A stellar set from one of the most underrated reed players of all time – a brilliant bit of searching soul jazz, cut at a time when Curtis Amy was leaving behind his Texas roots for the new sounds of the Coltrane generation! The album's quite different than the organ and tenor dates that Amy ... read moreCD
(1998 limited edition pressing, part of the West Coast Classics series.)
Curtis Amy & Frank Butler —
Groovin Blue ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1960. Used ...
Out Of Stock
One of the best Curtis Amy records for Pacific Jazz – and an album that really has him stretching out, hitting some of the more openly soulful modes that would develop further in the 60s! The set's a partnership with drummer Frank Butler, who himself is a pretty hip cat – and together, ... read moreCD
Nice 14 track compilation that brings together a lot of the best instrumental tracks from Chet's early years – and a good counterpoint to the Chet Baker Sings collection, which has also been issued recently. Chet's trumpet style here is light, lovely, and lyrical – with a sad haunting ... read moreCD
Killer work from the late 50's by Chet! Although Baker's trumpet playing in the early part of the decade became known as one of the trademark "cool" sounds of the west coast, he started to move towards a sound that was a lot more hardbop at the end of the decade – as you'll hear on ... read moreCD
Early material from trumpet genius Chet Baker – mostly featuring his quartet with Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums! CD
Features Bud Shank on flute and saxophone, Russ Freeman and Pete Jolly on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and others. Tracks include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "This Is Always", "Let's Get Lost", "Moon Love", "Sweet Lorraine", and "I Fall In ... read moreCD
The last in a series of rare 50s live material from Chet Baker – featuring a near-lost performance from the Tiffany Club in LA, recorded in 1954 with a group that includes Russ Freeman on piano, Carson Smith on bass, and Bob Neel on drums. The tracks are presented in crystal-clear long ... read moreCD
Rare live material from Chet Baker – recorded at 1954 performances at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and the Tiffany Club in LA. The material was never officially issued at the time, although it did make an appearance in a now out of print box set on Mosaic – and it features Chet ... read moreCD
(Out of print, thin cutout notch through spine.)
Chet Baker & Art Pepper —
Playboys ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1956. Used ...
$24.99
An excellent session that stands as one of both players' strongest from the time! Baker's really opening up here, moving more into that hardbop mode of the late 50s – and Pepper's already hit his stride here – with the pair of them working in a group that includes Phil Urso on tenor, ... read moreCD
(Out of print, includes obi.)
Chet Baker & Art Pepper —
Playboys ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1956. Used ...
Out Of Stock
An excellent session that stands as one of both players' strongest from the time! Baker's really opening up here, moving more into that hardbop mode of the late 50s – and Pepper's already hit his stride here – with the pair of them working in a group that includes Phil Urso on tenor, ... read moreCD
Although the initial release of this music was a cheap attempt to cash in on the tragic fame of the late James Dean, this 1956 session was also one of the nicest big band dates to come out of the Pacific Jazz catalog of the 1950s! Chet Baker and Bud Shank are the featured soloists of the set ... read moreCD
A great no-nonsense session from Chet – blowing here with Russ Freeman on piano, blocking out backgrounds that work perfectly with the fragile tone of Chet's horn. The rest of the group is completed by Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelly Manne on drums – and the tracks are simple and ... read moreCD
(Out of print 1997 pressing.)
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers —
Ritual ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1957. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A hard-swinging cooker from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – recorded during the landmark year of 1957 – when Blakey's group was open to recording for a number of different labels, in a number of different settings! The set was originally done for the west coast stalwart Pacific ... read moreCD
Seminal work from one of the greatest trumpeters of the postwar years – captured here right before his famous association with drummer Max Roach in the final years of his life! The set brings together everything that Clifford Brown recorded for both the Blue Note and Pacific Jazz labels ... read moreCD
(BMG Direct pressing – in nice shape with slicpase and large booklet.)
Clifford Brown —
Jazz Immortal ... CD Pacific Jazz/Manhattan, 1954. Used ...
