diamonkey, egg, nail rubonk, snill. Huhhh. Snill. rubru, nail, frog, dia-mond many windows flash ice. Air out. Curtain fingers, cieling lines, French door bars gripped unstill sun broiling play, fat ended keys with black spines. “How could the Augsburg festival have been in Vienna, hah! Loewy?” Paint corner her jagged lip fingertips petrified red cream smile flicked starving grotto. “I mean is she a satirist or,” her tendon muscle stomach dieted twist the flat skirt front. “I think she needs a milk man, Loewy.” The shambled, bent, stripped fingers forked each others angles. His imagination chained in Veronica’s orange ochre wallpaper, blankets. A quick-silver limb paints the swamptoon. “Yes, I do!” shook, he shivered, remembering, room loose daggers broke ice bergs about them. Peanut butter note, Fang, Fang. Ice Fang back wriggled sorcerer hand hung dead skin frog fangs back Mama into Eassie leap shrunk from the door hid sharpened tusk hallway awwrice fang bump jump. “Six fifteen,” growled grate hunched on the sofa. “You’re presence is expiring, I mean, inspiring.” Blue, yellow tinged, Mars capillaried, eye, blue crystal, whites slash, “I know what I want! Why is it such a struggle for you? I feel revolu-tions.” Lie quicksilver idealisation limb delusion chrome rationalisation dance dragged curtained bog cracked ice ama-zon child’s burning nerves. Always left whiskers, uneven fingernails, premature orgasms hairy legs, long nose pranthula. Go play. Eat chocolate cake, peanut but-ter, pickles, but clean your room and wash your elbows. Ceiling lines, piano leg shad-ows, French door bars, eleven to four thirty. “Ma!” shook the still fingers. Rec-tangled silence coagulated, scraped wait-ing, dangling. Daddyeeee drove him smack clamored up back fallen stairs into the quilt where a silk wrapped, dark quaked moon bled tears. Run vanity open smear black commaed cheek. “Coups d’etat!” forehead burst powder, lipstick ribboned run eye shadow sink spit spigot greyened clear washed black rubbed lather pushed red pressed tan smeared blue smudged grey circled one eye deathlaughcue hic-cupping criggle vermouth spread on the table top gash crystal core neck glass cupped fingers polished green. A silver ghost hears. Life illuminates a paper screen. Eyes dance truth’s instrument. Sieve, sickle and sloat, the rad grimes grey molds parted skins furrowed tissue lives skeletal screams. Long brown stone blunt nose raised, “Naked day?” puffed sound hat swivel, “I don’t know what to say.” Jagged leaning brown limbed face. His eyes crumbled smiles smoke dust wound warm bricks.

*"Wait Quickly" by Barry J. Titus (from the liner notes)*

This collaboration between Evans and Hall has resulted in some of the most beautiful, thoroughly ingratiating music it has been my pleasure to hear —now or any other time. Each of the selections is suffused with a lyric charm, a tenderness, an elegance, an unabashed romanticism that take one's breath away. These joint inventions have the stamp of inevitability about them, the ring of utter verity in every line and note —the result of a perfect meeting of minds.

Yet not only is the music remarkable for its delicacy and subtlety of interaction, it is immediately appealing for its manifest loveliness. Of the six selections, five are warm, ardent ballads. They are afforded reflective, luminous performances that emphasize to the utmost the lyricism of the songs, yet are never cloying or overdone. It would be difficult to imagine more perfect realizations of the songs —especially "Dream Gypsy" and Hall's attractive "Romain"— for on every one there are any number of moments of glowing, unalloyed beauty, as Evans and Hall spin out their shimmering entwining lines.

The sixth song, "Valentine", is something of a dark horse. Reportedly, United Artists wanted an entire collection of ruminative ballads on the order of the first five; but after the session at which the ballads were recorded, Evans and Hall continued to play for their own satisfaction. Fortunately, the tape machines were left running. Fortunately, because "Valentine" is sure to assume the status of a classic.

Taken at a medium-up tempo, the track is a truly astonishing display of collective creation, with two of jazz' foremost lyrical players at peak form, responding to each other's inventions in a ceaseless, probing, restless and powerful rush of extemporization, producing a seamless whole of force, intensity, and impassioned fervor.

On this track Evans plays in a harder, more jabbing, and extroverted style than has been his wont, supporting Hall's lead lines with a series of fragmented, angular, broken-rhythm chord patterns, and phrasing in his own solos in a lithe, muscular, fiery manner. It's an explosive, highly exciting performance, one that never lets up and which builds to a strong climax.

In the face of such blazing beauty, any attempts at description or analysis are bound to prove fruitless. This music must be heard, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to jazz fans of all persuasions. You can't help but respond to this, for music of this high order knows no age or school. Real art never does. *Pete Welding (Down Beat, November 22, 1962 [5 stars])*

1 - My Funny Valentine (alternate take)

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

2 - My Funny Valentine

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

3 - I Hear A Rhapsody

(Fragos, Baker, Gasparre)

4 - Dream Gypsy

(Judith Veevers)

5 - Stairway To The Stars

(Malneck, Signorelli, Parish)

6 - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

(Bassman, Washington)

7 - Romain

(Jim Hall)

8 - Romain (alternate take)

(Jim Hall)

9 - Skating In Central Park

(John Lewis)

10 - Darn That Dream

(DeLange, VanHeusen)

Bill Evans (piano), Jim Hall (guitar)

Recorded at Sound Makers, New York City,

April 24 (#3, #5, #6) and May 14 (#1, #2, #4, #7 to #10), 1962

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXI ★ with Stan Getz (II)

Stan Getz

With

The Lighthouse All-Stars • 1953

Having presented in our previous post Stan Getz's extraordinary stint at the Lighthouse on September 14, 1952, chronology now moves us eight months forward. We find ourselves on May 31, 1953, to examine a fundamental document that records, once again, the participation of the tenor sax giant and jazz musician par excellence as a guest alongside the Lighthouse Allstars. This new series of exciting live performances at the Lighthouse Café on Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach, California, was captured by recording engineer Bob Andrews using a single microphone and a tape recorder.

