While being dubbed the home of “Cool Jazz”, this collection of Los Angeles gigs circa 1955 shows how “hot” West Coast Cool could be.
Trumpeter Conte Candoli is found at Hollywood’s Jazz City with bill H olman/ts, Carl Perkins/p, Leroy Vinnegar/b and Larry Bunker/dr for a hard bopping set of standards. Holman drinks from the well of LEstter Young on the festive “Groovin’ High” with Candoli in a richly agonizing “’Round Midnight” and hitting dizzying heights for “The Ch amp. Warm tenor Zoot Sims is joined by Jack Sheldon/tp, Joe M Aini/as, Walter Norris/p, Carson Smith =/b and Richie Frost/dr at The Haig for a heatied night of blowing. Some of the tunes are truncated, but a stretched out “I’ll Remember April” has Sims and Sheldon using flame throwers and Maini bopping with the best. Sims coos on “Indian Summer” and glows on”Long Ago And Far Away”. Cruising with the top down.