International Association of Jazz Record Collectors
A meeting ground for jazz record collectors of all persuasions
Founded 1964......Incorporated 1975

DVD Review  
By Russ Chase  
The Lighthouse
A Ken Koenig Film
Rose King Productions

Much anticipated since it was learned that filmmaker, IAJRC member and West Coast Jazz aficionado Ken Koenig was preparing a film about the legendary Lighthouse, it is now available for you to view as a DVD in your home. This is something that was worth waiting for.

The bass player Howard Rumsey was looking for a place that would allow jam sessions and found a willing bar owner in John Levine whose establishment wasn’t doing much business in the late ‘forties. The place, named The Lighthouse, was in the small community of Hermosa Beach, California, not far from Los Angeles, and so it came to pass that these two persons were made for each other and, ultimately, for many jazz fans, to the benefit of all.

Different from any other jazz club in the music’s history, The Lighthouse was conveniently located for the beaching crowd. To refresh oneself from too many rays, it was as easy to head for the cool sounds of jazz at The Lighthouse, as it was the ocean. Business at the bar improved markedly and John Levine, who was a gambler before he met Howard, made a winning move in allowing the jam sessions.

It was a two-way street; as the musicians also gained from the establishment of a jazz center so close to their homes, the movie studios, where most were also employed, and the recording studios. A house band soon came into being usually consisting of, among others, to be sure, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, Frank Rosolino, Claude Williamson, Stan Levey, and, of course, the leader, Howard Rumsey. The regulars changed, naturally, from time to time, and many guest musicians were invited to play, especially out-of-towners from other coasts. And then, there were the recordings and the popular (and descriptive) term West Coast Jazz that came out of such a modest beginning. Worldwide stuff, it was, and it lasted for several years. The music lives on, of course, via the many recordings.

All was not as easy as you may think, however. Hermosa Beach was a small town, but subject to some big city ills nonetheless. Racial and religious prejudice, for instance, seeped out of LA and infested the beach. Rumsey and Levine worked hard together, dealt with it, and eventually were rid of it.

Ken Koenig has most successfully documented The Lighthouse story by using fascinating photographs, video clips and numerous interviews of many who were there on both sides of the bar. While many of those intimately involved, including musicians and John Levine, have passed on, fortunately Howard Rumsey was able to participate in the film’s making. Ken put this all together with plenty of love and knowledge—he made his first trip to The Lighthouse when he was 17, driving from Tucson in his first car. There is, in addition to the film, a very interesting one-hour interview with Howard regarding the recording sessions and more.

This DVD is a must. Be sure to visit the website www.roseking.org for more information. --- Russ Chase