$1.99
Seminal west coast recordings by Clifford Brown – recorded in LA in 1954, with a mixture of hard bop and lyricism, in that sparkling mode that Brownie left as his indelible imprint on the west coast scene of the 50s! Players include Bob Gordon on baritone, Stu Williamson on trombone, Zoot ... read moreCD
Seminal west coast recordings by Clifford Brown – recorded in LA in 1954, with a mixture of hard bop and lyricism, in that sparkling mode that Brownie left as his indelible imprint on the west coast scene of the 50s! Players include Bob Gordon on baritone, Stu Williamson on trombone, Zoot ... read moreCD
Beautiful work from the legendary Hoagy Carmichael – and one of the few albums to feature him singing his own work! Hoagy's name is one that you're more likely to see in the songwriting credits than in the artist slot for a record – but he's actually got a wonderful voice, one that's ... (Vocalists, Jazz)read moreCD
Teddy Edwards at the height of his powers – packing a tight, soulful punch that made him one of the most popular players on the west coast in the early 60s – and a great link between earlier R&B tenorists and the leaner sound of 60s jazz! Edwards has a nice gutbuckety tone at times ... read moreCD
(1998 West Coast Classics pressing – includes obi!)
Don Ellis —
Essence ... CD Pacific Jazz/Mighty Quinn, 1962. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Bracingly modern work from trumpeter Don Ellis – recorded quite early in his career, long before he broke out with his funkier big band of the late 60s and early 70s! The Ellis heard here is a clear-headed, fresh-thinking player – one who's keenly aware of the changes going on in jazz ... read moreCD
A really great little album recorded by trumpeter Don Ellis in his early years – done at a time before he started putting a bit more fusion in his mix! The record features an extended live performance by a larger group, caught in concert at the Monterey Jazz Fest in 1966 – opening up ... read moreCD
2 wonderful late 50s sessions from arranger Gil Evans – both of which we'd rank right up there with his best work with Miles Davis, or the albums under his own name for Impulse in the 60s! The first half of the CD is from the album New Bottle Old Wine – a record of swinging modern ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2006 Connoisseur pressing. Spine has a cutout hole.)
An early moment of genius from the young Clare Fischer – one of his first sets for a larger ensemble, and the start of years of great work to come! Previous Pacific Jazz sessions featured Fischer in a piano trio – but this album lets Clare loose on a host of his own inventive ... read moreCD
An amazing debut from pianist Clare Fischer – an artist who went onto have a subtle, but immediate influence upon both the American and Brazilian jazz scenes of the time! Fischer's got a lyrical approach to rhythm that's simply amazing – modern, but never cold and academic – and ... read moreCD
A wealth of piano trio material from the west coast scene of the 50s and early 60s – tracks pulled not only from long-lost albums by pianists Russ Freeman, Richard Twardzik, Jimmy Rowles, and Clare Fischer – but also even more obscure recordings that only appeared on Pacific Jazz ... read moreCD
(CONDITION NOTE: this copy includes the booklet and all 3 CDs but is missing the outer slipcase – no slipcover!)
One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass ... read moreCD
One of Dizzy Gillespie's hippest big band sessions ever – and one of the few dates as a leader from arranger Gil Fuller! Fuller will always be best-remembered as the man who composed some of Dizzy Gillespie's best known tunes from the bop era – like "Manteca", "One Bass ... read moreCD
A rare early trio set from Jim Hall – especially noteworthy because Jim rarely worked as a leader in the format! The album's got Hall working with Carl Perkins on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – in a mode that slightly recalls some of Barney Kessel's mid 50s recordings over at ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Jim Hall —
Jazz Guitar ... CD Pacific Jazz/EMI (Japan), 1957. Used ...
$18.99
A rare early trio set from Jim Hall – especially noteworthy because Jim rarely worked in the format as a leader! The album's got Hall working with Carl Perkins on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – in a mode that slightly recalls some of Barney Kessel's mid 50s recordings over at ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2010 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
A rare early trio set from Jim Hall – especially noteworthy because Jim rarely worked in the format as a leader! The album's got Hall working with Carl Perkins on piano and Red Mitchell on bass – in a mode that slightly recalls some of Barney Kessel's mid 50s recordings over at ... read moreCD
A wealth of great work from Chico Hamilton in the 50s! First up is the self-titled Chico Hamilton Quintet album – Pacific Jazz 1225 – not to be confused with other similar-titled Chico Hamilton albums at the time! This one sports an abstract painting on the cover, and was recorded in ... read moreCD
Features material from the albums Chico Hamilton Quintet Featuring Buddy Collette, Chico Hamilton Quintet In Hi Fi, Chico Hamilton Quintet, Zen The Music Of Fred Katz, Plays South Pacific, Ellington Suite, Original Chico Hamilton Quintet, Jazz Milestone Series, Jazz Swings Broadway, The Blues, ... read moreCD
(Please note that this set does not include the outer box or book, just the 6CDs.)
