Jazz West Coast: The Los Angeles Jazz Scene of the 1950s

Although some critics consider that Los Angeles music lacks fire and intensity, much good jazz has come from there. In this excellent, objective survey, a California music historian reexamines the contributions of Clifford Brown, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers and other West Coast jazzmen during the period 19451959. Listening to their records, disregarding stereotypes and focusing on the music rather than the personalities, Gordon has discovered and here transmits the sense of excitement and the multifaceted nature of the Los Angeles jazz scenebut he is also critical of its shortcomings. Annotated discography. Photos of performers and record labels of the period included.(September 17)