© Copyright ® Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.
In the early 1970s, Redondo Beach, California became an important place for Jazz.
From 1971 to 1985, Howard Rumsey owned and operated Concerts by the Sea on the pier in Redondo Beach which he described as a “distinctive club that provided an ideal tiered, concert-seating venue (seating 200) that offered the finest jazz in the Los Angeles area.”
He started it after having run Jazz at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach from 1948 to 1971, where he was influential in helping to establish the West Coast Jazz sound by bringing into his All-Stars many of the pioneers of this style including Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre and Shelly Manne.
Concerts By the Sea was Howard’s way of continuing the southern California tradition of what he called - “Jazz at the beach!” He would go on to say that “New York’s Jazz clubs are in dark and dank basements, but ours are in the sun and sea along the beach.” It was a bit of a send-up, but hey, this from a guy who was born and brought up in the hinterland of Brawley, CA.
Howard’s first big gig in 1941 was as the bassist in Stan Kenton’s original orchestra which used the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa/