Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXV ★ with Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan

Swing House

Gerry Mulligan On The West Coast 

Rare Ands Unissued Recordings • 1952

✤✤

More Mulligan at The Lighthouse

At the end of 1951, fleeing police pressure in New York, Gerry Mulligan embarked on a journey to the West Coast that would permanently reshape his career and the sound of modern jazz. Freshly arrived in Los Angeles, the saxophonist split his creative focus between commercial discipline—crafting dance arrangements for the Stan Kenton Orchestra—and the absolute freedom of the local club scene. It was in these informal settings that the passion and tape recorder of Bob Andrews captured, on an amateur yet historically invaluable basis, the very jam sessions that document Mulligan's transition toward worldwide acclaim and the birth of his legendary piano-less quartet. This crucial historical testament is beautifully captured by Ken Poston in the original liner notes:

At the end of 1951 Gerry Mulligan decided to leave New York and head west to Los Angeles. The vice squad had started putting heavy pressure on jazz musicians and Gerry didn’t want to put up with it any longer. His girlfriend, Gale Madden, had paved the way for Gerry to write arrangements for Stan Kenton once they got to Los Angeles. In the middle of the winter they left Manhattan and hitchhiked all the way to the west coast.

Once there they moved into the Harvey Hotel and Gerry fulfilled his writing assignment for Kenton. He also began sitting in around town at whatever jam sessions he could find. There were three places in particular that he frequented; the Showtime, in the San Fernando Valley, the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach and the Haig in the mid-Wilshire district.

Most of the recordings on this collection were made by Bob Andrews, jazz fan, record store owner and amateur recording engineer. In 1952 he had just started to take his tape recorder to local jazz clubs and although nothing has materialized from the Showtime he did capture Gerry Mulligan several times at the Lighthouse and the Haig. In addition to the jam session recordings we’ve included a few of the lesser heard dance arrangements he wrote for Kenton in 1952.

This is an important historical document because it captures Gerry just a few months after his arrival in Los Angeles and follows his progress up to the point he forms the piano-less quartet. Although he had many accomplishments by the time he came to Los Angeles, he was far from a household name in the jazz world. By the end of the year he had gained world wide attention and was instrumental in establishing the west coast jazz phenomenon.

*Ken Poston (from the liner notes)*

1 - Indiana

(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald)

This is the earliest of the Bob Andrews recordings that captured Gerry Mulligan sitting in around Los Angeles. This was actually recorded on a Saturday night and features Mulligan joining the Lighthouse rhythm section.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Frank Patchen (piano)

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

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, May 10, 1952

2 - Robbins' Nest

(Illinois Jacquet, Sir Charles Thompson)

"Robbins' Nest" features Mulligan sitting in with the Lighthouse All Stars at one of the legendary Sunday sessions at the Lighthouse.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Shorty Rogers (trumpet);

Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes); Frank Patchen (piano);

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

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 1, 1952

3 - Tiny's Blues

(Tiny Kahn)

Two nights later Mulligan was running the off-night jam session at the Haig and on this occasion Gerry played the tenor as opposed to the baritone. Tiny's Blues has been issued a few times over the years but always with the incorrect date. This recording comes from Bob Andrews original reel which has the recording date documented on the box.

Gerry Mulligan, Dave Pell (tenor saxes), Ted Ottison (trumpet);

Paul Smith (piano); Joe Mondragon (bass); Billy Wilson (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, June 3, 1952

4 - Rose Room

(Art Hickman, Harry Williams)

Bob Andrews captured Gerry once again the following week at the Haig. Gerry ran things from the bandstand but it was an open session for anyone who wanted to play. On this particular occasion both Conrad Gozzo and Gene Roland dropped by.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax); Conrad Gozzo, Gene Roland (trumpets);

Jimmy Rowles (piano); Howard Roberts (guitar); Joe Mondragon (bass); Unknown (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, June 10, 1952

5 - It's Sand Man

(Ed Lewis)

The jam sessions at the Lighthouse worked a little different than those at the Haig. Howard Rumsey invited specific guests although he did allow others to sit in throughout the day. This is the working Lighthouse All Stars with Andy Lambert subbing for Rumsey.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Shorty Rogers (trumpet),

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

Frank Patchen (piano), Andy Lambert (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 14, 1952

6 - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

(Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)

More from the June 14 session. Aaron Sachs and Tommy Potter were both in town with Earl Hines band and Howard recruited them to come down for the session.

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Aaron Sachs (clarinet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Frank Patchen (piano),

Tommy Potter (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 14, 1952

7 - Get Happy / Utter Chaos

(Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler / Gerry Mulligan)

Red Norvo came in as the featured attraction and the house piano was put into storage. Instead of continuing the jam session format on Tuesday nights Gerry formed his own group and the "piano-less quartet" was born. Gerry handpicked the group from musicians he had played with around town and included Chet Baker at the suggestion of Bob Whitlock. This recording was not made by Bob Andrews, but by another fan that sent the tape to Mulligan many years later. August 1952 is the date written on the tape box although it's possible it comes from a bit later. If it is August of 1952 it would be right at the beginning of the quartet.