A rare set of work by Chico Hamilton's original quintet – the groundbreaking lineup that features Buddy Collette on flute and saxes, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar, and Carson Smith on drums – all working together in a really unique blend of rhythm and melody! The sound here is ... read moreCD
Forget the Ellington in the title, because this is more a moody album of west coast chamber jazz, in the best tradition of the Chico Hamilton group! Chico was one of the first folks in the jazz business to notice the genius of a young Eric Dolphy, and the record was cut in 1958, when Dolphy was ... read moreCD
(Jazz Heritage pressing with full color artwork. Back cover of booklet has some pen.)
A double-length collection of work from the Chico Hamilton and his famous cellist Fred Katz – two albums from the 50s, back to back on a single CD! First up is Zen, issued under Katz's name for Pacific Jazz – recorded at the time when he was the cello player in Chico Hamilton's ... read moreCD
Roy Haynes —
People ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1964. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
One of our favorite records ever by Roy Haynes – a lyrical masterpiece that stands with his best work of the 60s! The set features some wonderful playing by Frank Strozier – who's handling both alto and flute on the set, grooving around like he did on his own great Riverside albums of ... read moreCD
Richard Groove Holmes —
After Hours ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1962. Used ...
Out Of Stock
An obscure early one from Groove Holmes! Despite the title, this one's actually a nice batch of pretty groovy tracks – played by Groove with two different trios, both of which give him plenty of room to stretch out, and prove that he always worked best in smaller ensembles! Lots of nice ... read moreCD
Early work by Groove Holmes – the one organist who showed the scene that the west coast could boast a Hammond player as strong as the giants emerging from the east during the early 60s. The set features tracks recorded during the 1960s for the Pacific Jazz label, with Groove in groups that ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2001 disc has a promo stamp.)
Richard Groove Holmes —
Groove ... CD Pacific Jazz/Capitol, 1961. Used ...
Out Of Stock
An early cooker from Richard Groove Holmes – and one of the most important Hammond jazz sets to come out of the west coast at the time! At a point when most folks think the east has a lock on the instrument, Groove bursts forth here with a great hard-edged sound – proof that the LA ... read moreCD
(1990 pressing.)
Richard Groove Holmes & Gene Ammons —
Groovin' With Jug ... CD Pacific Jazz/Capitol, 1961. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Quite an unusual date – both for the players, who are normally more at home on Prestige Records – and for the Pacific Jazz label, who were then a cornerstone of west coast cool jazz! That setting doesn't keep the album from being a killer, though – as Gene Ammons wails away on ... read moreCD
Richard Groove Holmes & Les McCann —
Somethin' Special ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1962. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Two of LA's leading soul jazz luminaries – playing head to head in an interesting session that mixes lines on piano and organ! McCann gives the set a good rollicking rhythm, and Holmes' increasing skill on the Hammond makes the set blow out over the top – and the pair get backing by ... read moreCD
The landmark first album to feature the Jazz Crusaders playing live at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach – the start of a great run of albums that would go onto help redefine the sound of soul jazz in the 60s! Although the group was already plenty darn great on their studio sides, working at ... read moreCD
An amazing start for this seminal group – material that appeared on the albums Freedom Sound, Lookin Ahead, Tough Talk, Heat Wave, Stretchin Out, The Thing, Uh Huh, Powerhouse, and Give Peace A Chance – plus some unissued tracks too! CD
Jazz Crusaders —
Uh Huh ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1967. Used ...
$26.99
Killer Jazz Crusaders material – exactly the kind of record that really had the group coming into their own in the second half of the 60s – finding a rich new groove that few other combos could match! The record captures the group at a perfect time – a point when they were ... read moreCD
Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, ... read moreCD
Remarkable Carmell Jones, indeed – and one of the few albums ever cut as a leader by this up-and-coming force on the LA scene at the start of the 60s! Jones was a player who really showcased something new on the west at the time – a move away from cool jazz, and the start of a deeper, ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2010 Japanese pressing, includes obi.)
A classic meeting of east and west coast artists of the third stream jazz sphere of the late 50s – one that features the team of John Lewis and Percy Heath of the Modern Jazz Quartet working alongside the west coast tenor of Bill Perkins, plus the guitar of Jim Hall and drums of Chico ... read moreCD
Very very very groovy stuff by this masterful jazz vibist, recorded with a sort of late 60s swingin' feel – but still very much in the pocket and warm as a summer breeze! Lytle has a pretty remarkable way of playing the vibes with speed and energy, yet the overall feel still has kind of a ... read moreCD
Les McCann —
Pretty Lady ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1961. Used ...
