Let’s Cook! // Barney Kessel (Contemporary M3603)

How many posts have I started with "Here at Raggy Waltz HQ..."? I don't know, but add this one to the list. Here at Raggy Waltz headquarters, West Coast Jazz reigns supreme. I dig it and its creators. Which is why yet another Barney Kessel album is being spotlighted. This particular album has been on [...]

Barney Kessel Plays ‘Carmen’ // Barney Kessel (Contemporary S 7563)

It's Sunday, which means West Coast Jazz. Last week, a reader left a comment on a post mentioning (requesting?) Barney Kessel, a guitarist severely associated with all things West Coast. His comment brought on the realization that I haven't really spotlighted him at all in the many years I've run this humble blog, which is [...]

The Perfect Sunday Morning Soundtrack

As I write this, Vince Guaraldi's classic album 'Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus' is spinning on the turntable. "Moon River", to be specific. Guaraldi always did dig a good Mancini tune. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Some context is in order. For years now, I've gravitated towards playing that special brand (some would say [...]

Lighthouse At Laguna // Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All-Stars, Barney Kessel, & Hampton Hawes (Contemporary C3509)

If there's one thing that I and the Raggy Waltz staff love more than Brubeck and Desmond, it's starting blog series. Well, here's another one, inspired by the forced Coronacation we're all on. Here in the United States, at least, we're still under travel restrictions and social distancing regulations. As such, I thought it would [...]