Getz was born on February 27, 1927, in Philadelphia. His real name was Stanley Gayetzki, but his parents changed it due to discrimination. Discovered by Woody Herman's producer, by the late 1940s and into the 1950s he had already made a name for himself, being acclaimed during those years as "The Sound." He can be considered an exceptional musician who remained at the forefront throughout his entire life, continuing his musical activity until shortly before passing away from liver cancer in California on June 6, 1991.

On the other hand, the Lighthouse Allstars—the band backing Getz on this occasion—were the house group at the club. Although Shorty Rogers and Jimmy Giuffre were the central figures of the ensemble at that time, for this session we have Teddy Charles on vibes, Russ Freeman on piano, leader Howard Rumsey on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums.

The vibrant beach atmosphere can be felt throughout this magnificent compilation of live West Coast Jazz. The festive crowd enjoyed these jam sessions, and their enthusiasm drove the band, inspiring an energy that transforms the dynamics wherever the recording is played. If some of the horns—Getz, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre—seem slightly off-mic, it must be kept in mind that these are neither perfectly balanced nor professionally mixed recordings. However, it is by no means a sloppy audience tape; the overall sound is surprisingly consistent, and the music is exceptional, including brilliant passages by vibraphonist Teddy Charles.

Amidst this impeccable rhythm section, Getz sounds divine on every track, in any company, no matter what happens. Great moments abound in this superb compilation, where two extensions of Basie's repertoire stand out in particular: an interpolation of nearly 12 minutes of Harry "Sweets" Edison's "Jive at Five" and a magnetically modern rendition of Eddie Durham's "Topsy". Ultimately, the album stands as a valuable session that splendidly captures Getz's golden era in 1953.

Off Note:

It is imperative to warn the reader and collector about the gross editorial errors carried by the CD edition of this volume (coordinated under the Interplay/Norma label).

In the first place, the front cover incurs a flagrant chronological error by dating the session as 1954, when historical documentation and the liner notes themselves unanimously confirm that the recording took place on May 31, 1953.

Allow me the boldness of presenting this album cover as it should have been, if only as an illustration:

In the second place (and as a warning to those who can read the Japanese text), an analysis of the liner notes—signed by producer Yasunori Iwanami—reveals an alarming lack of editorial oversight. The text enthusiastically describes the performance of songs that are not present on the CD, surely due to recycling generic information from the complete All-Stars sessions, completely ignoring the actual content of the disc.

As if that were not enough, the tray card adds two other monumental errors:

a) "Jive At Five" is listed as "Jive Jumpin'" and credited to Claude Williamson. This is a doubly egregious blunder, given that "Jive at Five" is an absolute classic by Count Basie and Harry "Sweets" Edison from 1938. By mistitling it, they confuse the piece with a later composition or arrangement, stripping the track of its true historical roots.

b) "So Long Broadway" is presented under the title "Heading Hermosa" and credited to Stu Williamson, which is nothing short of a record label fantasy. They decided to alter the original title of the composition to provide some "local color" related to Hermosa Beach, burying the song's real name.

Let us then separate the wheat from the chaff: the music of Getz and the All-Stars in May '53 is sublime, but the packaging of this edition is a true disappointment that we take charge of amending here. The correct information is as follows:

1 - Only Have Eyes For You

(Al Dubin, Harry Warren)

2 - Jive At Five (as Jive Jumpin')

(Count Basie, Harry "Sweets" Edison)

3 - Moonlight In Vermont

(John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf)

4 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

5 - So Long Broadway (as Heading Hermosa)

(Teddy Charles)

6 - Topsy

(Eddie Durham, Edgar Battle)

Stan Getz, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax);

Teddy Charles (vibes); Russ Freeman (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, May 31, 1953

(to be continued...)

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XX ★ with Stan Getz (I)

Stan Getz

Scrapple From The Apple

Live At The Lighthouse 1952

The story behind this recording is actually a fascinating stroke of luck. On that particular night back in 1952, Jimmy Giuffre —The Lighthouse's regular tenor sax player—was a no-show. As it turned out, Woody Herman’s big band happened to be in Los Angeles on tour at the exact same time, so the club scrambled and called in Arno Marsh, one of Herman's current saxophonists, to fill the empty chair.

But the real magic happened when Stan Getz caught wind of the gig. Getz was already a massive jazz superstar by then, and since he had also been an alumnus of the Woody Herman band a few years prior, he decided to drop by the club completely unannounced. He literally just showed up out of the blue and jumped on stage to join the jam session.

Thanks to the ex-drummer and producer Bob Andrews, who happened to be capturing everything on tape, this unexpected encounter was saved for posterity. In fact, these tapes are the only surviving records of Getz and Arno Marsh sharing the spotlight together at The Lighthouse, making this release a truly unique, legendary piece of jazz history.

Toshinari Myonaka, a renowned Japanese jazz producer and critic widely known for his archival historical releases, concluded the album's original liner notes—dated February 13, 2013—with the following detailed analysis of the musicians and the repertoire from that unrepeatable evening:

About the Musicians:

Writing a lengthy biography for Stan Getz (1927–1991) is hardly necessary. He was a true superstar who played with top-tier big bands such as Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Woody Herman, eventually transcending the boundaries of jazz with his massive 1963 Bossa Nova hits.

