"The founders of the Nocturne label, Harry Babasin and Roy Harte
originally conceived THE COMPLETE NOCTURNE RECORDINGS
- JAZZ IN HOLLYWOOD SERIES in 1954 during the "vinyl" era.
They had intended to release a collection of unreleased sessions and
rehearsal dates as a large boxed set of 10" LPs!! With the advent of
CDs, lack of funding, the pair soon nixed the "vinyl" idea but the
dream lived on even after the passing of producer and bassist Harry
Babasin in 1988. Fueled by the determination of Roy Harte and several
other musicians close to the original concept, this CD collection of
those unreleased sessions and rehearsals made between 1954 and 1955,
have now been compiled and produced by Jordi Pujol. Digitally
remastered and re-issued in 1998 by Fresh Sound Records, this 3-CD
box set contains priceless memories of jazz in Hollywood and features
some of the greatest musicians of the 50s, an 84-page booklet
containing reprints of articles, reviews, candid photos, original
album cover art, and enough music to keep you happy on that
proverbial "desert island."

The original producers, Roy Harte and Harry Babasin, launched
Nocturne Records right in the middle of Hollywood, California to
begin a series of new recordings that were to be called "Jazz In
Hollywood." They wanted to feature local musicians to give further
credence to the existence of a "new Hollywood jazz school" so
Nocturne Records introduced Herbie Harper, Bob Gordon, Bud Shank,
Marty Paich, Jimmy Rowles, Howard Roberts, Bob Enevoldsen, Lou
Levy, Larry Bunker, Virgil Gonsalves, Buddy Wise and saxophonist
Steve White. Harry Babasin told DOWNBEAT in an interview in 1954:
"There is very definitely a recognizable new school of jazz that has
gradually come into existence here during the past couple of years.
It stems from the fact that so many authentic jazz musicians with solid
musical backgrounds and training are established here more or less
permanently. We don't move around as much as musicians in other
parts of the country." Who says, West Coast Jazz doesn't have roots!!

Disc One features the Herbie Harper Quintet, the Bud Shank Quintet
and the Harry Babasin Quintet playing an astounding range of styles on
19 songs. From Straight-Ahead to Swing, such songs as "Summertime,"
"Jive At Five," and "Skylark," stimulated the quintets to discover and
play the very essence of West Coast Jazz in a way we haven't heard in
subsequent years.

Disc Two features the Bob Enevoldsen Quintet, the Herbie Harper
Quintet and the Virgil Gonsalves Sextet on 22 fabulous songs. They
pass the "Fast Buck," swing on the hit made famous by Mel Torme,
"Lulu's Back In Town," add a little "6/4 Mambo" and "Bounce"
"Out of Nowhere." It's just "Too Marvelous For Words!"

Disc Three features the Lou Levy Trio and the phenomenal Jimmy
Rowles Trio on 19 great songs. Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell and
Art Mardigan are great on "Let's Fall In Love," "All The Things
You Are," and his ever famous, "Topsy." He was well-loved during
his heydey and the Mayor of Los Angeles went so far as to proclaim
"Jimmy Rowles Day" at the height of his career. This CD concludes
Volume One of the series.

The tenacity of Harte and Babasin paid off. With Harte on drums
and bongos on over 35 sessions and Harry Babasin on bass and cello
on 49 sessions, you, dear listener will be astounded at the consistency
of their work on this monumental collection of great jazz works.

THE COMPLETE NOCTURNE RECORDINGS, JAZZ IN HOLLYWOOD
SERIES - Volume One is a valuable collection of vintage West Coast
Jazz by some of California's finest and an excellent introduction to
the history of West Coast Jazz."