Review

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Central Avenue Sounds
(Jazz in L.A. 1921-1956) (Rhino)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

If the phrase "jazz in Los Angeles" gives rise to images of the Lighthouse All-Stars and "West Coast cool," you'll be surprised by the contents of this new four disc set from Rhino. If you love jazz, you'll also be delighted.
While locales usually discussed when the topic is jazz music's early days are places like New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City and New York, there was also a thriving scene in L.A., centered in the clubs that lined Central Avenue from downtown to Watts. The number of clubs and club goers were sufficient to attract the best talent from out of town and to generate a thriving local scene to augment the visitors. This set documents the contributions of the best L.A. talent and the best of the traveling musicians of the day.
Disc One takes jazz all the way back to Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong, offering up a strong dose of classic New Orleans Sounds. Joe Turner is on hand with his Kansas City Blues, while T-Bone Walker offers a Texas interpretation. By the early 40s, local bands under the leadership of Lee Young (with brother Lester at his side) and Cee Pee Johnson were holding their own against illustrious visitors like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. These 24 tracks are as close to a comprehensive history of pre-war jazz as you'll find on any single disc.
Disc Two carries the music through the WWII years and a bit beyond, with acts like the Nat King Cole Trio, the Johnny Otis Orchestra and Slim Gaillard providing recreation for the GI's, defense workers and home fronters in search of relief from the day's headlines. The end of the war saw some new faces and some significant new sounds appearing. Charlie Parker was in town to help introduce the new bebop style to the city and there are a pair of his classic Dial releases here, along with new music from Gerald Wilson, Benny Carter and a young bass player making a bid for his spot in jazz royalty alongside the Duke and the Count, billing himself as Baron Mingus.
Among the highlights of the third disc are the tracks from Angeleno Dexter Gordon, including the great tenor battle with Wardell Gray, "The Chase." There's also the first recording of T-Bone Walker's signature song, "Call It Stormy Monday," another home town hero, Buddy Collette, and a pair of great cuts from Jimmy Witherspoon. By the end of the disc, Mr. Mingus has dropped the pretense of a title and is just making great music as Charles Mingus. The two tracks here from his Dolphin sessions make their first reissue appearance.
The final disc in the set shows the full range of the Central Avenue sound, blending blues, jazz, R&B and jump blues, and blending them in a way that demonstrates that they have more in common than not. Johnny Otis is back with his R&B sound, featuring songbird Little Esther. Straight jazz is well represented by groups led by Wardell Gray and Art Tatum, while Charles Brown and Percy Mayfield take a stand for the blues. Big Jay McNeely fronts for hot jump blues with his huge tenor sound.
If all of the above doesn't attract your attention (and I've only scratched the surface of the wonders to be found on this set) consider this list of some of the musicians who appear as sidemen on Central Avenue Sounds:
Britt Woodman, Red Callender, Illinois Jaquet, Milt Buckner, Oscar Moore, Paul Quinchette, Bill Doggett, Howard McGhee, Snooky Young, Miles Davis, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jay McShann, Art Farmer, Jimmy Knepper, Eric Dolphy, Clark Terry, Sonny Criss, Hampton Hawes, Leroy Vinnegar and Buddy DeFranco.
That's a pretty impressive few, and doesn't include, for instance, the supporting contributions on many tracks of players who are leaders on others. If there's a gap, it's the absence of many of the white jazzmen who were also making important contributions to the growth of the music. This is, however, a documentation of an African American sired musical form as it grew in a specifically African American community scene. The other side is well documented elsewhere.