On the other hand, since the co-featured tenor saxophonist, Arno Marsh, is less widely known, I would like to share a few details about him. I have verified directly from those close to him that he is not related to Warne Marsh, despite sharing a similar last name. Arno was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1928.

He began his musical journey with private alto saxophone lessons and played with local bands before switching to tenor sax during the dance band era. From 1951 to 1953, he was a member of Woody Herman's big band (The Third Herd), where his bandmates included Bill Perkins. After temporarily returning to his hometown of Grand Rapids, he played in Red Norvo's band from 1955 to 1958. Following the band's dissolution in Las Vegas in 1958, he relocated there permanently. While making a living as a house painter, he continued to perform with local Las Vegas bands.

In a magazine interview, Arno cited Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Lester Young as his earliest and most significant influences on the saxophone. He also named Sonny Rollins, Wardell Gray, and Stan Getz as his personal favorites.

As he entered the 1990s, he began releasing albums as a leader. He recorded a substantial number of sessions for the local label WOOFY, including co-led albums with trombonist Carl Fontana. As a side note, his son, Randy Marsh, is also active as a jazz drummer.

Since Getz played in Herman's band from 1947 to 1949, and Arno was there in the early '50s, their timelines didn't directly overlap, though they certainly knew of each other. Because this session was recorded while Arno was still actively touring with the Herman band, it is highly likely he visited The Lighthouse during a Los Angeles tour stop and was asked to fill in for Giuffre.

As for the other musicians, they are the familiar faces of the regular All-Stars. Shorty Rogers (1924–1994), Milt Bernhart (1926–2004), Hampton Hawes (1928–1977), and Shelly Manne (1920–1984) have all passed away. Bassist Howard Rumsey is the sole survivor, but since he turns 96 in November of this year, he is no longer performing and is currently resting in the town of Hemet, California.

About this Album:

Although this album features only three tracks, each one is an extended, sprawling performance lasting over ten minutes.

The opening track is Charlie Parker's "Scrapple From The Apple". The first tenor solo is delivered by Getz, followed by Rogers on trumpet, and then Arno Marsh takes his turn. In Arno's playing, you can hear that while he was a self-proclaimed fan of Rollins, he was also heavily influenced by Getz and Lester Young.

The second track, the standard "Love Me or Leave Me", also kicks off with a solo by Getz. After Milt Bernhart's trombone solo, it's Arno Marsh's turn—but for some reason, he switches to the clarinet for his solo. It was quite rare for Getz, who was highly particular about fellow tenor players, to step aside so graciously for another saxophonist on stage, but there is absolutely no sense of rivalry here. The performance seamlessly transitions into solos by Rogers, Hawes, and Manne. Arno's clarinet style leans beautifully close to that of Lester Young.

The third track is "Tiny's Blues", composed by drummer Tiny Kahn. Since Kahn also spent time in Woody Herman's band, this track was likely selected by Arno Marsh, who was both a contemporary and a fellow alumnus of that orchestra. The solo sequence here begins with Milt Bernhart's trombone, followed by another appearance by Arno Marsh on clarinet. After Shorty Rogers' trumpet solo, Getz takes the spotlight, and Hampton Hawes delivers a stellar performance. This recording captures Hawes in peak musical form, right before he was drafted into the military and stationed in Japan shortly after this date.

As you listen through the tracks, you can hear how the regular Lighthouse All-Stars grow increasingly inspired, pushing the intensity of their performance to a higher level under the stimulation of their guest for the night.

*Toshinari Myonaka (from the japanese liner notes)*

Scrapple from the Apple: Live at the Lighthouse 1952 features saxophonist Stan Getz performing live in a jam session recorded at the legendary Hermosa Beach nightclub the Lighthouse in 1952. Among the West Coast jazz luminaries joining Getz here are trumpeter Shorty Rogers, pianist Hampton Hawes, drummer Shelly Manne, saxophonist Arno Marsh, trombonist Milt Bernhart, and Lighthouse owner bassist Howard Ramsey. This is a lo-fi recording with all the requisite background crowd noise and generally fuzzy audio. Nonetheless, independent recordings like this often capture the raw, unrehearsed energy and vibe of a certain time and place; Scrapple from the Apple is no exception. This is a high-energy, heavy-swinging bop-oriented date that is well worth checking out. *Matt Collar (allmusic.com)*

1 - Scrapple From The Apple

(Charlie Parker)

2 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Walter Donaldson)

3 - Tiny's Blues

(Tiny Kahn)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), 

Stan Getz (tenor sax), Arno Marsh (tenor sax [#1], clarinet [#2, #3],

Hampton Hawes (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, September 14, 1952

More Art Pepper at The Lighthouse Cafe

Art Pepper

Complete Straight Ahead Sessions

By the spring of 1953, the Lighthouse Cafe had already become one of the central laboratories of the emerging West Coast sound. Week after week, musicians, arrangers, and restless young soloists gathered there for the long Sunday sessions that blurred the line between the atmosphere of an informal jam session and genuine artistic experimentation. Somewhere among the crowded tables, cigarette smoke, and constant movement of the club, Bob Andrews once again set up his portable Pentron tape recorder, unknowingly capturing one of the very few documented encounters between Art Pepper and Sonny Clark.

Although later associated with different musical worlds, Pepper and Clark met here at a fascinating transitional moment in their careers. Pepper, already one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from the California scene, was still refining the lyrical and emotionally direct style that would later define his mature work. Clark, several years away from his celebrated Blue Note recordings, had not yet fully entered the New York hard-bop circuit that would make him one of the essential pianists of his generation. These performances capture both musicians before mythology had fully formed around them. The original 10-inch "Straight Ahead" releases preserve Pepper at a particularly luminous moment in his early development, shortly before the legal and personal difficulties of the mid-1950s temporarily removed him from the center of the jazz scene.

