The Lighthouse Café is a

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gen ...

located at 30 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach, California. It has been active as a jazz showcase since 1949 and, under the name "The Lighthouse", was one of the best known

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied re ...

clubs from the 1950s through the late 1970s. In addition to jazz,

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

to rock - among other genres of music - are now performed at the venue, including bookings of local artists such as Jett Prescott and George Stanford.

History

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

called "Verpilate's" was built a short walk from the ocean at 30 Pier Avenue in 1934, and it was converted into "The Lighthouse", a bar, in 1940 ("Café" was added to the official name only when the business was sold in 1981). The club first began showcasing

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

music on May 29, 1949, when owner John Levine permitted

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low b ...

/band leader Howard Rumsey to start a recurring Sunday

jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without ...

on a trial basis. The experiment was a success. Rumsey became club manager soon after and put together a

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

called the Lighthouse All-Stars. While the club also hosted visiting groups, the Lighthouse All-Stars became an ensemble in its own right, which had among its guest musicians

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

and

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

. The longest-running members of the Lighthouse All-Stars were Bob Cooper (

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

), Conte Candoli (

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

), and

Stan Levey Adolph Stanley Levey known professionally as Stan Levey (April 5, 1926 – April 19, 2005) was an American jazz drummer. He was known for working with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in the early development of bebop during the 1940s, and in ...

(

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

). West Coast jazz stalwarts Shorty Rogers, Richie Kamuca, Bill Holman, Bud Shank, Shelly Manne, and Jimmy Giuffre were also regulars in the early days. Max Roach was the regular drummer for a while in 1953. The club also became an important venue for recordings;

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was know ...

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s, Morgan came to prominence in his late teens, recording on John Coltrane's '' Blue Train'' ...

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single " Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", w ...

, Mose Allison, Ramsey Lewis,

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the ...

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 fo ...

, Grant Green, Elvin Jones, Cal Tjader, the

Modern Jazz Quartet The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. For most of its history the Quartet consisted of John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Percy ...

, The Three Sounds, the

Jazz Crusaders The Crusaders (formerly known as The Jazz Crusaders) were an American jazz group that was successful from the 1960s to the 1990s. The group was known as the Jazz Crusaders from their formation in 1960 until shortening their name in 1971. The Cru ...

, and

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

all made recordings there. "The Lighthouse" sponsored an inter-collegiate jazz festival in the late-1950s, and the competition's winners included Mike Melvoin and

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (born September 23, 1935) is an American jazz pianist and vocalist.Feather, Leonard, and Ira Gitler (2007), ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 448. Oxford University Press. Early life Les McCann was born in ...

. John Levine died in 1970, and his family sold the club to Rudy Onderwyzer, manager and part-owner of Shelly Manne's club, "Shelly's Manne-Hole". Rumsey left "The Lighthouse" in 1971 to open the "Concerts By The Sea" jazz club in nearby Redondo Beach, and Onderwyzer sold the club again in 1981. The new owners remodeled it and mostly discontinued the jazz-music policy. From the mid-1990s, jazz slowly began to come back to the club, first on Sunday afternoons, then on a two-days-a-week schedule, with local artists such as Ray Pizzi, Michele Faber, and Edmond Allmond.

Recordings made at the Lighthouse

*1951:

and Shorty Rogers – ''Popo'' (Xanadu, 1978) *1952: Art Pepper – ''Early Days, Vol. 1'' (Norma/Vantage, 1991) *1953:

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

– ''The Lighthouse Sessions, Vol. 1'' (Norma/Vantage, 1991) *1953: Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars – ''Sunday Jazz a la Lighthouse (Vol. 1)'' ( Contemporary) *1953: Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars – ''Sunday Jazz a la Lighthouse (Vol. 2)'' (Contemporary) *1953:

and the Lighthouse All-Stars – '' Witch Doctor'' (Contemporary, 1985) *1953:

and the Lighthouse All-Stars – ''At Last!'' (Contemporary, 1985) recorded same day as ''Witch Doctor'' album. *1958–60: Joe Gordon and Scott LaFaro – ''West Coast Days: Live at the Lighthouse'' ( Fresh Sound, 1992) with Richie Kamuca *1960:

– ''

The Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse ''The Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Lighthouse'' is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Riverside label featuring a performance by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Victor Feldman, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.

'' ( Riverside) *1962:

The Jazz Crusaders The Crusaders (formerly known as The Jazz Crusaders) were an American jazz group that was successful from the 1960s to the 1990s. The group was known as the Jazz Crusaders from their formation in 1960 until shortening their name in 1971. The Cru ...

– '' The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse'' (

Pacific Jazz Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...