Gerry Mulligan Quartet:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Chet Baker (trumpet),

Bob Whitlock (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded live at The Haig, Los Angeles, August, 1952

8 - Bweebida Bobbida

(Gerry Mulligan)

In October of 1952 Shorty Rogers had been a regular member of the Lighthouse All Stars for a year. Shorty had recorded under his own name, separate from the All Stars, and was really beginning to make a name for himself. Howard Rumsey used to allow him to take nights off from the Lighthouse so he could lead his own band for special engagements. During the fall Shorty formed a super group that included both Mulligan and Chet Baker as well as Art Pepper and Wardell Gray. The Mulligan group had completed their first engagement at the Haig and recorded their first sides for the new Pacific Jazz label. This Shorty Rogers group did at least two engagements. The first was a Gene Norman concert at The Rendezvous Ballroom, which was released on two LAJI members only CDs. This engagement took place at the 5-4 Ballroom in south central Los Angeles.

Shorty Rogers and His Giants:

Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker (trumpets); Art Pepper (alto sax);

Wardell Gray (tenor sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax);

John Graas (french horn); Hampton Hawes (p);

Joe Mondragon (bass); Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded live at 5-4 Ballroom, Los Angeles, October 10, 1952

9 - Too Marvelous For Words

(Richard A. Whiting, Johnny Mercer)

"Too Marvelous for Words" was featured a few times by the Kenton Orchestra including this 1952 broadcast of the Bob Snydor Show. The original handwritten score is dated February 4, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall (trumpets);

Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Keith Moon, Bill Russo (trombones);

George Roberts (bass trombone);  Dick Meldonian, Vinnie Dean (alto saxes);

Lee Elliott, Bill Holman (tenor saxes); Bob Gioga (baritone sax);

Stan Kenton (piano); Sal Salvador (guitar) Don Bagley (bass) Stan Levey (drums).

Bob Snydor Show, Bristol, Connecticut, July 13, 1952

10 - All The Things You Are

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

"All the Things You Are" was featured regularly during the New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm period and was a feature for Buddy Childers. This recording comes from a Concert in Miniature broadcast from September of 1952. The original score is dated March 9, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Buddy Childers, Maynard Ferguson, Conte Candoli, Don Dennis, Ruben McFall (trumpets);

Bob Burgess, Frank Rosolino, Keith Moon, Bill Russo (trombones);

George Roberts (bass trombone); Lee Konitz, Vinnie Dean (alto saxes);

Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca (tenor saxes); Bob Gioga (baritone sax);

Stan Kenton (piano); Sal Salvador (guitar); Don Bagley (bass); Stan Levey (drums).

Concert in Miniature, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, September 2, 1952

11 - Dancing In The Dark

(Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

"Dancing in the Dark" wasn't played often but had stayed in the book for many years. It was one of the earliest arrangements Gerry wrote not long after his arrival in Los Angeles. The original score is dated January 19, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Jack Sheldon, Frank Higgins, Billy Catalano, Bob Ojeda, Bud Brisbois (trumpets);

Billy Smiley, Archie LeCoque, Kurt Larsen, Jim Amlotte, Bob Olson (trombones);

Steve Perlow, Bill Perkins, Lennie Niehaus, Bill Trujillo, Bill Robinson (reeds);

Stan Kenton (piano); Red Kelly (bass); Jerry McKenzie (drums).

Holiday Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois, October 10, 1958

12 - Where Or When

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

"Where or When" is another dance arrangement that stayed in the book for a long time. The original score is dated January 19, 1952.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Frank Huggins, Bud Brisbois, Rolf Ericson, Joe Burnett, Roger Middleton (trumpets);

Archie LeCoque, Kent Larsen, Jimmy Knepper (trombones);

Jim Amlotte, Bill Smiley (bass trombones); Lennie Niehaus (alto sax);

Bill Trujillo, John Bonnie (tenor saxes); Billy Root, Sture Swenson (baritone saxes);

Stan Kenton (piano); Scott LaFaro (bass); Jerry McKenzie (drums).

County Fair Building, Ukiah, California, February 26, 1959

13 - Begin The Beguine

(Cole Porter)

The original score to "Begin the Beguine" is dated March 1952. Gerry never said much about his dance charts for Kenton other than joking he was given "dogs work." He did however make special note of Begin the Beguine since Artie Shaw was one of his early idols.

Stan Kenton Orchestra:

Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Bill Chase, Danny Nolan, Rolf Ericson (trumpets);

Bob Fitzpatrick, Kent Larsen, Bill Smiley (trombones);

Jim Amlotte, Bob Knight (bass trombones); Lennie Niehaus (alto sax);

Bill Trujillo, Ronnie Rubin (tenor saxes); Jack Nimitz, Marvin Holladay (baritone saxes);

Stan Kenton (piano); Peter Chivily (bass); Jimmy Campbell (drums); Mike Pacheco (percussion).