The historical importance of these tapes lies not only in their rarity — live open-reel recordings of this kind were still highly unusual in 1953 — but also in the spontaneous atmosphere they retain. Far removed from the controlled environment of the recording studio, the music reflects the genuine sound of the Lighthouse scene itself: relaxed, exploratory, and deeply rooted in the weekly musical life of Hermosa Beach.

By this time, Bob Andrews had already become a familiar presence within the Southern California jazz scene, moving quietly from club to club with his tape recorder and single microphone. What had begun simply as a personal fascination with the music would eventually evolve into one of the most valuable private archives of early West Coast jazz, later issued through Andrews' own Vantage label and subsequent reissues.

The repertoire heard throughout these sessions moves comfortably between standards and originals, but the true fascination of the material lies in the musical dialogue itself. Pepper's luminous alto sound contrasts naturally with Clark's darker, more rhythmically grounded approach, producing a musical tension that gives the performances much of their character. Heard today, these recordings function not merely as collector's items, but as rare surviving fragments from a period when the language of modern jazz on the West Coast was still being shaped night after night inside clubs like the Lighthouse.

As with many surviving documents from this period, the technical limitations of the original tapes remain secondary to the remarkable historical testimony they provide.

Admittedly, this Jazz Factory double disc leaves something to be desired in the sound reproduction and mastering departments. But it is of little consequence when one considers the historical value of the performances here that showcase Art Pepper early in his solo career, with Sonny Clark on piano. The sound quality — which isn't terrible by a long shot and is not noisy, just less than sparkling — becomes no deterrent at all when one hears the illustrious communication between Pepper and Clark — making Clark seem like the bandleader, incidentally.

The rhythm section of drummer Bobby White, and bassist and cellist Harry Babasin are not terribly remarkable, except that they swing very hard on the blues. But Pepper, who defers to Clark in many places, is at his lyrical best as a soloist here, and Clark's gorgeous and funky chordal structures provide him with a lush and street-savvy base from which to fly into the his hardest-sounding blues and bop runs from the early days. This may be for Pepper and Clark collectors only, but it should appeal to anyone interested in the only true joining of hard bop and West Coast traditions.

*Thom Jurek*

CD 1

1 - Brown Gold

(Art Pepper)

2 - These Foolish Things

(Jack Strachey, Eric Maschwitz)

3 - Tickle Toe

(Lester Young)

4 - Tenderly

(Jack Lawrence, Walter Gross)

5 - Strike Up the Band

(George and Ira Gershwin)

6 - Night And Day

(Cole Porter)

7 - Deep Purple

(Peter DeRose, Mitchell Parish) 

CD 2

1 - Bluebird

(Charlie Parker)

2 - Pennies From Heaven

(Johnny Burke, Arthur Johnston)

3 - 'S Wonderful

(George and Ira Gershwin)

4 - Holiday Flight

(Art Pepper)

Art Pepper (alto sax), Sonny Clark (piano),

Harry Babasin (bass, cello), Bobby White (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, 

March 30 (#7 [CD1], #1, #4 [CD2]), April 1 (#2, #3 [CD2]) and May 31 (#1 to #6 [CD1]), 1953

 

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XIX ★ with Art Pepper (II)

Bob Andrews Presents

Art Pepper

Live At The Lighthouse '52

Ten days after the performance documented in the previous post, the music at the Lighthouse Cafe continued uninterrupted. Another Sunday afternoon, another crowded room, and once again the tape recorder of Bob Andrews quietly captured the sound of a scene that, at the time, few could have imagined would later acquire historical significance.

Recorded live in 1952, this performance preserves a young Art Pepper appearing as a guest soloist during the formative years of what would soon be identified worldwide as West Coast Jazz. The historical importance of these tapes lies not only in their rarity — open-reel live recordings of this kind were still highly unusual in the early 1950s — but also in the atmosphere they preserve: informal, spontaneous, and far removed from the controlled environment of the recording studio. What survives here is the genuine sound of the Lighthouse scene itself.

Much of that atmosphere survives thanks to Andrews, an amateur drummer, jazz enthusiast, and record shop owner who, during the early 1950s, began carrying a portable Pentron tape recorder from club to club across the Los Angeles area. Using little more than a single microphone and whatever connection or corner the venue allowed him, he documented performances at the Lighthouse, the Tradewinds, the Surf Club, and countless informal sessions that otherwise would have vanished completely. What may have seemed at the time like an almost quixotic obsession gradually became one of the most important private archives of early West Coast jazz.

Bob Andrews would later found Record Ville in the South Bay area and eventually establish Vantage Records, the label through which many of those recordings finally reached the public years later. Like Jerry Newman a decade earlier in New York, Andrews unintentionally became one of the great sonic archivists of a jazz movement while it was still unfolding in real time.

The repertoire presented here consists largely of standards, alongside two originals by pianist Frank Patchen, but the central attraction is unmistakably Pepper himself. His performance on “Over the Rainbow” — already emerging as one of the defining features of his repertoire — reveals the lyrical phrasing, rhythmic assurance, and emotional directness that would later establish him as one of the essential voices of modern jazz. Even at this early stage, his improvisations already possess the unmistakable fluidity and imagination of a fully formed musical personality.

More than a conventional live album, this recording functions as an unguarded document of a particular place and moment: the weekly musical life of Hermosa Beach at the precise moment when an entire jazz language was beginning to take shape.

Off note:

The audio quality is naturally limited by the portable equipment and live conditions of the period, yet recordings such as this remain invaluable for the vivid glimpse they offer into the real atmosphere of the early West Coast scene.

