Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XIII

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

On The Air 1957

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air features two complete radio broadcasts from late 1957. These broadcasts come from a short-lived program called Nightlife which aired on KMLA 100.3 FM beginning in the fall of 1957.

We're very fortunate that these broadcasts exist, especially when you consider the state of FM radio in 1957. FM was still somewhat a novelty and programming was mostly classical music, easy listening and other non-popular programming. As a matter of fact, most popular brands of radios that were available at that time didn't even have an FM band. AM was still king and would remain so for another 20 plus years. Besides the fact that FM wasn't widely listened to, this was a local broadcast that aired at 11:30 pm on Wednesday nights. It was a live broadcast so the only way for these programs to survive was for someone to record them off the air. (...)

These KMLA broadcasts represent a time of transition in the Lighthouse personnel and come at a time when the All-Stars were not well represented on commercial recordings. The working All-Stars unit made their last record for the Contemporary label in October of 1956, the classic "Music For Lighthousekeeping". There was one final recording for Contemporary in March of 1957 that featured an augmented version of the All-Stars to fill out a 12" release of "In The Solo Spotlight". (...)

For this members-only CD we have included two full broadcasts both with the same personnel: Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, Frank Rosolino, Victor Feldman, Howard Rumsey and Stan Levey. One broadcast comes from November 20, 1957 and the other from December 18 featuring a special program devoted to the music of Bob Cooper.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars On the Air gives us a rare opportunity to transport ourselves back to the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach circa 1957 to experience the West Coast Jazz scene at it's finest. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

1 - I Deal • Broadcast Introduction

(Sonny Clark) • (Donn Harling [Announcer])

2 - Jazz Invention

(Bob Cooper)

3 - Nightlife

(Bob Cooper)

4 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

5 - Octavia

(Bob Cooper)

6 - Moto

(Bob Cooper)

7 - Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

8 - Snap The Whip

(Bob Cooper)

9 - Topsy

(Durham, Battle)

10 - Jubilation

(Bob Cooper)

11 - Somebody Loves Me

(Gershwin, MacDonald, DeSylva)

12 - Round Midnight

(Thelonious Monk)

13 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

14 - Musician Introductions • Lighthouse Commercial

(Donn Harling [Announcer])

15 - Long Ago And Far Away

(Kern, Gershwin)

16 - Topsy • Broadcast Closing

(Durham, Battle)

Howard Rumsey (leader, bass), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Victor Feldman (piano, vibes), Stan Levey (drums).

KMLA's "Night Life" Broadcast from Lighthouse Cafe,

September 19 (#1 to #6) and November 20 (#7 to #16), 1957