$11.99
A pretty great set from Les McCann – and quite a bit different than some of his other work of the time! This one's sub-billed as "the ballad style of Les McCann" – but it features Les playing these laidback, mellow numbers that are way different than most jazz ballads of the ... read moreCD
A quartet session that features Les McCann working with Leroy Vinnegar on bass, Ron Jefferson on drums, and Joe Pass on guitar. Pass' guitar opens the group up nicely – expanding Les a bit past some of the gospel drenched work of earlier yesr. Tracks include "Maichen", "Bernie ... read moreCD
Wes Montgomery —
Far Wes ... CD Pacific Jazz, Late 50s. Used ...
$2.99
With Pony Poindexter on alto saxophone, Harold Land on tenor saxophone, Buddy Montgomery on piano, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Louis Hayes and Tony Bazley on drums, . CD
An obscure set of tracks – but some really wonderful material from the catalog of Pacific Jazz Records! The CD's title clearly showcases the presence of Wes Montgomery on the sides – but Wes was actually more of a sideman on these tracks, and the real credit for the greatness goes to ... read moreCD
A beautiful example of why the west coast scene was great when it was working at its finest – that perfect blend of group formation and individual identity that could make a record like this so great! Tenor player Jack Montrose cut a rare few albums in the 50s, but this one's a gem – ... read moreCD
Volume 2 of a classic live album by Gerry – expanded to include the entire concert recorded in December of 1954 in San Diego. The group's a great one – and features Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Larry Bunker, Red Mitchell, and Jon Eardley – and this version is expanded a lot from ... read moreCD
Fantastic small group sides from Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker – includes three discs worth of material from the original 1952/1953 sessions, the 1957 reunion, plus a fourth disc featuring work with Lee Konitz and with vocalist Annie Ross. 82 tracks total! CD
Gerry Mulligan brings the piano back in nicely here – but in a way that still hangs onto all the best modern tones of his earlier Pacific Jazz sessions! The date's a live one – done at Storyville in Boston – but the sound is wonderfully intimate, with Gerry on baritone sax and ... read moreCD
(Out of print, traycard artwork has some very faint water damage.)
Gerry Mulligan meets up with a great array of 50s modernists here – in specially setting dedicated to all Mulligan-penned compositions! Although a radical player himself on the baritone sax, Gerry also added something strong to the 50s jazz catalog with his great tunes from the early days ... read moreCD
Gerry Mulligan meets up with a great array of 50s modernists here – in specially setting dedicated to all Mulligan-penned compositions! Although a radical player himself on the baritone sax, Gerry also added something strong to the 50s jazz catalog with his great tunes from the early days ... read moreCD
Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Chet Baker on trumpet joined by Bobby Whitlock, Carson Smith and Henry Grimes on bass, and Chico Hamilton, Larry Bunker, and Dave Bailey on drums. CD
An album dedicated to the great Django Reinhardt – but one that also comes across with plenty of west coast touches too – just what you'd expect for the meeting of the young Joe Pass and the Pacific Jazz label! The format is somewhat Django-esque – with lead guitar work from Joe ... read moreCD
Joe Pass —
Joy Spring ... CD Blue Note/Pacific Jazz, 1964. Used ...
$6.99
A gem by Joe Pass – recorded "live" in the studio a few months before his legendary For Django album, but never issued until the 70s! The set's got a freeness that you don't always hear in some of Pass' other more restrained work – and working with a quartet that includes ... read moreCD
Classic Art Pepper material, recorded in one of his comeback periods, and featuring the famous Richard Claxton photo of Art Holding his horn next to a tree. There's several different lineups featured, with a coupl of quintet and quartet sides, and a few with larger horn section, and the sidemen ... read moreCD
Bill Perkins & Richie Kamuca —
Tenors Head On ... CD Pacific Jazz, 1956. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A killer date from two of the hippest tenors of the west coast scene in the 50s – Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca – both musicians who worked in the cool school, but could also come across with plenty of soul! The album's got both tenors working head on – hitting counterpoint ... read moreCD
Includes the songs "Cantaloupe Island", "Contact", "Pebble Beach Walk", "California", "The Loner", "Soul Summit", "Eighty-One", "Twenty Small Cigars", "How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That", "King ... read moreCD
(Out of print, mark through barcode and promotional stamp on CD.)