1 - Tickle Toe

(Lester Young)

2 - Jumpin' At The Woodside

(Count Basie)

3 - September Song

(Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson)

4 - Avalon

(Vincent Rose, Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson)

5 - Over The Rainbow

(Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg)

6 - Keen And Peachy

(Frank Patchen)

7 - These Foolish Things

(Jack Strachey, Eric Maschwitz)

8 - Dickie's Dream

(Count Basie, Lester Young)

9 - Yesterdays

(Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach)

10 - Another Hair

(Frank Patchen)

11 - Indiana

(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Art Pepper (alto sax),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Frank Patchen (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, January 6, 1952

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XVIII ★ with Art Pepper (I)

Art Pepper & Shorty Rogers

Complete Lighthouse Sessions

Nothing better illustrates this post than Ted Gioia's book, "West Coast Jazz". 

In the chapter "From the Lighthouse" — where he recounts the history of the cafe — there's a section titled "The dropping-off station", where he mentions this recording, comparing it to the first in the series released by the Contemporary Coast Jazz label:

The Lighthouse, for all its eventual fame, was a challenging — and often exasperating — jazz venue. The long hours were legendary, the quarters cramped and incommodious, the audience frequently loud and disrespectful. The musicians responded, however, with a positive energy that was often surprising, given the inclement surroundings. Jimmy Giuffre, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, and other Lighthouse regulars later gained renown for bringing chamber music restraint to jazz combo playing, but the early work documented in their live Lighthouse recordings shows no such cool and controlled neoclassicism. These were spirited blowing dates with no holds barred, as rambunctious and unpredictable as the turbulent surf waves outside the door. Even Giuffre, arguably the king of cool understatement (he later mastered the technique of constructing a whole solo from an extended, pitchless, breathy sound), often worked up an uncharacteristic sweat when playing on Pier Avenue.

The initial Lighthouse album on Contemporary captured precisely this informal spontaneity. From the riff-like swing of the opening number, Jimmy Giuffre's "Four Others", to the crowd-rousing finale, an extended jam on the same composer's "La Soncaille", the All-Stars take off on the musical material at hand with considerable abandon. This band was loaded with arrangers, but its charts were mostly bare bones and at times even nonexistent. Hampton Hawes's noteworthy work on "All the Things You Are" is a case in point: There is no apparent arrangement or elaborate game plan here, just a quartet blowing its way through one of the oldest standards in the book. Yet Les Koenig found the results memorable enough to give Hawes a contract with Contemporary.

An earlier private recording of a Lighthouse session featuring Shorty Rogers and Art Pepper (later released on the Xanadu label) reveals an even more free-wheeling ensemble. In fact, the music recorded here might seem to be completely at odds with the personnel. Supported by a rhythm section consisting of Rumsey, Patchen, and Manne, Pepper and Rogers led a veritable West Coast all-star band. But the music taken down by Bob Andrews's portable Pentron recorder is New York bebop plain and simple. Tearing through "Scrapple from the Apple", "Cherokee", "Tin Tin Deo", and other East Coast standards, the front line was driving hard — and clearly driving under the influence of Bird and Dizzy. Here again the Lighthouse setting roused the musicians to a higher level of intensity than was their wont. The change was not always for the better — sometimes the Lighthouse performances took on a ragged quality — but the music more often captured an infectious spark that many of these musicians rarely matched elsewhere. 

This 1951 club recording isn't going to excite audiophiles — the quality is iffy, having been accomplished with a hobbyist's portable recorder — but for serious fans of saxophonist Art Pepper and the West Coast jazz school, it's a rare treat. Both Pepper and trumpeter Shorty Rogers had only recently departed Stan Kenton's Orchestra when they found themselves gigging with the group that would eventually develop, sans Pepper, into the Lighthouse All Stars featuring drummer Shelly Manne, pianist Frank Patchen, and bassist Howard Rumsey. Although many of the tunes are standards such as "Robbins Nest", "Scrapple from the Apple", "Body and Soul" and "Cherokee", the light, airy sound that would come to typify the West Coast school is already in clear evidence. Pepper, whose prior recording history had been limited to big band sides, proves himself a confident master in the small group setting, and this performance is among his finest. Trumpeter Rogers, who would later earn a reputation as a superb arranger and composer, gives an indication of what's to come with his bluesy "Popo". *Fred Goodman*

Off note:

There are two versions of this recording. The one presented here is the more recent 2001 edition, although it also includes the artwork from the original Xanadu Records release.

It should also be noted that the title "Complete Lighthouse Sessions" is somewhat misleading, since in 1996 Vantage Record Company issued another concert by the same two musicians, recorded only ten days after the performance presented here.

But that will be the subject of the next post.

1 - Popo

(Shorty Rogers)

2 - What's New?

(Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke)

3 - Lullaby In Rhythm

(Clarence Profit, Edgar Sampson, Benny Goodman)

4 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

5 - Robbins Nest

(Illinois Jacquet)

6 - Scrapple From The Apple

(Charlie Parker)

7 - Body And Soul

(Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour)

8 - Jive At Five

(Harry Edison)

9 - Tin Tin Deo

(Gil Fuller, Chano Pozo)

10 - Cherokee

(Ray Noble)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Art Pepper (alto sax),

Frank Patchen (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, December 27, 1951

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XVII ★ September 13, 1953

Based on Witch Doctor and At Last!, presented in previous posts, it is possible to begin reconstructing the historical significance of what took place on September 13, 1953 at the Lighthouse Café: a Sunday that would later be recognized as one of the most extensively documented in the club’s history, even if those initial releases only captured fragments of the day’s activity.

What follows here comes closer than any previous release to that full picture: a near-complete document of the Lighthouse's activity from opening to closing time.

