Jazz West Coast

One calls Jazz West coast (or jazz of the west coast - of the United States), the Jazz practiced in California by the musicians, in white majority, of this area of the the United States in the Années 1950, more precisely between 1952 and 1958. The great concentration of musicians in this area, due mainly to the work offered by the studios of Hollywood then in full rise, allowed the blossoming of a very active scene Jazz. If one can dispute the existence of a school " West Coast " in comparison with the diversity of the productions of this current, the majority of the critics and amateurs recognize a certain esthetic relationship however, beyond the historical and geographical unit, between the actors of the Jazz West Coast.

History

The California, in particular Los Angeles, is since the beginning of the century one of the high places of the Jazz. At the beginning of the Second world war, the California knows a strong economic boom and the activity of the clubs of Jazz is done more intense. Most important jazzmen American then passes to play in California such Charlie Parker which remains there of 1945 with 1947. Los Angeles is especially known at the time for its scene Dixieland but the modern Jazz will end up being essential on the beginning of the year 1950 in many clubs like the " Trade Wings" , " Billy Berg' s" , " Zardi' s" , " Tyffany' s" or the " Club" surfing;.

Full orchestras with the daring music appear as the orchestra of Woody Hermann with his Second Herd and that of Stan Kenton. These two formations will count in their center much future high-speed motorboats of the Jazz West Coast. Thus behind the desks of Kenton will illustrate Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper inter alia.

As for the Second Herd of Woody Hermann, it creates the first chiefs of work of the movement with Four Brothers (1947) of Jimmy Giuffre and Early Fall (1949) arranged by Ralph Burns containing a solo of anthology of Stan Getz. The principal contribution of this orchestra is its revolutionist, light and flexible, of its section of sheers, the famous " Furnace Brothers " initially named " Furnace Mothers " (for motherfuckers ) including/understanding the saxophonists tenor Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward and the baritone Serge Chaloff.

All these musicians all are far from being originating in California. Shelly Manne will say later that " all the musicians of the West Coast came from New York " (in Jazz Magazine , n° 567). They soon will leave the full orchestras to lead various experiments to variable formations, of the Trio to the Big Band, while working for the studios of Cinéma. Their point of rallying is the " Lighthouse" of Hermosa Beach to about thirty kilometers of Los Angeles, where the bass player Howard Rumsey organized Jam sessions become mythical. Three leaders with the multiple talents assert themselves quickly, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne and Jimmy Giuffre. Around these three men will create a true community of musicians creating a big number of discs often of great quality. Shelly Manne described well the creative atmosphere which reigned at the time:

" We experienced unceasingly while being used to us as written compositions, it was impossible to say where the composition finished and where the improvisation started. If it did without something special at that time to California, it is because we were an small group of musicians who work always together, which exchange ideas. When I made a disc, the others were on my disc and when they made a disc, I was above. If the sound were so particular, recognizable, it is that it came from the same group of people. Whatever the leader, it was the same sound. (...) We were very close from/to each other. Initially because we had lived together the rounds of the full orchestras - Giuffre, Rogers and me in the orchestra of Woody Hermann, or in that of Stan Kenton with Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Shorty… Before installing us on the West coast, we had already spent the years together. "

One of first proclamations of the movement is the disc " Modern Sounds " recorded in October 1951 by Shorty Rogers & His Giants. Gerry Mulligan, with the margin of the movement, gains success with its Quartet without Piano with Chet Baker in 1952.

The Années 1960 was less favorable to the musicians of Jazz but the club directed by Shelly Manne, Shelly Manne' S Hole, remained of 1960 with 1972 the last bastion of the jazz living with Los Angeles.

Styles

The movement West Coast nourishes various influences: the virtuosity and innovations of the Be Bop, play slackened To ballast Young, pre-Free experiments of Lennie Tristano, effectiveness of the Swing of Count Basie but also traditional type-setters of the 20th century, in particular French impressionists Debussy and Ravel.

The musicians West Coast have, for the majority, of serious musical knowledge acquired in particular near Dr. Wesley LaViolette, a theorist of the counterpoint and large pedagog. All these various elements mix with a different proportioning according to the recordings.

One of the constant characteristics of these recordings is the importance and the care granted to arrangements. Written music and freedom of improvisation cohabit with happiness. One of the contributions of the movement to the Jazz is the introduction of almost new instruments into the Jazz like the horn, the tuba or the oboe, all resulting from the Western classical music. Thus, of many projects of the movement prolong the esthetics of the " Birth off the cool " of Miles Davis as well on the level of the care taken to the Arrangement as of the Instrumentation.

But it is reducing to assimilate as that was done for a long time West Coast and Cool because it is not difficult to find soloists and recordings West Coast " hot". For the soloists, one can quote the example of the trumpet player Conte Candoli.

One could also say that the Jazz West Coast was a Jazz White. It is an error because of many black musicians, such Curtis Counce, Leroy Vinnegar, Chico Hamilton, Buddy Collette and Hampton Hawes took part in the rise of the movement.

The best défintion is perhaps that, poetic, than gave Jacques Réda. It is defined, according to him, by " this of indefinable and obvious which is a tone, a very specific tone West Coast which continues better only when the singular voices cross moelleusement in the rumor of the group… "

Principal formations

  • Shorty Rogers And His Giants

  • Shelly Manne And His Men
  • Howard Rumsey 'S Lighthouse All Stars
  • Dave Pell Octet
  • Gerry Mulligan Quartet
  • Marty Paich Big Band
  • Pete Rugolo And His Orchestrated
  • Lennie Niehaus Octet
  • Jimmy Giuffre Trio

Musicians

Partial discography

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