West Coast Jazz Guide: 3 Characteristics of West Coast Jazz

West Coast jazz is a genre of music that is a regional, offshoot of cool jazz—which had a more laid-back smooth sound than bebop. Like cool jazz, West Coast jazz is relaxed, relying more on composition and arrangement than freestyle improvisation.

Mainly inspired by The Miles Davis Nonet in New York, many Los Angeles-based jazz musicians adopted the cool jazz genre and created the West Coast jazz style in the 1950s. West Coast jazz became a unique jazz scene in the San Francisco bay area and Los Angeles, famously at venues like The Lighthouse Cafe. Some famous West Coast jazz musicians include trumpeter Chet Baker, pianist Dave Brubeck, drummer Chico Hamilton, bassist and bandleader Howard Rumsey, trumpeter Shorty Rogers, drummer Shelly Manne, Shorty Rogers, and saxophonist Stan Getz.

West Coast jazz has a number of recognizable characteristics, including:

1. 1. Smoother and more formal than bebop. Like cool jazz, West Coast jazz is less frantic than traditional bebop, and it relies more on formal arrangements than individual improvisation. This results in a less jarring rhythm, and contributes to a more relaxed and mellow sound.
2. 2. Larger groups. While trios, quartets, and quintets were often the jazz standard, West Coast jazz experimented with larger groups, often performing as octets, nonets, or decets. This led to a fuller-sounding performance in comparison to the leaner sound of a smaller jazz group.
3. 3. Use of unconventional instruments. West Coast jazz may incorporate instruments like French horns and tubas, or it may exclude more traditional chordal instruments like the piano or guitar, giving the music a more open, diverse sound.

There are many notable West Coast musicians responsible for evolving West Coast jazz into its signature sound. Some famous pioneers of the West Coast jazz movement include:

1. 1. Chet Baker: Trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker (nicknamed the “Prince of Cool”) is one of the most famous names in West Coast jazz. Baker joined Gerry Mulligan’s quartet in 1952 and made a hit with “My Funny Valentine,” which featured an impressive solo that would become his signature song.
2. 2. Dave Brubeck: Pianist Dave Brubeck was one of the first artists to bring jazz to colleges. He is responsible for standards like “Koto Song” and “Theme From Mr. Broadway.”
3. 3. Curtis Counce: Counce was a double bassist for hard bop and West Coast jazz. As a bandleader, he composed a number of albums for Contemporary Records. He also served as a sideman for a number of musicians like Stan Kenton, Shelly Manne, and Jimmy Giuffre, eventually forming his own quintet in 1956.
4. 4. Stan Getz: Stan Getz is a tenor saxophonist who made a name for himself in Woody Herman’s famous big band. Getz performed both bebop and cool jazz, and is credited with the rise of bossa nova music in the United States with his hit rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema.”
5. 5. Hampton Hawes: Hawes was a self-taught pianist who collaborated with other notable musicians by his teens. He recorded with fellow West Coast musicians like Teddy Edwards, Shorty Rogers, and Sonny Criss, as well as with New York City legend Charles Mingus on Mingus Three (1957).
6. 6. Art Pepper: Pepper was an alto saxophonist who became known for his emotionally-charged style of playing. When Pepper died, jazz critic Scott Yanow described him as “the world’s greatest altoist.”
7. 7. Shorty Rogers: Shorty Rogers played the trumpet and the flugelhorn. He made a living as a music arranger and conductor for Hollywood productions, which gave him the financial stability to play at jazz clubs at night.

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