With Ken Koenig's enlightening and entertaining DVD history of a SoCal treasure, Jazz on the West Coast: The Lighthouse, ninety year-old Howard Rumsey returns to the spotlight. Bassist, booker and raconteur extraordinaire, Rumsey presented the best jazz shows in LA for thirty-three consecutive years. First with a group of studio musicians and Stan Kenton veterans, he ran the ongoing jam and experimentation of the Lighthouse All-Stars, establishing the springboard for the soon-to-be-ballyhooed “West Coast Jazz" sound.
After more than a decade of successful recording and personnel changes, Rumsey didn't feel it anymore and concentrated on booking world-class jazz artists to play his waterfront dive. After another decade, he moved down the coast to the Redondo Beach Pier for his tenure at Concerts by the Sea for another ten-plus, finally bringing the curtain down on a major chapter in LA jazz. The host is now the featured guest.
AAJ Contributor Rex Butters spoke with Rumsey about the state of live music, the infamous Lighthouse, and being the first bassist to record electric bass on a jazz album.
Check out Howard Rumsey: The Lighthouse All Star at AAJ today!
For more information contact All About Jazz.