Enlisted Mens Club, Barstow, California, January 30, 1960

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXIV ★ Rarities at The Lighthouse

Los Angeles Jazz Institute 

Presents

West Coast Rarities

✤✤

Gerry Mulligan, Lennie Niehaus and Bud Shank at The Lighthouse

Apart from the unitary and official recordings that have been presented within the Lighthouse All-Stars collection, there are many stray private recordings that are gradually becoming known. One of them is this compendium with unreleased recordings compiled from original sources from the Los Angeles Jazz Institute archive.

Specifically, there are only three live recordings at the Lighthouse Cafe, although the others are of equal importance as they involve equally famous settings related to the West Coast Jazz movement of the 1950s.

Through this valuable material, which spans from 1952 to 1958, we witness the birth and consolidation of a vibrant musical scene in Southern California. The audio testimonies show us the inner history of its protagonists at key moments, such as a Gerry Mulligan newly arrived in the city and about to revolutionize the genre with his pianoless quartet, or the debut of Shorty Rogers' Big Band during an early morning television charity telethon.

The album also functions as a cartographic journey through the night spots that defined the era, taking the listener beyond the Lighthouse to enter jazz temples as legendary as The Haig, the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, Zardi's, or the Peacock Lane, and even singular events like the grand opening of a record store. Likewise, the document highlights the close camaraderie and spirit of collaboration among West Coast musicians, fostering spontaneous summits where figures of the stature of Stan Getz joined established groups.

It is also worth noting the enormous logistical and historical value of some of these tracks, which document the famous off-nights at the Lighthouse, when on Mondays and Tuesdays the club opened its doors to guest ensembles such as the Lennie Niehaus Quintet. It should be noted that the recordings contained on this compact disc come from a variety of sources, some of which were recorded under non-professional conditions; however, the editors have rightly considered that the extreme rarity and unique character of these performances preclude and compensate for any flaws that the quality of the original sound may present.

1 - Elevation

(Gerry Mulligan)

At the time of this recording, Gerry Mulligan had been in Los Angeles for about five months but had yet to find regular work. He wrote some arrangements for Stan Kenton and participated in jam sessions all over town. This rare recording finds Mulligan, prior to the formation of his "pianoless" quartet, sitting in on one of the Sunday sessions at The Lighthouse.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Frank Patchen (piano),

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

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, June 1, 1952

2 - Move

(Denzil Best)

"Move" was recorded live at The Haig during one of the first appearances of the new Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The group played the four Tuesdays in August while the Red Norvo Trio was the featured attraction throughout the week. It was during these first Tuesday nights that the Quartet became a sensation prompting the formation of Pacific Jazz Records. Before long both Mulligan and Chet Baker would become major jazz stars.

The Gerry Mulligan Quartet:

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Chet Baker (trumpet),

Bob Whitlock (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded live at the Haig, Los Angeles, August, 1952

3 - Short Snort

(Shorty Rogers)

This live concert, recorded at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa, features a dream line-up put together by Shorty Rogers specifically for this date. A true summit meeting of the giants of West Coast jazz.

Shorty Rogers and His Giants:

Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker (trumpets); Art Pepper (alto sax);

Wardell Gray (tenor sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax);

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone); Hampton Hawes (piano);

Joe Mondragon (bass); Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded live at the Rendezvous Ballroom, Balboa Beach, September 28, 1952

4 - Short Stop

(Shorty Rogers)

This television broadcast from 1953 marked the debut of Shorty Rogers Big Band. It comes from a 25 hour Cerebral Palsy telethon hosted by Jack Webb. The show began at 11pm on Friday night and continued until midnight Saturday. Jazz fans had to stay up late if they wanted to see Shorty's new big band. The jazz segment didn't get underway until 3 o'clock in the morning.

Shorty Rogers Big Band:

Shorty Rogers, Conrad Gozzo, Tommy Reeves, Reuben McFall (trumpets);

Jack Dulong, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Don Davidson (reeds);

Herbie Harper, Harry Betts, Bob Enevoldsen (trombones);

John Graas (french horn); Paul Sarmento (tuba);

Marty Paich (piano); Joe Mondragon (bass); Shelly Manne (drums)

Cerebral Palsy Telethon, KBCA Channel 7, Los Angeles, June 6, 1953

5 - The Goof and I

(Al Cohn)

"The Goof and I " was recorded live at the Grand Opening of Larsen's Record Room in El Segundo and features the swinging 1955 version of the All-Stars with that great front line of Candoli, Shank, Cooper and Rosolino.

