Spiritual Jazz 19/West Coast Usa Part 1 - 50's And 60's

Description

Two box sets of two vinyl records (2LP) and a Double CD that explore the influence and expression of underground jazz that emerged in California and neighboring states during the second half of the 20th century. The American West Coast has long been associated with the popular explosion of "cool jazz" in the 1950s. However, wherever jazz was played, modal, Afrocentric, and spiritual currents also developed and flourished - the West Coast being no exception. After the war, Central Avenue in Los Angeles was only surpassed by Manhattan as the largest jazz district in the United States. But while Manhattan was undoubtedly the nerve center of jazz at that time, it was California that had the greatest influence on culture in general, attracting Americans from all walks of life to its burgeoning 1960s counterculture. Here we explore the effects of this counterculture on jazz. We examine the influence of the most significant political force in the struggle for Black civil rights - the Black Panthers - and we look into the new spiritual practices and emerging "New Age" religions. Various independent and original formations, such as Arhoolie, Theresa, and Nimbus, were based in California, along with many other private enterprises. We present here the fruit of their efforts to express their musical freedom. All these factors contributed to the development and rise of jazz and jazz musicians on the American West Coast, and the evolution of spiritual jazz is analyzed in detail.