LA4 | Artist
The L.A.4 was an American-Brazilian jazz supergroup quartet formed 1974 in Los Angeles by guitarist Laurindo Almeida, saxophonist and flautist Bud Shank, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne. Drummer Jeff Hamilton replaced Shelly Manne in 1977. The band performed a mixture of straight-ahead cool jazz, influenced by European classical music and Brazilian bossa nova and samba. The latin influences coming mainly from Brazilian guitar virtuoso Laurindo Almeida. Shank and Almeida first teamed up in the 1950s to create music that predated bossa nova, then reunited to form the LA4 with a crack rhythm section featuring Ray Brown who had previously been with the Modern Jazz Quartet. The group recorded Ten albums including their debut live album L.A. Four Scores! from 1975. Their second self-titled album from 1976 contained a lengthy version of the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar by Spanish composer JoaquÃn Rodrigo. Several of the re-release versions of the album bore the title of the Concerto. Their later album Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte contained an arrangement of the titular work by French composer Maurice Ravel. Standout albums include L.A. Four Scores! (1977), The L.A.4 (1976), Just Friends (1978), Zaca (1980) and Going Home (1977).
Artist Website: wikipedia/The_L.A._Four
Featured Albums: LA4
Related Artists: The L.A.4, Laurindo Almeida, Bud Shank, Ray Brown
Video Clips: The L.A.4, Autumn Leaves, Just Friends