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Frank Rosolino (trombone),

Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Rumsey (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded live at Larsen's Record Room, El Segundo, March 4, 1955

6 - Topsy

(Edgar Battle, Eddie Durham)

By 1955, Shorty Rogers was a very busy man. In addition to his ever growing studio work, the Giants had recently started recording for Atlantic Records and had also begun a long engagement at Zardi's Jazz Club on Hollywood Blvd. Shorty's boyhood friend from the Bronx, Stan Getz, was in Los Angeles at the time and is found here sitting in with the Giants.

Shorty Rogers and His Giants with Stan Getz:

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet), Stan Getz (tenor sax),

Pete Jolly (piano), Ralph Pena (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded live at Zardi's, Hollywood, August 4, 1955

7 - Everybody Moan

(Ernie Wilkins)

Maynard Ferguson had spent the latter part of 1956 in New York with his Birdland Dream Band. After the Birdland engagement and subsequent recordings for Vik records he returned to Los Angeles and re-formed the West Coast Dream Band. That band was booked for the holidays at the Peacock Lane Club which was located at Hollywood Blvd. and Western Ave.

Maynard Ferguson and His Orchestra:

Maynard Ferguson, Ed Leddy, Joe Burnett, Tom Slaney (trumpets);

Herb Geller, Richie Kamuca, Nino Tempo, Willie Maiden (reeds);

Bob Fitzpatrick, Bob Burgess (trombones);

Paul Moer (piano); Red Kelly (bass); Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded live at Peacock Lane, Hollywood, January 4, 1957

8 - Just Friends

(John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis)

By the late 1950s, The Lighthouse All-Stars worked Wednesday - Saturday plus the Sunday Concerts. Mondays and Tuesdays featured groups booked specifically for the off-nights. During the summer of 1957, the off night group was The Lennie Niehaus Quintet. This rare recording was made from the audience on one of those Monday or Tuesday nights.

The Lennie Niehaus Quintet:

Lennie Niehaus (alto sax), Bill Perkins (tenor sax),

Paul Moer (piano), Buddy Clark (bass), Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, July, 1957

9 - Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me / Theme

(Duke Ellington / Bud Shank)

During the holiday season of 1957-58 Bud Shank returned to the familiar surroundings of the Lighthouse this time leading his own successful Quartet. The quartet was captured here for the KMLA "Nightlife" program.

Bud Shank Quartet:

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

Don Prell (bass), Chuck Flores (drums).

KMLA "Nightlife" Broadcast

Recorded live at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, January 1, 1958

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

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 XIV

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars

Live In The Solo Spotlight

By the end of 1952 Howard Rumsey had transformed a small local bar in Hermosa Beach, California into a name known around the world. The Lighthouse became the centerpiece of the West Coast Jazz scene and the Lighthouse All-Stars became international jazz celebrities. Situated just a few yards from the beach with the cool ocean breeze and the smell of salt water in the air, it was the picture perfect setting for what would become known as "West Coast Jazz".

But that wasn't always the case.

In 1949 when Howard first came upon the Lighthouse there wasn't anything about it that would foresee it's future success. It was small and dingy, primarily catering to a rough merchant seaman crowd and it was close to going out of business.

Howard suggested to owner John Levine that he try putting on a jazz jam session on Sunday afternoons. The Lighthouse had been having live music with a variety of local musicians but it hadn't made much of an impact, plus in 1949 it was universally accepted that Sunday was the worst day of the week for the liquor business. Luckily, Levine was a gambler and figured he didn't have anything to lose at that point, so on May 29, 1949 Howard presented his first Sunday session at the Lighthouse and recalled "We propped open the doors and started blasting and within an hour we had more people in the place than Levine had seen all week".

The success of that first Sunday established the weekly Sunday Jam Session policy and became a tradition that helped catapult the Lighthouse into it's role as the center of West Coast Jazz.

Over the next couple of years Howard was able to replace the merchant seaman crowd with college age kids coming in off the beach to hear the live jazz and Sundays continued to be the featured attraction. The sessions started in the afternoon and ran until 2 in the morning. The Lighthouse All-Stars served as the core group with different guest musicians sitting in each week. The guest artists ran the gamut from local up and coming artists to established stars including big name out of town visitors.

This disc features guest artists captured live with the All-Stars by Bob Andrews and Donald Dean, two local jazz fans who frequented the Lighthouse with their tape recorders. The sound quality varies from track to track and while not professional recordings they are extremely important historical documents of those Sundays in Hermosa Beach and we are happy to be able to share them with you. All of the recordings are previously unissued. *Ken Poston (from the liner notes, 2014)*

About The Lighthouse Cafe:

A couple of years ago, Howard Rumsey, one of the original Kentonites (bass), would have been rated by most as washed up with the music business. He had taken a job as tile setter and was glad to be heading a little combo on Sunday afternoons at the Lighthouse café in Hermosa Beach, a small beach town about 45 minutes from Hollywood.

Today, thanks mainly to Howard's constructive, intelligent job of developing and presenting, with the cooperation of the management, a sound, CONSISTENT, policy, the Lighthouse has become virtually a full-time operation with a notable group of musicians holding the stand Wednesday through Sunday.

