As part of our Boplicity Jazz series we present one of the most historically important recordings first issued by the Los Angeles-based Modern label. Dating from 1948, some tracks recorded at the Shrine Studio as part of the Gene Norman sessions, this album features the cream of Los Angeles talent.
By the time Modern released this album, Wardell Gray was dead. He’d been found at the side of a road in May 1955, only 34 years old. The recording is a fascinating insight into the development of jazz on the West Coast as the older big band players battle it out with the new bebop stylists. This is a vital historical document.