West Coast jazz in the 1950s wasn't exclusively a white enterprise. There were a significant number of black jazz artists in Los Angeles then who played in the the form's breezy, contrapuntal style. The difference is that in the late 1940s and early '50s, black jazz artists were largely isolated as a result of the segregated Locals of the American Federation of Musicians. Black musicians belonged to Local 767 while whites belonged to Local 47. In April 1953, Local 47 was amalgamated with Local 767, resulting in a single union in L.A., ending union segregation—on paper.
Whites who worked in the Local's offices who were responsible for sending musicians our on jobs when calls came in found a loophole and had ways of continuing discrimination through coded notations on contact index cards to identify the race of musicians. As a result, many black musicians were passed over for top studio jobs when labels or session leaders preferred all white players. Nevertheless, black musicians were recorded by West Coast labels like Pacific Jazz, Contemporary and others, and they were highly regarded and respected by their white jazz peers.
One of the finest West Coast jazz artists was Buddy Collette. In addition to playing jazz on a long list of instruments—among them the alto and tenor saxophone, the flute and clarinet—he was a composer and key figure who had advocated for and participated in the merging of the union Locals.
Buddy's second leadership album was Man of Many Parts. Recorded for Contemporary in 1956, the combined personnel over the three recording sessions were Buddy Collette (ts, as ,fl, clar), Gerald Wilson (tp), David Wells (bass tp), William E. Green (as), Jewell Grant (bs), Barney Kessel (g), Ernie Freeman and Gerald Wiggins (p), Red Callender and Joe Comfort and Gene Wright (b), Max Albright, Larry Bunker and Bill Richmond (d).
Except for David Wells, Barney Kessel, Joe Comfort and Larry Bunker, the remaining musicians were all black. For more on the amalgamation of Locals 47 and 767, go here. For my five-part interview with Buddy Collette in 2010, go here.
Here's Buddy Collette's Man of Many Parts (Contemporary) without ad interruptions...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
- Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
- Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
- Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
- Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
- Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
- Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
- Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
- Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
- Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
- Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
- Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
- Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
- Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
- Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
- Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
- Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
- Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
- Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
- Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
- Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
- Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
- Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
- Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
- Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
- Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
- Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
- Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
- Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
- Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
- Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
- Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
- Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
- Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
- Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
- Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
- Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
- Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
- Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
- Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
- Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
- Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
- Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
- Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
- Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
- Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
- Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
- Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
- Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
- Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
- Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
- Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
- Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
- Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
- Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