First, it marked the only known attempt to record an entire day at the Lighthouse. Significantly, the day had not even been planned as a recording session: according to producer Ed Michel, the documentation came about largely by chance. The tapes made by Cecil Charles Spiller —labeled "Crazy Sunday"— together with the parallel recordings by Donald Dean, preserve nearly seven hours of non-overlapping material, covering the full span from 2:00 pm to 2:00 am. Spiller, a jazz enthusiast and photographer who frequently brought his monaural tape machine to the club, was responsible for the primary location recordings. Rather than a conventional session, it captured the continuous flow of a typical Sunday: shifting lineups, guest appearances, and evolving repertoire.

This particular Sunday also marked the debut of a new Lighthouse All-Stars lineup, led by Howard Rumsey, following the departure of key figures such as Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Frank Patchen, and Shelly Manne. The new group featured Rolf Ericson, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, Claude Williamson, and Max Roach, and was still working through largely unrehearsed material.

A decisive factor was the presence of guests, including Miles Davis and Chet Baker. Their meeting —later framed through the lens of a supposed rivalry— has become one of the most frequently cited aspects of the day. Yet, according to Howard Rumsey, the atmosphere was far more relaxed than legend would suggest.

The alleged tension had a concrete background. In 1953, Davis had not yet reached the stature he would soon attain, while Baker was enjoying heightened visibility following his work with Gerry Mulligan and his emergence as a "new star" in Down Beat polls. Reports circulated —never fully verifiable— suggesting that Davis viewed Baker as an imitator of his style and resented the attention he was receiving. Over time, this narrative solidified into a widely accepted account of friction between the two. Still, the available evidence remains fragmentary, and it is impossible to determine with certainty what actually transpired between them that day.

What can be established is that they did share the bandstand, albeit briefly and only partially documented: the surviving fragment of "Get Happy" captures Baker beginning a solo immediately after Davis. Baker then departs, and the set continues. This detail challenges the long-standing claim that the two never played together that day.

LA Jazz Institute Presents

The Complete Crazy Sunday At The Lighthouse

September 13, 1953

The new All-Stars made their Sunday debut on September 13, 1953, and a packed house showed up to hear the new group.

By this time the Sunday Jazz Concert hours had expanded with a start time of 2:00pm and an end time of 2:00am, with an hour break for dinner at 6:00.

The special guests hired by Rumsey for this occasion were Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Herb Geller and Lorraine Geller. Jimmy Giuffre, Russ Freeman and Shelly Manne all came back to appear in somewhat of a ceremonial transition from the old group to the new. Howard remembered Mingus being there and playing some intermission piano.

Contemporary Records decided to try another live recording, and sent Cecil Charles (Spiller) back once again to capture the days proceedings. On the original tape boxes he wrote the phrase "Crazy Sunday" which is how he perceived the events of the day.

In reality it wasn't all that crazy. It was just a typical Sunday in a long line of Sunday concerts at the Lighthouse.

Howard Rumsey recalled "To me it was a nervous day trying to do business and record at the same time. Plus it was a new band and we were playing lots of unrehearsed material which was new to them." (...)

The original recordings were planned for Contemporary Records but were shelved soon after and not released. There are a variety of factors that led to that, which included the fact that Miles was under contract with Prestige, Chet was under contract with Pacific, and Howard thought it was too soon to be recording the new group. They were not familiar with the music yet and needed more time to gel.

Some of these recordings finally saw the light of day in the 1980's when a few of the tracks were released on two LP's. Everything else has remained un-issued. 

Luckily Howard Rumsey had a set of nine reels that were the original Cecil Charles (Spiller) recordings made that day and now reside in the Howard Rumsey Collection at the Los Angeles Jazz Institute. There is roughly about five hours of material on the Charles reels. (...)

All in all it's pretty close to the entire Sunday session, and as close as we will ever get to being able to experience what happened each and every Sunday at the Lighthouse. You will notice that there are several titles played more than once. They are all different. (...)

There are three bonus tracks at the end of disc 4 that feature the new All-Stars with Chet Baker as the added guest. The personnel matches disc 1 and 2 of this collection. These are three orphan tracks that only have the date listed as September 1953. It's a reasonable assumption that these are more tracks recorded on September 13. The group is the same, the ambiance is the same, and they were recorded by Cecil Charles. It's unlikely Chet and Charles both returned the next week, so I would guess they are probably from the same date. Since we don't know for sure we are treating them as bonus tracks.

The first four discs are the Cecil Charles Spiller recordings in the order they exist on each tape reel.

Discs five and six are the Donald Dean tapes in the order they were recorded.

The Complete Crazy Sunday is a very important historical document and we are happy to be able to share it with you. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

Although the presence of major guest artists undoubtedly contributed to the energy of the performances, the sheer quantity and overall quality of the music produced that day remain remarkable. It would be misleading to assume that every Sunday reached this level, yet these recordings clearly reflect the consistency of the band. In fact, the solos documented on September 13, 1953 rank among the most creative and compelling preserved in the All-Stars’ recorded output.

Now, at last, what was recorded on that September 13 —for decades scattered, partially issued, or simply unavailable— can be heard in near-complete form thanks to one of the most ambitious restorations of this material: the 6-CD collection The Complete Crazy Sunday at the Lighthouse – September 13, 1953, released in 2023 by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute.

Carefully assembled from fragmentary sources, it offers an unprecedented opportunity to experience a full Sunday at the Lighthouse as it actually unfolded—continuous, imperfect, and ultimately irreproducible.

