The LA 4
The LA 4 (also LA Four ) was an American jazz band from the 1970s and 1980s.
The piano-less quartet L.A. 4 was founded in 1974. It consisted of Bud Shank ( alto saxophone and flute ), Laurindo Almeida ( Spanish guitar ), Ray Brown ( double bass ) and on drums Shelly Manne , who was replaced in 1977 by Jeff Hamilton . The drummer Chuck Flores was a founding member, but did not take part in the recording of the group. In 1984, shortly after the last album was released, the band broke up.
history
Almeida and Shank already played in the 1950s together, and took in 1953 in the quartet (with Harry Babasin and Roy Harte ) Almeida's album Brazilliance, Vol. 1 on that musical as early forerunner of the hit success Jazz Samba by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd viewed even if the mood and sound were different. Twenty years later they resumed this collaboration. The LA 4 played a mixture of straight-ahead jazz with a cool twist, influenced by European classical music as well as bossa nova and samba , especially by Laurindo Almeida.
The debut album was made at the Concord Jazz Festival in 1974. In the course of its existence, they mainly performed in Los Angeles, but also toured internationally. They recorded eight albums for the Concord Jazz label and two albums for the Japanese East Wind label.
Discographic notes
- The LA Four Scores! (Concord Jazz, 1974)
- The LA 4 (Concord Jazz, 1975)
- Pavane pour une infante défunte (East Wind, 1976)
- Going Home (East Wind, 1977)
- Watch What Happens (Concord Jazz, 1978)
- Just Friends (Concord Jazz, 1978)
- Live at Montreux (Concord Jazz, 1979)
- Zaka (Concord Jazz, 1980)
- Montage (Concord Jazz, 1981)
- Executive Suite (Concord Jazz, 1983)