Welcome to the Tiki Central 2.0 Beta. Read the announcement
Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

Tiki Central / Tiki Music

Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge 3-9-16 West Coast Cool

Pages: 1 2 replies

DZ

Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge Playlist: March 9, 2016

On this week’s Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge radio show we wallowed in a wide range of West Coast Cool Jazz. In reality there was never such a school, but critics and fans invented it to corral and categorize a certain kind of music coming out of California in the 1950s and early Sixties, where the entire Tiki culture had sprung from decades earlier at Don the Beachcomber’s in Los Angeles and Trader Vic’s in Emeryville.

Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge is broadcast every Wednesday, 5-6 pm Eastern Time (2-3 pm on the West Coast) at http://www.radiofairfax.org. The show is broadcast live; no recorded shows are archived, but some listeners choose to record it on their computers to listen later. Radio Fairfax also can be heard on Tune In Radio at tunein.com, and streamed on smartphones by downloading the Tunein app. It also can be streamed on Roku and Google TV at: http://tinyurl.com/3uqfsz9

  1. “West Coast Cool” with lyrics written by the singer Mark Winkler to the music by Neil Hefti composed for the song: “Lil’ Darlin’,” sharing vocal duties with former Manhattan Transfer member Cheryl Bentyne, taken from their auspicious album also called West Coast Cool, featuring Rich Eames on Piano and arrangements, Bob Sheppard on Reeds, Tim Emmons on Bass and Dave Tull on Drums.

  2. “Little Pony,” also composed by Neil Hefti, waxed in 1951 by Count Basie and His Orchestra: with the Count on Piano, prominent Los Angeles-based reed man Wardell Gray on Tenor Sax and Freddie Green on Electric Guitar, found on the bodacious box set: The Wardell Gray Story.

  3. “Weird Nightmare” was recorded in 1951 by its 24-year-old composer and native Californian Charles Mingus and his Orchestra, with Claude Trenier on Vocal, Wilbert Baranco on Piano, Lucky Thompson on Tenor Sax, Karl George and John Plonsky on Trumpets, Henry Coker on Trombone, Jewel Grant and Willie Smith on Alto Saxes, Gene Porter on Baritone Clarinet, Buddy Harper on Guitar, Charles Mingus on Bass and Lee Young on Drums. Found on the Brit anthology: Jazz Noire – Darktown Sleaze From the Mean Streets of 1940s L.A.

  4. “I Hear Music,” inked by Burton Lane and Frank Loesser for the 1940 movie: Dancing on a Dime, sung in 1956 by Chris Connor on her Atlantic debut album simply titled: Chris, with the pianist Ellis Larkins’ Trio.

  5. “Line for Lyons,” musical tribute to a West Coast jazz DJ, was performed by its composer, Gerry Mulligan on his 1957 labial LP: The Gerry Mulligan-Paul Desmond Quartet, with Mulligan on Baritone Sax, Desmond on Alto Sax; Joe Benjamin on Bass and Dave Bailey on Drums.

  6. “Do It Again” was written by George Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva for the 1920 Broadway musical: The French Doll and is sung by June Christy with Shorty Rogers and His Giants on a 45 rpm single that was released in 1950, spotlighting the talents of John Graas on French Horn, Art Pepper on Alto Sax and Claude Williamson on Piano.

  7. “Round Midnight,” the jazz classic by Thelonious Monk and Bernie Hanighen sung in 1960 by Julie London on her nocturnal nodule: Around Midnight, arranged and conducted by Dick Reynolds.

  8. “The Dart Game,” composed by Charlie Mariano, who also appears on Alto Sax on this track from the 1956 lapidarial LP: Swinging Sounds, Volume 4. By the drummer Shelly Manne & His Men, featuring Stu Williams on Trumpet, Russ Freeman on Piano and Leroy Vinnegar on Bass.

  9. “Machito,” the musical tribute to the great Afro-Cuban Latin dance band leader composed by Pete Rugolo and recorded on the 1958 lipsome LP: Buddy Collette’s Swinging Shepherds, Mr. Collette, Bud Shank and Paul Horn and Harry Klee on variously variegated Flutes, with Bill Miller on Piano, Joe Comfort on Bass and Bill Richmond on Drums and Congas.

  10. “When Sunny Gets Blue” the jazz classic inked in 1956 by Jack Segal and Marvin Fisher, vocalized by Mavis Rivers on her 1962 outstanding album: Mavis Meets Shorty, with a very big band arranged and conducted by Chuck Sagle that included Shorty Rogers on Flugelhorn, Dick Grove on Piano and Red Callendar on Tuba.