Groovy stuff! We'd never say a bad word about Buddy (or else he'd sock us one!), but this album is particularly nice – as it features Rich's swinging late 60s group doing some pop/jazz covers of groovy 60s tunes, plus some very tasty originals! All tracks are pretty short, and the band ... read moreCD
(2000 CD pressing. Mark through barcode and promo sticker on disc.)
Buddy at his soulful late 60s best – not content to keep in the same groove as older years, and working here with a great lineup that includes some excellent younger players! Charles Owens is in the group on alto, and the set also features work by Don Menza on tenor, Art Pepper on alto, Pat ... read moreCD
Very hard-burning work from Buddy's hip band of the mid 60s – a large ensemble, but one that features searing horn parts that cut through the bigger arrangements with ease! Buddy really had an ear for tuning power with personality at this point in his career – and although the group ... read moreCD
A hard and heavy side from Buddy, and true to his reputation and the title of the LP, he comes out swinging! The set features a top notch mid 60s group, and from the sound of the numbers on this set, ol' Buddy did need to hand out any of his famous lectures on the bus afterwards, with some crisp ... read moreCD
One of the few albums that singer Annie Ross cut on her own away from the Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross group while she was still living in the US – and a great little set recorded with a group led by Gerry Mulligan! The sound is west coast cool all the way through – with players who ... (Vocalists, Jazz)read moreCD
A beautiful album of ballads from Bud Shank – quite unusual, given that most of his output at the time was in a small group mode – but a great little session, and one that's handled with sensitivity and soul that you might not hear on his other records! The backings are by the Len ... read moreCD
Some of the greatest material Bud Shank ever recorded – a wealth of small combo sessions that run from cool jazz to bossa – and an ultra-rare South African record too! The set features material from the albums Bud Shank Quartet, Bud Shank Quartet Featuring Claude Williamson, Bud Shank ... read moreCD
(Out of print, hand-numbered limited edition pressing with the original book, box and CDs. Front cover has a few scuffs and is detached, with peeling on spine obscuring the title – inner contents all in great shape!)
Great Bud Shank album, in which he's paired with two different groups on the two different sides of the record. Shorty Rogers holds the lead with him on one side, and Bill Perkins is on the other. Shorty's playing is good, but Perkins is fantastic here. Him and Shank's playing is the stuff that ... read moreCD
A wonderful document of one of the best musical pairings on the west coast scene of the 50s – Bud Shank and Bob Cooper! The set features some of the pair's best recordings for the Pacific Jazz label in the 50s – material that was recorded for the albums Bud Shank & 3 Trombones, Bud ... read moreCD
Bud Shank & Clare Fischer —
Bossa Nova Jazz Samba ... CD Pacific Jazz (Japan), 1962. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A sublime little set all the way through – an early 60s date from the west coast scene – and one that was almost as important to that side of the country as the Verve bossa records were to New York! Bud Shank's in the lead on alto sax – no flute at all this time around – ... read moreCD
(Out of print sealed 2013 pressing, includes obi.)
A seminal bit of west coast cool jazz from the mid 50s – a session led by Cy Touff, a lesser-remembered player from the LA scene, and an instrumentalist who used a bass trumpet! Cy's working here in the company of a host of more familiar names – including Richie Kamuca, Russ Freeman, ... read moreCD
(1999 pressing.)
Gerald Wilson —
Artist Selects ... CD Pacific Jazz/EMI, 1960s. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Great little collection from Wilson's Pacific Jazz albums featuring the likes of Joe Pass, Leroy Vinnegar, Roy Ayers, Richard Groove Holmes, and Harold Land! 16 tracks total including "Jeri", "Viva Torado", "Moody Blue", "Paco", "Lighthouse Blues", ... read moreCD
(Sealed.)
Gerald Wilson —
Moment Of Truth ... CD Pacific Jazz/Capitol, 1963. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A seminal moment on the west coast scene of the 60s – a record that has the great Gerald Wilson pulling together some of the best elements that were going on at the time, and also pointing the way towards changes to come in the future! The set's not the first effort by Wilson on record, but ... read moreCD
A great little set compiled by the folks at Swing Journal, with music by Bud Shank, Gerry Mulligan, Russ Freeman, Clifford Brown, Jack Montrose, Chico Hamilton, Jim Hall, Art Pepper, Laurindo Almeida, and more – 24 tracks total. CD