GOOD VIBES RETURN TO VALLEY.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer When vibraphonist and bandleader Charlie Shoemake reflects on the last five decades of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. jazz, he uses the analogy of a medical patient with a lingering illness. Shoemake, considered among the best vibes players in the business by no less than George Shearing Sir George Shearing OBE (b. August 13, 1919) is a British jazz pianist who, during the 1950s, "had one of the most popular jazz combos on the planet" who sold "tons of records for MGM and Capitol in his heyday. and Artie Shaw Noun 1. Artie Shaw - United States clarinetist and leader of a swing band (1910-2004) Arthur Jacob Arshawsky, Shaw , recalls how the West Coast jazz West Coast jazz is a form of jazz music that developed around Los Angeles, California at about the same time as hard bop jazz was developing in New York City, in the 1950s and 1960s. West Coast jazz was generally seen as a sub-genre of cool jazz. scene was thriving when he moved to the city from Texas in 1956. The following decade, though, saw opportunities dwindle dwin·dle v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles v.intr. To become gradually less until little remains. v.tr. To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease. as rock and pop took the lead in local clubs. ``What happened was the '60s brought a huge wave of anti-sophistication,'' Shoemake said the other day. ``Playing with taste and sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. was a no-no. Being a grown-up grown-up adj. 1. Of, characteristic of, or intended for adults: grown-up movies; a grown-up discussion. 2. was no longer cool.'' Hired by the popular and elegant pianist Shearing in 1966 for a five- week tour that lasted seven years, the ambitious Shoemake left the road and opened a successful school for jazz improvisation in Sherman Oaks, where the vibist made his home for three decades. Among his students was pop instrumentalist and radio personality Dave Koz. ``Working with Shearing was the perfect job for me at the time,'' Shoemake, 65, said. ``I was a freelance studio musician when I joined, and I was a jazz artist when I left.'' Still a stylish creator of breezy West Coast jazz, Shoemake appears Saturday at Fitzgerald's, the jazz room at the Hilton Woodland Hills, with a band that includes the fine Bay Area guitarist Bruce Forman. Shoemake's latest album, ``Vibes Master,'' also features his vocalist wife, Sandi. ``Actually, I think the jazz scene is better now than it was 10 years ago,'' Shoemake, 65, said from his home in Cambria, on the Central California coast, where he's been playing regular dates at a sea-view club for a dozen years. ``I'm seeing several generations of people coming to the gigs with real enthusiasm.'' Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com CHARLIE SHOEMAKE Where: Fitzgerald's, Hilton Woodland Hills, 6360 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills. When: 8 p.m. Saturday. Cover: $5. (818) 595-1000; www.jazzatfitzgeralds.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, who used to run a jazz school in Sherman Oaks, makes a rare appearance Saturday at Fitzgerald's. |
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