) *1962: Curtis Amy – ''

Tippin' on Through ''Tippin' on Through'' is a live album by saxophonist Curtis Amy recorded in 1962 for the Pacific Jazz label.Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at ...

*1964: Cannonball Adderley, Ernie Andrews – ''Live Session! Cannonball Adderley with the New Exciting Voice of Ernie Andrews!'' (Capitol) *1965: Ramsey Lewis Trio – ''

Hang On Ramsey! ''Hang On Ramsey!'' is a live album by the Ramsey Lewis Trio which was recorded at the Lighthouse in 1965 and released on the Cadet label.Cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

) *1966:

and the New Jazz Messengers – '' Buttercorn Lady'' (

Limelight Limelight (also known as Drummond light or calcium light)James R. Smith (2004). ''San Francisco's Lost Landmarks'', Quill Driver Books. is a type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls. An intense illumination is created whe ...

) with

Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione ( ; born November 29, 1940) is an American flugelhorn player, voice actor, trumpeter and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother ...

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

*1966: The Jazz Crusaders – ''

Live at the Lighthouse '66 ''Live at the Lighthouse '66'' is a live album by The Jazz Crusaders recorded in 1966 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.S ...

'' (Pacific Jazz) *1966: Mose Allison – '' Mose Alive!'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

) *1967:

– '' Live at the Lighthouse'' (Atlantic) *1967: The Three Sounds – '' Live at the Lighthouse'' ( Blue Note) *1967: The Jazz Crusaders – '' Lighthouse '68'' (Pacific Jazz) reissued as ''Live Sides'' (Blue Note, 1980) *1969: Cal Tjader – ''Cal Tjader Plugs In (At The Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California, February 20–21, 1969)'' (Skye/Buddah) *1969: Richard "Groove" Holmes – ''X-77: Richard "Groove" Holmes Recorded Live at the Lighthouse'' (World Pacific) *1969: The Jazz Crusaders – '' Lighthouse '69'' (Pacific Jazz) *1970:

– '' Live at the Lighthouse'' (Blue Note) *1970:

– '' Joe Henderson Quintet at the Lighthouse'' (AKA ''If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem'') (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

) with

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

*1972:

– '' Live at the Lighthouse'' ( Prestige) *1972: Grant Green – '' Live at the Lighthouse'' (Blue Note) *1972: Elvin Jones – '' Live at the Lighthouse'' (Blue Note) *1972: Ramsey Lewis – ''The Groover'' (Cadet) *1974: Ramsey Lewis – ''Solid Ivory'' (Cadet) *1979: Horace Tapscott Sextet – ''Lighthouse 79, Vol. 1'' (Nimbus West) *1979: Horace Tapscott Sextet – ''Lighthouse 79, Vol. 2'' (Nimbus West) *1981: Joe Farrell Quartet – ''Last of the Lighthouse'' (Unreleased) *1989: Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All-Stars – ''Jazz Invention (40th Anniversary Reunion Concert)'' (Contemporary) *2003: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The Jack Nimitz Quintet'' (Woofy Productions) *2004: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The Arno Marsh Quintet'' (Woofy Productions) *2004: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The Bob Enevoldsen Quintet'' (Woofy Productions) *2004: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The

Med Flory Meredith Irwin Flory, known professionally as Med Flory (August 27, 1926 – March 12, 2014), was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and actor. Early years Flory was born in Logansport, Indiana, United States. His mother was an organist ...

Quintet'' (Woofy Productions) *2004: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He also played ...

Octet'' (Woofy Productions) *2005: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The Dave Pell Octet'' (Woofy Productions) *2005: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: The Jack Sheldon Quintet'' (Woofy Productions) *2007: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: Andy Martin/Scott Whitfield Quintet – A Tribute To Carl Fontana, Set 1'' (Woofy Productions) *2007: ''Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe: Andy Martin/Scott Whitfield Quintet – A Tribute To Carl Fontana, Set 2'' (Woofy Productions)

Filming location

;Film *'' Sideout'' (1990) *'' La La Land'' (2016)

Filmography

*2005: ''Jazz on the West Coast: The Lighthouse'' (RoseKing Productions, Kenneth Koenig) -DVD-

Notes

References

* Gioia, Ted. ''West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California 1945-1960'' (Oxford University Press, 1992) *"Lighthouse Café"/"Nightclubs and Other Venues". '' Grove Jazz'' online.

External links

The Lighthouse Cafe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lighthouse Cafe Nightclubs in Los Angeles County, California Jazz clubs in Los Angeles Restaurants in Los Angeles Music venues completed in 1949 Restaurants established in 1934 1934 establishments in California Hermosa Beach, California