"The Nocturne Records Story" on Night Lights

[ghost of miles]

 

This week on Night Lights it’s “The Nocturne Records Story.” In the early 1950s musicians Roy Harte and Harry Babasin, eager to document the ascending West Coast jazz scene, started a Los Angeles label called Nocturne Records. Babasin and Harte said they wanted to “broaden the nation’s views of our activities out here in Holywood and to present some of the better musicians who are most normally hidden in the more commercial work of the city, yet who are outstanding jazz musicians in their own right.” Their series of 10-inch LPs, called “Jazz in Hollywood,” featured friends and musical colleagues such as saxophonist Bud Shank, pianist Jimmy Rowles, trumpeter Shorty Rogers, and arranger Marty Paich. We’ll hear recordings from all of those artists and more as we explore the sound of West Coast cool on “The Nocturne Records Story,” Sunday, July 1 at 10 p.m. EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Tuesday morning in the Night Lights archives.

 

You can read more about Nocturne Records here. Next week on the program: "Late Pee Wee" (Mr. Russell, of course) and the new Night Lights blog and website.

Edited November 27, 2017 by ghost of miles

[ghost of miles]

"The Nocturne Records Story" is now archived.

Edited November 27, 2017 by ghost of miles

[montg]

Does anyone know what archived sessions are referred to in this plea from the Nocturne website? I assume they're different from the material already released on CD by Fantasy and Fresh Sound

jazzinhollywood

My name is Von Babasin, and I am the youngest son of bassist

Harry Babasin. With the son of his drummer/business partner/friend,

Rex Harte, we collectively own the archive of music we call

Jazz In Hollywood. Over 500 hours of analog jazz masters that

help define west coast jazz history. They are in desperate need of

remastering for historic preservation. We have been actively seeking

funding for this museum/broadcast facility, and while being

encouraged by the overall response, each time, it is at the cost

of ownership and percentages that we would rather not surrender.

We could fund the entire operation for just over two million

dollars.

Edited July 2, 2007 by montg

[ghost of miles]

Montg, got a call from Von Babasin today--he came across the post for this show on the Internet. Short answer is yes, the archives are different from what's already been released. He joined the board and started a thread here.

[ghost of miles]

We'll be re-airing this program this Memorial Day weekend; it's already archived for online listening.

Edited November 27, 2017 by ghost of miles