Jazz Research is focused on jazz in California spanning the years 1945 to 1960. The emphasis is on record labels that produced West Coast jazz. Labels that were established during these years are of particular interest: Contemporary Records, Pacific Jazz, Nocturne, Jazz:West, Intro, Mode, Discovery, Trend, Tampa, Skylark, and Fantasy Records. Several books have examined this era in jazz. Robert Gordon’s Jazz West Coast, Quartet Books, London, 1986; Alain Tercinet’s West Coast Jazz, Parenthèses, Marseille, 1986; and Ted Gioia’s West Coast Jazz, Oxford University Press, New York & London, 1992. These pioneering works have provided validation of this period in the history of jazz that had been sidelined previously. Ted Gioia’s introductory dust jacket blurb expresses the phenomenon:
"Over the last half-century, New York’s preeminence in the world of jazz has been challenged only once—during the 1950s—when California emerged with a splash on the jazz scene. “West Coast jazz,” as it soon became known, was a fresh new sound which stirred both controversy and excitement in equal measure. One thing, however, was certain: never before (or since) had so many jazz musicians from the Coast made such an impact on jazz. Dave Brubeck, Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Chet Baker, Eric Dolphy, Paul Desmond, Ornette Coleman, Cal Tjader, Shelly Manne, and numerous others—these figures shaped the jazz of their time and are still powerful influences today."
The jazz artists named above had to be selective and short (unfortunately), but essential additions should name Shorty Rogers, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Kenton, and Gerald Wilson to name a few.
Jazz Research employs computer analysis to verify musical examples where a question remains whether multiple releases of the same tune are from one master or alternate versions. Jazz Research has discovered and verified alternate versions of early Pacific Jazz releases by the following artists: Chet Baker Quartet, Chet Baker Sextet, Richard Twardzik Trio, Jim Hall Trio, Harold Land All-Stars, Cy Touff Quintet, Bill Perkins / John Lewis, and the Clifford Brown Ensemble.
Recent changes at Yahoo Groups led many discussion groups housed there to abandon ship and move to sites that allowed more control and security. Anticipating that the same scenario could happen with Google and their platform for bloggers, this site combines several google blogs under one roof. The search feature will retrieve results from the entire site.
Many years ago I had the good fortune to be among the pioneers of presenting music related features on the internet. One of those ventures has been restored to the internet celebrating the music of Darius Milhaud, Dave Brubeck’s teacher and mentor at Mills College.
PROFESSIONAL LINKS:
- C T S Images
- The Jazz Discography
- Los Angeles Jazz Institute
- Jazz Profiles: Steve Cerra
- Jazz Wax – Marc Myers
After thirty years of research I can finally announce that my history of Pacific Jazz Records will be published by McFarland books. Paperback and online editions will be published simultaneously. You can pre-order at Amazon or directly from McFarland Publishers.
My history of Stars of Jazz was published by McFarland Publishers in March of 2020 and is available directly from McFarland. It is also available at the usual online sources, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, where ebook versions are also offered.
Many years ago I asked what happened to Herb Kimmel as a query on the Jazz West Coast discussion group. Several years later I received an email out of the blue from Herb. Our exchanges before he passed away prompted me to tell his story about the founding of Jazz:West Records.
Jazz:West Records – Art Pepper on Jazz:West and Intro Records
PUBLISHED RESEARCH:
Pacific Jazz: A Discography in Progress, IAJRC Journal, Volume 31, No. 1, Winter 1998.
Bud Shank / Bill Perkins
Pacific Jazz CDP 7243 4 93159 2 1, 1998.
This Time The Dream’s On Me
Chet Baker Quartet Live – Volume 1
Pacific Jazz CDP 7243 5 25248 22, 2000
Out Of Nowhere
Chet Baker Quartet Live – Volume 2
Pacific Jazz CDP 7243 5 27693 2 2, 2001
My Old Flame
Chet Baker Quartet Live – Volume 3
Pacific Jazz CDP 7243 5 31573 2 6, 2001
Al Haig on Pacific Jazz
Names & Numbers, No. 41, April 2007
The First Lighthouse All Stars Recordings
Names & Numbers, No. 42, July 2007
The Lighthouse All Stars – Big Boy: Coda
Names & Numbers, No. 44, January 2008
The Chamber Jazz Sextet: A Discography
(Allyn Ferguson’s Chamber Jazz Sextet on record and The Stars of Jazz TV series)
Names & Numbers, No. 44, January 2008
Joe Swanson Sessions for Recorded In Hollywood
Names & Numbers, No. 46, July 2008
Jazz Masquerade "Unmasked"
(Crown CLP 5009 – JAZZ MASQUERADE)
Names & Numbers, No. 48, January 2009
A Jazz Masquerade Surprise
(Crown CLP 5009 – JAZZ MASQUERADE and Crown CLP 5008 – JAZZ SURPRISE)
Names & Numbers, No. 51, October 2009
Way Out Wardell
(The Wardell Gray recordings on Modern, Crown, Custom Records, United and United Superior)
Names & Numbers, No. 53, April 2010
Groovin’ High – Stan Getz
(The Stan Getz recordings on Modern, Crown, Custom Records, United and United Superior)
Names & Numbers, No. 57, April 2011
Yet Another Groovin’ High
Names & Numbers, No. 58, July 2011
Jazz Discography on Google Blogger
Names & Numbers, No. 63, October 2012
Herb Geller at The Haig
Names & Numbers, No. 64, January 2013
Jack Montrose at The Haig
Names & Numbers, No. 68, January 2014
Jazz:West Records: Art Pepper on Jazz:West and Intro Records
Jazz Research Monographs, 2015
Harry Babasin on Discovery Records
Names & Numbers, No. 73, April 2015
The New York World Pacific Sessions
Names & Numbers, No. 82, July 2017
A Tale of Four Titles (Sy Johnson’s "Jonah and the Wail")
Names & Numbers, No. 89, April 2019
Conley Graves on Record and Film
Names & Numbers, No. 90, July 2019
Harry Babasin, Nocturne and Liberty Releases — Part One
Names & Numbers, No. 91, October 2019
Harry Babasin, Nocturne and Liberty Releases — Part Two
Names & Numbers, No. 92, January 2020
Stars of Jazz: A Complete History of the Innovative Television Series, 1956-1958
McFarland and Company, 2020
Stars of Jazz and Calliope Records
Names & Numbers, No. 93, April 2020
“Treasures of the Small Screen”
Opening Chorus, JazzTimes, June 2020.
Buddy Baker’s Exclusive Sessions
Names & Numbers, No. 96, January 2021
The Unknown Arv Garrison
Names & Numbers, No. 97, April 2021
The Unknown Arv Garrison – Wizard of the Six String
Fresh Sound Records FSRCD 1104, May 2021
LINDA KEENE – One More For The Road
The Dixie Songbird’s Complete Recordings
Fresh Sound Records FSR-CD 1115, May 2022
Julius Wechter – Jazz:West & Intro Sessions
Fresh Sound Records FSRCD 1126, March 2023