The Sunday sessions start at 2 p.m. and run to midnight, with special guest stars (paid—not just “sitting in” and blasting without purpose) appearing from 2 to 6 p.m.

The payoff is that it is paying off—and big. Business has been consistently good, even during the past winter (off-season at beach towns) and the place is so packed all day Sundays you have to get there early to get a seat near the bandstand. The fact that the drinks are good, prices are reasonable, and nobody gets hustled is an important factor. Says Howard, in summing up:

"The things that make us happy is that the crowds we are drawing, aren't full of these so-called 'hipsters' and queer characters so often associated with our kind of music. I think we’re getting what you might call a good cross section of that 'general public' that's supposed to shy away from good music, just as, I think, musicians are inclined to shy away from the 'general public'. There’s a mental hazard there on both sides. We've managed to cross it on a kind of imaginary bridge".

*Hal Holly, "The Hollywood Beat", Down Beat, August 24, 1951*

Fortunately for fans of Jazz on the West Coast and for posterity, Bob Andrews and Donald Dean, two local Jazz devotees, frequented the Lighthouse with their tape recorders and some of what they recorded has been issued on CD under the auspices of the Los Angeles Jazz Institute headed up by Ken Poston.

The sound quality varies from track to track and while not professional recordings they are extremely important historical documents of those Sundays in Hermosa Beach. All of the recordings are previously unissued. *Steven A. Cerra*

1 - Love Me Or Leave Me

 (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn)

Art Pepper (alto sax); Doug Mettome, Shorty Rogers (trumpets);

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

Lighthouse Cafe, June 3 (or 10), 1951

2 - Blue Moon

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 

Maynard Ferguson (trumpet), Frank Patchen (piano),

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

Lighthouse Cafe, 1952

3 - Stuffy

(Coleman Hawkins)

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Bob Cooper (tenor sax),

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

Lighthouse Cafe, June 14, 1952

4 - Scrapple From The Apple

(Charlie Parker)

Stan Getz, Arno Marsh (tenor saxes); Shorty Rogers (trumpet); Milt Bernhart (trombone);

Hampton Hawes (piano); Charlie Drayton (bass); Larry Bunker (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, September 14, 1952

5 - Indiana

(Warne Marsh)

Warne Marsh (tenor sax), Frank Patchen (piano),

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

Lighthouse Cafe, December 14, 1952

6 - Perdido

(Juan Tizol)

Harry "Sweets" Edison, Shorty Rogers (trumpets); Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax);

Milt Bernhart (trombone); Hampton Hawes (piano);

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

Lighthouse Cafe, February 8, 1953

7 - Maid In Mexico

(Russ Freeman)

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

Russ Freeman (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Max Roach (drums).

Lighthouse Cafe, September 13, 1953

8 - Everything Happens To Me

(Matt Dennis, Tom Adair)

Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Claude Williamson (piano),

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

Lighthouse Cafe, March 7, 1954

9 - Toots Sweete (Suite)

(Bill Holman)

Bob Cooper, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Stu Williams (trumpet); Frank Rosolino (trombone);

Claude Williamson (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass); Stan Levey (drums);

Lighthouse Cafe, March 7, 1954

Five-Star Collection... Teddy Charles

Teddy Charles Quartet

New Directions

Volume 3

New Directions Volume 3 comes as a direct outgrowth of considerable playing along the new lines indicated in Volumes 1 and 2. On the West Coast during the summer of 1953, Teddy Charles had the opportunity to work with a group of serious and sympathetic musicians, putting into practice the theoretical material and its consequent discoveries initiated in the earlier works by Hall Overton and himself. The fortunate combination of this experience with the talents of "Jolly Roger", Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce has produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. It is not a radical departure from what has become conventional jazz playing but is rather an evolution to a jazz style more controlled with regard to form, unity of materials and development while generating through this medium a greater freedom for solo and group improvisation. The restricting of materials to circumscribed limits permits a freedom impossible where all players pull in completely independent directions. Teddy believes by using materials unfamiliar to conventional jazz playing, using conventional materials in unfamiliar ways and using compositional techniques in treating these materials, a cohesive jazz environment is produced which at once liberates the soloist.(...)

Hall Overton's statement, "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement", has been borne out by the vibrant, electric quality of the music and Teddy Charles through his playing and writing has clearly established himself as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *Ira Gitler (from the liner notes)*

This deserves background notes by the musician chiefly responsible for the west coast addition to the Teddy Charles writes: "...In Variations I took the characteristic left hand figure that Bud plays in fast tempos for freeing his right hand for melodic exploration. We used this to negate the usual chord progression, to give instead superimposed tonalities. I used the usual bridge for relief on this familiar pattern... Note bass behind second trumpet chorus — note melodic freedom generated by shifting tonal centers thus allowing the line to go all over...