*CD 1*

1 - Funnyfied

(Giuffre)

2 - Bean Bag (a.k.a. Beau Boy = a.k.a. Loki)

(Rogers)

3 - Out Of Somewhere

(Giuffre)

4 - Loaded

(Miller)

5 - I'll Remember April

(de Paul, Johnston, Raye)

6 - My Funny Valentine

(Rodgers, Hart)

7 - Maid In Mexico

(Freeman)

8 - At Last

(Gordon, Warren)

9 - Winter Wonderland

(Bernard, Smith)

10 - Pirouette

(Rogers)

#1, #2:

Rolf Ericson, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Claude Williamson (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#3, #4, #5:

Rolf Ericson, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax); Russ Freeman (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#6:

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Russ Freeman (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#7:

Rolf Ericson, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax); Russ Freeman (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#8, #9:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Russ Freeman (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#10:

Rolf Ericson, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Claude Williamson (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

✤✤✤✤

*CD 2*

1 - Jazz Invention

(Cooper)

2 - Which Doctor

(Cooper)

3 - Get Happy (incomplete)

(Arlen, Koehler)

4 - Infinity Promenade

(Rogers)

5 - Night In Tunisia

(Gillespie)

6 - 'Round Midnight

(Monk)

7 - Drum Conversation

(Roach)

8 - Down For Double

(Green)

9 - Maid In Mexico

(Freeman)

#1, #2:

Rolf Ericson, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Claude Williamson (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

#3:

Rolf Ericson, Miles Davis, Chet Baker (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Lorraine Geller (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#4, #5:

Rolf Ericson, Miles Davis (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Lorraine Geller (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#6:

Miles Davis (trumpet), Lorraine Geller (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#7:

Max Roach (drums).

#8, #9:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

✤✤✤✤

*CD 3*

1 - Love Letters

(Young, Herman)

2 - Dickie's Dream

(Basie, Young)

3 - Adios

(Madriguera, Woods)

4 - Fascinatin' Rhythm

(Gershwin, Gershwin)

5 - Love Letters

(Young, Herman)

6 - Limehouse Blues

(Braham, Furber)

7 - Solitaire

(Russo)

8 - Just A Few

(Rogers)

9 - Lover Man

(Ramirez, Davis, Sherman)

10 - It's Only A Paper Moon

(Arlen, Harburg, Rose)

11 - Canonade

(Cooper)

12 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Petkere, Young)

13 - Strike Up The Band

(Gershwin, Gershwin)

14 - Witch Doctor

(Cooper)

#1, #2:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#3, #4, #5, #6:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#7:

Milt Bernhart (trombone),Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#8:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#9, #10:

Bud Shank (alto sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#11:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#12, #13:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#14:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

✤✤✤✤

*CD 4*

1 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

2 - Tickle Toe

(Young)

3 - Funnyfied

(Giuffre)

4 - Cool Fool

(Cooper)

5 - Dickie's Dream

(Basie, Young)

6 - Out Of Nowhere

(Green, Heytman)

7 - Glidin' Along

(Giuffre)

8 - Beau Boy (a.k.a. Bean Bag = a.k.a. Loki)

(Rogers)

9 - Four Others

(Giuffre)

#1, #2:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#3, #4, #5:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax, baritone sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Milt Bernhart (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#6:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#7, #8, #9:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Chet Baker (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

✤✤✤✤

*CD 5*

1 - Down For Double

(Green)

2 - Funnyfied

(Giuffre)

3 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Petkere, Young)

4 -Coming Through The Rye Bread

(Rogers)

5 - I May Be Wrong

(Sullivan, Ruskin)

6 - April In Paris

(Duke, Hayburg)

7 - After You've Gone

(Layton, Creamer)

8 - I'll Remember April

(de Paul, Johnston, Raye)

9 - Morgan Davis

(Rogers)

#1, #2:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#3:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#4, #5:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#6, #7:

Herb Geller (alto sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#8, #9:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

✤✤✤✤

*CD 6*

1 - Strike Up The Band

(Gershwin, Gershwin)

2 - Woody 'N You

(Gillespie)

3 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

4 - Drum Conversation

(Roach)

5 - Cool Fool

(Cooper)

6 - Afrodesia

(Rogers)

7 - Dickie's Dream

(Basie, Young)

8 - These Foolish Things

(Strachey, Maschwitz)

9 - Taking A Chance On Love

(Duke, La Touche, Fetter)

#1:

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#2:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#3:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Claude Williamson (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

#4:

Max Roach (drums).

#5 to #9:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Herb Geller (alto sax),

Bud Shank (alto sax, baritone sax), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

Lorraine Geller (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Max Roach (drums).

✤✤✤✤

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XVI ★ with Miles Davis

Miles Davis

And

The Lighthouse All-Stas

At Last!

This and the companion album recorded for a competing label (Contemporary) captures a magical September day in 1953. The companion album is titled Witch Doctor and is more focused on Chet Baker's performance that day.

The reason I have this album five stars, aside from the historic value and the superb playing, is the sound quality. It's not spectacular, but is surprisingly good for a live performance using 1953 recording technology and techniques. Listen to the sound samples and you will hear that the mix is very good - each instrument is where it should be - and the overall quality is more than adequate to enjoy this live performance.

The first three tracks are a continuation from the companion album I mentioned above. Miles seems to have taken over from Chet by accompanying Rolf Ericson on trumpet with Bud Shank on alto and baritone sax and Bob Cooper on tenor sax completing the front line. The rhythm section is Lorraine Geller on piano, Howard Rumsey on bass and Max Roach on drums.

On track 4 Max Roach treats to a four plus minute drum composition. I am not going to call it a solo because it has melodic qualities that Max perfected and is more focused on musical values than the bombastic showmanship most drummers display when given a solo spot.

The final track features Chet Baker backed by Russ Freeman on piano, Howard Rumsey on bass and Max Roach on drums.