  11. “The More I See You,” the 1945 song by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren that appeared on the 1958 loquacious LP: It Could Happen to You – Chet Baker Sings, with Chet Baker on Vocals & Trumpet; Kenny Drew on Piano, Sam Jones on Bass and Philly Joe Jones on Drums.

  12. “Sunday, Monday, or Always” was written in 1943 by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen and was performed in 1956 by Pete Rugolo and His Orchestra for his rambunctious recording Adventures in Sound, which was also released at various times on LP as: “Introducing Pete Rugolo,” “Rugolomania” and “Adventures in Rhythm.” Featured were Russ Freeman on Piano; Joe Mondragon on Bass and Shelley Manne on Drums.

  13. “Twisted,” the 1952 song composed by Tenor Sax master Wardell Gray and the singer Annie Ross, recorded in 1959 for the lyrical LP: Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – Everybody’s Boppin’ with Harry “Sweets Edison on Trumpet; Guido Mahones on Piano, Charles Isaacs on Bass and William Bolden and Jimmy Wormworth on Drums.

  14. “I Wish I Were in Love Again,” written by Rodgers & Hart for the 1937 Broadway show: Babes in Arms, pianistically rendered and orchestrated by Andre Previn on his 1960 ambidextrous album: Like Love.

  15. “Playing the Field,” composed by Steve Allen and sung by the late Mark Murphy on his 1960 luxurious LP: Playing the Field.

  16. “With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair,” composed by Clara Edwards and used in the Preston Sturges’ movies: Lady Eve and Sullivan’s Travels, in a version derived from the 1951 able album: Stan Getz Plays, with Getz on Alto Sax, Jimmy Rowles on Piano; Bob Whitlock on Bass and Max Roach on Drums.

TM

On 2016-03-09 19:27, Dr. Zarkov wrote:
Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge Playlist: March 9, 2016

On this week’s Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge radio show we wallowed in a wide range of West Coast Cool Jazz. In reality there was never such a school, but critics and fans invented it to corral and categorize a certain kind of music coming out of California in the 1950s and early Sixties, where the entire Tiki culture had sprung from decades earlier at Don the Beachcomber’s in Los Angeles and Trader Vic’s in Emeryville.

Dr. Zarkov’s Tiki Lounge is broadcast every Wednesday, 5-6 pm Eastern Time (2-3 pm on the West Coast) at http://www.radiofairfax.org. The show is broadcast live; no recorded shows are archived, but some listeners choose to record it on their computers to listen later. Radio Fairfax also can be heard on Tune In Radio at tunein.com, and streamed on smartphones by downloading the Tunein app. It also can be streamed on Roku and Google TV at: http://tinyurl.com/3uqfsz9

  1. “West Coast Cool” with lyrics written by the singer Mark Winkler to the music by Neil Hefti composed for the song: “Lil’ Darlin’,” sharing vocal duties with former Manhattan Transfer member Cheryl Bentyne, taken from their auspicious album also called West Coast Cool, featuring Rich Eames on Piano and arrangements, Bob Sheppard on Reeds, Tim Emmons on Bass and Dave Tull on Drums.

  2. “Little Pony,” also composed by Neil Hefti, waxed in 1951 by Count Basie and His Orchestra: with the Count on Piano, prominent Los Angeles-based reed man Wardell Gray on Tenor Sax and Freddie Green on Electric Guitar, found on the bodacious box set: The Wardell Gray Story.

  3. “Weird Nightmare” was recorded in 1951 by its 24-year-old composer and native Californian Charles Mingus and his Orchestra, with Claude Trenier on Vocal, Wilbert Baranco on Piano, Lucky Thompson on Tenor Sax, Karl George and John Plonsky on Trumpets, Henry Coker on Trombone, Jewel Grant and Willie Smith on Alto Saxes, Gene Porter on Baritone Clarinet, Buddy Harper on Guitar, Charles Mingus on Bass and Lee Young on Drums. Found on the Brit anthology: Jazz Noire – Darktown Sleaze From the Mean Streets of 1940s L.A.

  4. “I Hear Music,” inked by Burton Lane and Frank Loesser for the 1940 movie: Dancing on a Dime, sung in 1956 by Chris Connor on her Atlantic debut album simply titled: Chris, with the pianist Ellis Larkins’ Trio.

  5. “Line for Lyons,” musical tribute to a West Coast jazz DJ, was performed by its composer, Gerry Mulligan on his 1957 labial LP: The Gerry Mulligan-Paul Desmond Quartet, with Mulligan on Baritone Sax, Desmond on Alto Sax; Joe Benjamin on Bass and Dave Bailey on Drums.