"Wailing Dervish is by Jolly Roger, also using the tonal center idea with progression on the bridge for contrast and free rhythmic patterns in the interludes. The intro and ending are entirely improvised by the ensemble, and the contrapuntal idea persists throughout.

"Further Out is a composition making use of polytonal lines and chords moving contrapuntally and utilizing the trumpet sound. The elements of the piece are combined to form an harmonic background, suggested linear-wise for the blowing, with a polyphonic bridge. The first short trumpet solo and the two short vibes sections have polytonal environs (note results) and a brief coda resolves the piece.

"Etudiez le Cahier... is linear white-note music (fixed scale idea) with a strong chromatic middle section... In all these the written parts serve only to create the musical environment and as a point of departure for the blowing... The blowing's the thing... There also emerge here individual textures — not a 'blend' which I'm against. Note presence of drums, more lifelike instead of the usual drums-in-the-barrell and bass-overload sound..."

Teddy wrote all but Dervish. Other musicians on the date were Shelly Manne, bassist Curtis Counce and Jolly Roger on trumpet. The rating is for the careful daring of the approach and the excellence of the musicianship. It's another important step. There's still stiffness in the written sections but that's to be expected. Most important, it's valuably challenging to both musicians and lay listeners. And the extraordinary trumpet by Jolly Roger all the way alone merits the stars.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, March 10, 1954 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

Side 2

3 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

4 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers [as Jolly Roger] (trumpet),

Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 21, 1953

✳✳✳

For those who prefer the digital version, there are several CD editions containing this music. One of them is the 2006 release by the Barcelona-based label Fresh Sound, titled Adventures in California, with some of the best early 1950s modern jazz — recordings that really shook things up on the coast. The bulk of the CD is from Collaboration West, formed from two 10" LP sessions by Charles, both in small-group formations with Shorty Rogers on trumpet, Curtis Counce on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums, plus Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax on a few bonus tracks. The tunes have more of a West Coast groove than some of Charles's later 1950s work, but their tone and approach still keep things enjoyable and cutting-edge, and honestly, this might well be one of the most impactful pieces of work from 1953 that any of the other musicians were involved in! Titles include "Variations On A Motive By Bud", "Etudiez Le Cahier", "Free", "Evolution", "Wailing Dervish", "Further Out", "Boabalob 1 & 2", and "Margo". Added to those 8 tracks are 4 more that are even more interesting — a bit more hardbop in orientation, and featuring Charles' vibes in a group with Frank Morgan on alto sax, Wardell Gray on tenor, Sonny Clark on piano, and Lawrence Marable on vibes — a real meeting of modernists on tracks that include "So Long Broadway", "Paul's Cause", "The Man I Love", and "Lavonne".

Teddy Charles And The Westcoasters

Adventures in California

In 1952, Teddy Charles, one of the foremost vibists in the jazz scene at the time, became one of the leaders in a new movement away from the cluttered closets of bop to a new and more serious development — a synthesis of jazz and "serious" music. Early in 1953 he moved to the West Coast where he soon had ample opportunity to watch musical developments in the Coast and discover younger players like Frank Morgan, Sonny Clark and Lawrence Marable, who worked together for the first time on these recordings.

Later, the fortunate combination of Charles' experience with the talents of Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium. Hall Overton said: "The challenge of the new materials serves as a spur to greater excitement". Charles reached a major achievement with these performances, that clearly established him as one of the important figures of the post bop transition period. *freshsoundrecords.com*

1 - So Long Broadway

(Teddy Charles)

2 - Pauls Cause

(Teddy Charles)

3 - The Man I Love

(Davis, Sherman, Ramirez)

4 - Lavonne

(Sonny Clark)

5 - Variations On A Motive By Bud

(Teddy Charles)

6 - Wailing Dervish

(Shorty Rogers)

7 - Further Out

(Teddy Charles)

8 - Etudiez Le Cahier

(Teddy Charles)

9 - Free

(Teddy Charles)

10 - Evolution

(Teddy Charles)

11 - Margo

(Teddy Charles)

12 - Bobalob

(Teddy Charles)

#1 to #4: Teddy Charles Sextet

from the Prestige 7-inch EP "Teddy Charles' West Coasters" (PR EP 1307)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Frank Morgan (alto sax), Wardell Gray (tenor sax),

Sonny Clark (piano), Dick Nivison (bassa), Lawrence Marable (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, February 20, 1953

#5 to #8: Teddy Charles Quartet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 3" (PR LP 164)

Teddy Charles (vibes), Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 21, 1953

#9 to #12: Teddy Charles Quintet

from the Prestige EP "New Directions 4" (PR LP 169)

Teddy Charles (vibes, piano[#11]), Shorty Rogers (trumpet),

Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, baritone sax), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 31, 1953

Five-Star Collection... Jimmy Giuffre

Jimmy Giuffre

Jimmy Giuffre

JIMMY GIUFFRE is a quiet and intense young man with a singular creative touch. He has written and played for Woody Herman, Boyd Raeburn, Buddy Rich, Jerry Gray, Stan Kenton, and many more of the nation's leading bandsmen, and now — for the first time — he's on his own, in this album of seven Giuffre gems.