If I were going to recommend the ideal starting place for a newcomer to jazz, someone interested in learning the history and hearing the range of sounds implied by the word jazz, I can't think of a better spot than Central Avenue Sounds. On the other hand, almost any longtime jazz buff is bound to find some new treasures among the many rarities included and some old favorites among the classic cuts. If there's a jazz fan of any kind on your shopping list, consider your shopping quandry solved.
Track Lists:
Disc One: Ory's Sunshine Orchestra/Ory's Creole Trombone * Ory's Creole Jazz Band/Creole Song - Get Out Of Here - Blues For Jimmy * Jelly Roll Morton's Jazz Band/Someday Sweetheart * Jelly Roll Morton/The Pearls * Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers/Kansas City Stomps * Jelly Roll Morton/Mamanita * Paul Howard's Quality Seranaders/Harlem - California Swing * Louis Armstrong & His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra/If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight - Shine * Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra/When It's Sleepy Time Down South * The Four Blackbirds/Dixie Rhythm * Art Tatum & His Swingsters/Body & Soul * Art Tatum/Tiger Rag * Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra/Central Avenue Breakdown * T-Bone Walker w/Les Hite & His Orchestra/T-Bone Blues * Duke Ellington/Jump For Joy (excerpts) * Joe Turner w/The Freddie Slack Trio/Blues On Central Avenue * Lee & Lester Young's Orchestra/Benny's Bugle * Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra/Flying Home * T-Bone Walker/Mean Old World * Cee Pee Johnson Orchestra/Jumpin' In The Groove
Disc Two: Nat King Cole Trio/Straighten Up And Fly Right - The Man I Love - Body And Soul * Cecil Grant/I Wonder * Joe Liggins & His Orchestra/The Honeydripper Pts. 1&2 * Hadda Brooks Trio/Swingin' The Boogie - That's My Desire * Johnny Otis Orchestra/Harlem Nocturne * Johnny Moore's Three Blazers/Driftin' Blues * Slim Gaillard & His Boogiereeners/Tutti Frutti * Slim Gaillard Quartet/Laguna * Ernie Andrews/Sooth Me * Ernie Andrews w/ The Wilbert Baranco Trio/Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying * Lester Young/These Foolish Things * Roy Milton & His Solid Senders/R.M. Blues * Gerald Wilson Orchestra/Groovin' High * Wilbert Baranco Orchestra/Bugle Call Rag * Charlie Parker Septet/ Ornithology - A Night In Tunisia * Benny Carter Orchestra/Jump Call * Baron Mingus & His Octet/Bedspread * Lady Will Carr w/ Baron Mingus & His Octet/Pipe Dream * Lucky Thompson Quartet/Smooth Sailing
Disc Three: Howard McGhee Sextet/Dial-Ated Pupils - Up In Dodo's Room * Gerald Wilson Orchestra/Cruisin' With Cab - Dissonance In Blues * Dexter Gordon Quintet/Mischievous Lady * Dexter Gordon & Wardell Gray/The Chase * Dexter Gordon Quartet/Chromatic Abberation * Dexter Gordon Quintet/ Bikini * Nellie Lutcher/I Thought About You - Fine Brown Frame * T-Bone Walker/Call It Stormy Monday * Lionel Hampton/Red Top * Jimmy Witherspoon/ Ain't Nobody's Business - Big Fine Girl * Teddy Edwards Quartet/Blues In Teddy's Flat * Jimmy Liggins & His Drops Of Joy/Tear Drop Blues * Roy Milton & His Solid Senders/Hop, Skip & Jump * So Tired * Buddy Collette Quartet/It's April - Collette * Pee Wee Crayton & His Guitar/Blues After Hours * Charles Mingus/Mingus Fingers - These Foolish Things
Disc Four: Roy Porter's 17 Beboppers/Sippin' With Cisco * Gassin' The Wig - Little Wig * Johnny Otis Quintet w/The Robins & Little Esther/ Double Crossing Blues * Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers/Pink Champagne * Wardell Gray/Move * Percy Mayfield/Please Send Me Someone To Love * Charles Brown/Black Night * Camille Howard & Her Boyfriends/Money Blues * Big Jay McNeely/Deacon's Hop * Wardell Gray/Sweet & Lovely - Farmer's Market - Lover Man * Joe Swanson Orchestra feat. Wardell Gray/East Of The Sun - Thrust * Big Jay McNeely/3-D - Nervous Man Nervous * Art Tatum/ Too Marvelous For Words - Lover Man * Frank Morgan/The Champ * Gerald Wiggins Trio/De Silva Wig

© 1999 - Shaun Dale