Will West Coast Jazz Finally Get Some Respect?
[ed. From me, certainly. In the late 50s and 60s East Coast jazz seemed all about pushing experimental boundaries, and some of it just became too effortful to listen to (Bill Evans an exception). I'm thinking about later Coltrane and especially the burgeoning 'free jazz' movement, as typified by artists like Ornette Colman, Cecil Taylor and others. Just beeps, squawks, honks and atonal solos that didn't seem to have any clear grounding or destination. West Coast jazz on the other hand sounded cool, laid back, and melodic, and projected a sense of style and energy that I found much more appealing (complex but still accessible).]