This album was recorded for the Fantasy label at Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach, CA on September 13, 1953. It's a rare glimpse into a West Coast institution (Rumsey's lighthouse) as well as a glimpse into the early and nascent years of West Coast jazz.

*Mike Tarrani (amazon.com)

In 1953, Miles Davis sat in one Sunday afternoon at the Lighthouse. No big deal; lots of people sat in at the Lighthouse, and Davis was no more famous than most and less famous than many. Fame, big fame, was two or three years away for Miles. There was no compelling reason to issue the recordings made that afternoon. Les Koenig probably figured he had more interesting All-Stars material in the can, so the tapes sat around for three decades. And when they emerged, guess what: they were interesting, not just historically but musically. Miles solos on classics by Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie and on a Shorty Rogers original that has an affinity for Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait". The other tracks are an intriguing drum solo by Max Roach and a lovely ballad by guests Chet Baker and Russ Freeman. This was not just another Sunday at the Lighthouse. *milesdavis.com*

Off note:

His three performances here represent the entire Miles Davis set, except for an opening "Get Happy", on which the tape machine was turned off after the first five minutes (catching only the opening trumpet and a rather nice alto solo). Miles played the entire set on a borrowed horn, and without a mute. 

"Drum Conversation," a drum solo by Max Roach, concluded the set. (Actually, on the session tape it is followed by an unidentified woman beginning to sing "That Old Black Magic"; mercifully, the tape machine was turned off almost at once. Things seem to have been pretty loose on Crazy Sunday.) The musicians left on a dinner break. The Chet Baker—Russ Freeman—Rumsey—Roach quartet version of "At Last" which closes the album was actually a part of the set preceding Davis's. Baker seems not to have ever recorded the tune, either before or since, certainly not during his West Coast period. *Ed Michel (from the liner notes)*

1 - Infinity Promenade

(Shorty Rogers)

2 - 'Round Midnight

(Bernie Hanighen, Cootie Williams, Thelonious Monk)

3 - A Night In Tunisia

(Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli)

4 - Drum Conversation

(Max Roach)

5 - At Last

(Harry Gordon, Mack Warren)

#1, #2, #3:

Miles Davis, Rolf Ericson (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax,baritone sax [#3]);

Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Lorraine Geller (piano);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

#4:

Max Roach (drums).

#5:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Russ Freeman (piano),

Howard Rumsey (bass) , Max Roach (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, September 13, 1953

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XV ★ with Chet Baker

Chet Baker

And

The Lighthouse All-Stars

Witch Doctor

Why this live performance set in the can for thirty-two years is a mystery to me. It set in the vault until it was finally released in 1985. Better late than never. This features very early Chet who is accompanied by the who's who of West Coast jazz. In fact as you run through the sound samples you will clearly hear that this is anything but the stereotypical, 'cool' music we are led to believe epitomized that style. The entire ensemble is on fire.

As you listen to the sound samples you will hear a bump or distinct shift on the last two tracks. That is because there was a personnel shift in which Bob Cooper replaces Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax in the front line and the pianist and drummer are replaced by Claude Williamson and Shelly Manne respectively.

The core tracks feature a front line comprised of Baker and Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Bud Shank on alto and baritone sax and Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax. The rhythm section features Russ Freeman on piano, Howard Rumsey on bass and Max Roach on drums.

This album was recorded for the Contemporary label at Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach, CA on September 13, 1953. There is another album, recorded for the Fantasy label, that was recorded at the venue on the same day with an expanded line-up that is also worth checking out: At Last! *Mike Tarrani (amazon.com)*

Recorded live at the famous Lighthouse club in Hermosa Beach, California this LP finds Baker playing well, if not very consistently, and features a shifting group behind him that includes, on various tracks, saxophonists Bud Shank, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre; pianists Russ Freeman, and the underrated Claude Williamson. "The Lighthouse All-Stars" included Howard Rumsey on bass and drummers Max Roach and Shelly Manne. The sound quality is fair and the playing occasionally gets a little bit sloppy — Baker's solo work on "Pirouette" is especially dodgy — but there are some moments of real inspiration, including the band' s boppish uptempo reading of "Winter Wonderland" and Manne's inventive percussion on the Latin-flavored Cooper composition "Witch Doctor". There are better introductions to the Lighthouse sound, but this album is sure to please Chet Baker fans. *Rick Anderson (allmusic.com)*

Off note:

This album is a companion volume to At Last! Miles Davis and the Lighthouse All-Stars, recorded on the same Sunday afternoon in September 1953, part of a glorious day-long session at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California (the tape boxes were marked "Crazy Sunday", which tells one something).

This group's set closed with with Bob Cooper's "Witch Doctor", which the Lighthouse All-Stars would record in Contemporary’s studio in October and again in concert performance at Laguna in June 1955. The present version features solos by Rolf Ericson, Bud Shank, Baker, and Claude Williamson, under which Bud can be heard on maracas, Bob on claves, and Rolf on cowbell.

Following the break, the next set would feature sitters-in Miles Davis and pianist Lorraine Geller. The results can be heard on the album At Last! *Ed Michel (from the liner notes)*

1 - Loaded

(Bernard Miller)

2 - I'll Remember April

(Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye)

3 - Winter Wonderland

(Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)

4 - Pirouette

(Shorty Rogers)

5 -Witch Doctor

(Bob Cooper)

Chet Baker, Rolf Ericson (trumpets); Bud Shank (alto sax, baritone sax);

Jimmy Giuffre [#1, #2], Bob Cooper [#3,#4, #5] (tenor saxes);

Russ Freeman [#1,#2, #3], Claude Williamson [#4, #5] (pianos);

Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach [#1,#2, #3], Shelly Manne [#4, #5] (drums).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California  September 13, 1953