Los Angeles Rhythm & Blues: 1944-1954 (2-CD)

by Various Artists

Los Angeles Blues can to all intents and purpose also be called West Coast Blues or even California Blues. For the purpose of this compilation we have used the former, simply because every track was cut in the city of Los Angeles. Just about all of the genre's main practitioners came to prominence in the city even if they were not actual natives of the state. Due to the huge influx of immigrants to work in the munitions plants for the war effort during the early Forties the city became host to a great many Texans as well as mid westerners. The guitar style of Los Angeles blues was almost entirely formulated by Texans, led by T- Bone Walker. Other influential musicians included Oklahomans, Lowell Fulson and Jay McShann, although as an actual style it is perhaps more piano-based and jazz-influenced than other regional types. The vocalists who exemplify the genre were in the main smooth and urbane, influenced no doubt by the pop stylings of Nat King Cole and several other vocalists from the Big Band era - Cecil Gant, quickly followed by Charles Brown and Amos Milburn, were the leading lights. Los Angeles was also home to numerous small jump blues outfits and due to the city's huge nightclub opportunities many of these bands ended up taking permanent residence there.