Jimmy has been playing clarinet and tenor sax since he was a lad in Texas, and he approaches composition most naturally as a performer. His work is generally melodic and “linear” in character. "This style of writing", he says, "gives the players the feeling of individuality that’s so important to jazz. Besides, I think it gives the listener more variety. I also use less rhythm section than is usual because I believe that this, too, provides more clarity and less monotony".

Like Jimmy, the performers he has joined together in this album of "chamber jazz" all belong to the vigorous and imaginative West Coast group of topflight modernists that has created such a stir in music circles. The tunes they play here, with the exception of the familiar I Only Have Eyes for You, are all Giuffre originals, one in particular — Four Brothers — having achieved a good deal of success in big-band arrangement.

Among the others are new and carefully fashioned numbers whose free flow and variety of instrumental combinations give them a wonderful improvised sound — though all of >Sultana<, for example, and half of Nutty Pine, are written out. Wrought of Iron is an exciting eight-bar theme and variations, an unusual form featuring ad lib solos by every member of the group.

An odd back-beat rhythm introduces the swinging tempo of Do It! and its fine improvisations on tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, and piano. All For You is in a brooding ballad style, with trumpet playing gently about the tenor sax melody line. The one "standard" — Eyes — displays Giuffre's instrumental inventiveness at its best in an ad lib baritone sax cadenza, with masterful drum accompaniment, that highlights the six minute production number.

In all, this Jimmy Giuffre album debut shows fine versatility, and is a stimulating contribution to first-rate modern jazz literature. There's fascinating listening enjoyment here for quite a while to come. *(from the liner notes)*

Jimmy's first LP to himself is an absorbing success on which Jimmy scores both as performer (tenor, clarinet, and baritone) and as writer (all six originals are his). As a writer, Jimmy strikes this listener as the most freshly inventive and maturely daring (but unpretentious) of all the writers on the coast. For one thing, several of his works have the melodic strength (Nutty Pine and All for You, for example) to become part of the repertoire of any swinging modern jazz group.

And almost all of his original lines on this and on other albums are really original and fresh. They are not (as so often happens with Shorty Rogers, Bill Holman, and many other writers of "originals") just quick routines that can be enlivened only by the ad lib solos within them but can't stand up for themselves.

Even the more involved Giuffre numbers (like the completely written-out Sultana) are constantly challenging to the ear even if they don't entirely come alive yet. Fine work on the first four by Bud Shank, Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Shorty Rogers (fluegel horn), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, bass), Ralph Pena (bass) and Shelly Manne. The last three have the excellent aid of Sheldon, Manne, Russ Freeman, and Curtis Counce. Cover credit should have been given the fine engineering of John Palladino and to whoever wrote the helpful notes. But the man who rates the full bows and the encores is Giuffre, a major modern jazz talent.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, December 15, 1954 [5 stars])*

1 - Four Brothers

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - Sultana

(Jimmy Giuffre)

3 - Nutty Pine

(Jimmy Giuffre)

4 - Wrought Of Iron

(Jimmy Giuffre)

5 - Do It!

(Jimmy Giuffre)

6 - All For You

(Jimmy Giuffre)

7 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Harry Warren, Al Dubin)

#1 to #4:

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Bud Shank (alto sax),

Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Shorty Rogers (flugelhorn), 

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, bass), Ralph Pena (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Holywood, California, April 15, 1954

#5 to #7:

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Jack Sheldon (trumpet), 

Russ Freeman (piano), Curtis Counce (bass),  Shelly Manne (dums).

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Holywood, February 19, 1954

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection IV

Howard Rumsey

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Volume 2

★ Sunday Jazz A La Lighthouse • Vol. 2 ★

This was the first 10-inch LP released by Contemporary, and one of the most popular of the many Lighthouse All-Stars albums from the 1950s. It has been continually requested by fans, but never been reissued on compact disc until now. Recorded as the West Coast movement was kicking into high gear, it captures the enthusiasm of the young players at the center of the Southern California jazz scene, the good-natured encouragement and enjoyment of the Lighthouse audience, and the interaction between musicians and listeners. The original selections feature Howard Rumsey, Shorty Rogers, Russ Freeman, Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper, Milt Bernhart, and Shelly Manne. Three previously unissued performances by a different edition of the All-Stars include Chet Baker sitting in with Rolf Ericson, Bud Shank, Claude Williamson, Max Roach, Cooper, and Rumsey. Musicians and patrons are laughing and grooving, the cash register is ringing, and the atmosphere is full of good feeling. This is West Coast jazz in full bloom. *concord.com*

The first six tracks are the original title album that was recorded live for the Contemporary label at the Lighthouse on May 15, 1953. The front line is comprised of Shorty Rogers on trumpet, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and Bob Cooper and Jimmy Giuffre on tenor sax. The rhythm section features Russ Freeman on piano, Howard Rumsey on bass and Shelly Manne on drums.

