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 [...]

Boss Sounds! // Shelly Manne (Atlantic SD 1469)

Driving a few miles north of Hermosa Beach, humming "Appointment In Ghana" as you motor along the Pacific Coast, you find yourself in Los Angeles, the first major city on your jazz journey. Being that this is the capitol of Southern California and its jazz mecca, there's almost too many options to choose from. LA [...]

The Playboy Jazz All-Stars // Various Artists (Playboy Records PB #1957)

This is an album I've been looking forward to writing about from the moment I created this blog.  The product of Playboy Magazine's first jazz poll, Hugh Hefner decided to create an album to honor the winners of the poll.  By releasing such a project, Hefner and the folks at Playboy provided a snapshot of [...]