Jazz On The West Coast: The Lighthouse

Newly released on DVD. Available for sale at www.roseking.org. Critically acclaimed 78 minute documentary film about the most famous jazz club in the Los Angeles area during the 1950's and 60's. DVD contains bonus one hour interview with band leader Howard Rumsey.

• Category

  Music

[selfdoc]

I love going down to Hermosa Beach and the Lighthouse. In fact, I enjoy the whole mall which now has some plaques in honor of great jazz artists who have played there. We showed this film at the Lighthouse itself a few years ago and a copy of it is in the Hermosa Beach Museum which honors the Lighthouse and jazz in Hermosa in one section.

[Argyrakis]

I wish i had seen this when i was writing my dissertation.. !

[selfdoc]

What was your dissertation on?

[Argyrakis]

cool jazz & the west coast

[selfdoc]

That's a special interest of mine of course. There is a Yahoo group dedicated to jazz on the west coast during this time period. You might be interested in checking it out.

[beadbop]

The bopper on the keys -could- be Russ Freeman, the late pianist/composer, who also happens to be my father. (Yes, for real!) He played at the Lighthouse off and on many times during the 1950's. Email me if you'd like more details...

[selfdoc]

Beadbop: I'd love to make contact with you. I met Russ in his later years at a music convention in LA dedicated to west coast jazz and we had some wonderful chats. I think I was also in touch with his daughter (your sister?) while making the Lighthouse film to see if I could get some photos, memorabilia, etc. which I would have loved to included. But apparently none was available. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was away.

[ghtaboma]

I first heard of the Lighthouse on radio station KNOB, in Long Beach, Ca. The DJ was Sleepy Stein. It was the mid-fifties. When we got cars, the Lighthouse is were we went! The home of West Coast Cool Jazz. Glad I was there.

[ocdrums77]

The Neil Buckley Octet is playing this style of music in Santa Rosa, Ca. We have some you tube videos if you care to check us out. West Coast Cool Jazz rules!

[TheDarmardar]

the lighthouse is still there and there are still very fine players performing there, such as Rick Zunigar.

[Argyrakis]

yeh, i'll have a look.. thanks

[raydog699]

Hermosa Beach eats its young. Ozzie, Dez Cadena, Greg Ginn, Keith Morris, and all that is left that was run out of town: fuck y'all.