Basically this is more of a jam session than a planned recording, and the energy is definitely pouring from this album. I'll admit that the sound quality is not stellar, but it's also not terrible. I still awarded five stars because this is truly the birth of the West Coast jazz sound. However, there is a healthy dose of East Coast influence in the music because the West Coast style was just evolving.

If you are familiar with Shorty Rogers work in the 1950s these tracks are stamped with his signature sound, which seems to dominate any ensemble in which he is playing.

The final three tracks are from a live session at the Lighthouse that was recorded for Contemporary on September 13, 1953. These tracks were intended for albums titled Chet Baker And The Lighthouse All-Stars - Witch Doctor and Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars - Mexican Passport, but did not make the release. They feature a front line of Chet Baker and Rolf Ericson on trumpet and Bud Shank on alto sax. The rhythm section features Lorraine Geller (tracks 7 and 9) and Claude Williamson (track 8) on piano, Rumsey on bass and Max Roach on drums. These tracks have a more definite West Coast jazz feel although they were only recorded four months after the first six tracks. *Mike Tarrani (amazon.com)*

1 - Luau

(Shorty Rogers)

2 - Comin' Thru The Rye Bread

(Shorty Rogers)

3 - Taking A Chance On Love

(Duke, Fetter, LaTouche)

4 - The Big Top

(Jimmy Giuffre)

5 - The Duke You Say!

(Jimmy Giuffre)

6 - Sunset Eyes

(Edwards, Wayne)

7 - Glidin' Along

(Jimmy Giuffre)

8 - Beau Boy

(Shorty Rogers)

9 - Four Others

(Jimmy Giuffre)

#1 to #6:

Shorty Rogers [as Name Whithheld] (trumpet); Jimmy Giuffre, Bob Cooper (tenor saxes);

Milt Bernhart (trombone); Russ Freeman (piano);

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

#7, #8, #9 (previously unreleased):

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

Lorraine Geller [#7, #9], Claude Williamson [#8] (piano);

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

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California,

May 15 (#1 to #6) and September 13 (#7 to #9), 1953

Lighthouse All-Stars Collection III

Howard Rumsey

Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars

Volume 1 

★ Sunday Jazz A La Lighthouse • Vol. 1 ★

This album is the first of a series of releases that are aimed to satisfy the many requests we have had for some SUNDAY JAZZ a la LIGHTHOUSE.

It was almost four years ago that John Levine decided to present Jazz in concert form — that is, for listening only — in the Southern California seashore club, The Lighthouse. Hermosa Beach is the ideal locale for such a year-around presentation, because although it is remote enough to be "goiung somewhere", it is situated in a fast-growing South Bay area so that more people live closer to it every year.

Sunday Jazz was a feature from the very inception of our concert policy and the popularity of the afternoon and evening concerts led into what is now our most popular feature of the week — a continuous concert from 2 p.m. to 2 a. m. every Sunday throughout the year.

The recorded efforts of our Lighthouse All-Stars as they pace themselves through this extraordinary concert with the many sounds of the room — the tinkling of glasses, the extemporaneous laughter, even the occasional ring of a cash register — go to make up this interesting forty-five minutes of Sunday Jazz designed to let our friends, all over the world, bring the music and, in fact, the Lighthouse itself, into own home.

HAPPY LISTENING! *Howard Rumsey (from the liner notes)*

One of the earliest sets issued under the name of the Lighthouse All-Stars — that hip assemblage of west coast players headed by bassist Howard Rumsey — hardly a household name on his own, but well-remembered for all the great work done at this famous club! The lineup is a who's who of key players on the west coast at the time — Shorty Rogers and Maynard Ferguson on trumpet, Jimmy Giuffre and Bob Cooper on tenor, Hampton Hawes on piano, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and Shelly Manne on drums — and some tracks are a bit longer than usual, offering up freer solo space than you're likely to get on other west coast dates — a key contribution of the All-Stars recording mode. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Four Others

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - All The Things You Are

(Hammerstein, Kern)

3 - Creme de Menthe

(Jimmy Giuffre)

4 - Viva Zapata!

(Shorty Rogers)

5 - Bernie's Tune

(Leiber, Stoller, Miller)

6 - Solitaire

(Bill Russo)

7 - Morgan Davis

(Shorty Rogers)

8 - La Soncailli

(Jimmy Giuffre)

Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers (trumpets);

Milt Bernhart (trombone); Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre (tenor saxes);

Frank Patchen [#1, #3 to #6], Hampton Hawes [#2, #7, #8] (piano); Howard Rumsey (bass);

Shelly Manne (drums); Carlos Vidal (conga drums [#4]).

Recorded live at The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, February 21, 1953