  6. “Do It Again” was written by George Gershwin and Buddy DeSylva for the 1920 Broadway musical: The French Doll and is sung by June Christy with Shorty Rogers and His Giants on a 45 rpm single that was released in 1950, spotlighting the talents of John Graas on French Horn, Art Pepper on Alto Sax and Claude Williamson on Piano.

  7. “Round Midnight,” the jazz classic by Thelonious Monk and Bernie Hanighen sung in 1960 by Julie London on her nocturnal nodule: Around Midnight, arranged and conducted by Dick Reynolds.

  8. “The Dart Game,” composed by Charlie Mariano, who also appears on Alto Sax on this track from the 1956 lapidarial LP: Swinging Sounds, Volume 4. By the drummer Shelly Manne & His Men, featuring Stu Williams on Trumpet, Russ Freeman on Piano and Leroy Vinnegar on Bass.

  9. “Machito,” the musical tribute to the great Afro-Cuban Latin dance band leader composed by Pete Rugolo and recorded on the 1958 lipsome LP: Buddy Collette’s Swinging Shepherds, Mr. Collette, Bud Shank and Paul Horn and Harry Klee on variously variegated Flutes, with Bill Miller on Piano, Joe Comfort on Bass and Bill Richmond on Drums and Congas.

  10. “When Sunny Gets Blue” the jazz classic inked in 1956 by Jack Segal and Marvin Fisher, vocalized by Mavis Rivers on her 1962 outstanding album: Mavis Meets Shorty, with a very big band arranged and conducted by Chuck Sagle that included Shorty Rogers on Flugelhorn, Dick Grove on Piano and Red Callendar on Tuba.

  11. “The More I See You,” the 1945 song by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren that appeared on the 1958 loquacious LP: It Could Happen to You – Chet Baker Sings, with Chet Baker on Vocals & Trumpet; Kenny Drew on Piano, Sam Jones on Bass and Philly Joe Jones on Drums.

  12. “Sunday, Monday, or Always” was written in 1943 by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen and was performed in 1956 by Pete Rugolo and His Orchestra for his rambunctious recording Adventures in Sound, which was also released at various times on LP as: “Introducing Pete Rugolo,” “Rugolomania” and “Adventures in Rhythm.” Featured were Russ Freeman on Piano; Joe Mondragon on Bass and Shelley Manne on Drums.

  13. “Twisted,” the 1952 song composed by Tenor Sax master Wardell Gray and the singer Annie Ross, recorded in 1959 for the lyrical LP: Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – Everybody’s Boppin’ with Harry “Sweets Edison on Trumpet; Guido Mahones on Piano, Charles Isaacs on Bass and William Bolden and Jimmy Wormworth on Drums.

  14. “I Wish I Were in Love Again,” written by Rodgers & Hart for the 1937 Broadway show: Babes in Arms, pianistically rendered and orchestrated by Andre Previn on his 1960 ambidextrous album: Like Love.

  15. “Playing the Field,” composed by Steve Allen and sung by the late Mark Murphy on his 1960 luxurious LP: Playing the Field.

  16. “With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair,” composed by Clara Edwards and used in the Preston Sturges’ movies: Lady Eve and Sullivan’s Travels, in a version derived from the 1951 able album: Stan Getz Plays, with Getz on Alto Sax, Jimmy Rowles on Piano; Bob Whitlock on Bass and Max Roach on Drums.

You have excellent taste. My Mom worked at a Hollywood record store back in 61/62, and brought home all kinds of albums for her collection. I grew up listening to this stuff as a result, and remain a fan of West Coast Jazz to this day. It's amazing when you think of what a special but narrow window of time it really was. Essentially killed off by 1964 with the coming of rock music, West Coast jazz was at the time, the pinnacle of hipness. I guess you could technically say that sound started as early as the mid 50's, but was pretty much gone within 10 years. I have always found it interesting where people used different terms to try and explain it, but basically, as you pointed out, it was an arbitrary description of a simple idea invented by critics. To me, it just meant that you saw a lot of the same top names playing with each of these groups: Shelley manne, Chuck Berghofer, Ritchie Kamuca, Frank Rossalino, Jinny Guiuffre, Larry Bunker, Jimmy Rowles, etc...this is one reason I am such a fan of Mancini, since his band was chock full of these players.

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2016-04-14 07:41 ]

Lucas, if you haven't read it yet I would highly recommend Ted Gioia's book, "West Coast Jazz."(IMO his book, "The Jazz Standards" also is indispensable for DJs and musicians as well).

Pages: 1 2 replies