Lighthouse All-Stars Collection XXIV ★ Rarities at The Lighthouse

Los Angeles Jazz Institute 

Presents

West Coast Rarities

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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

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

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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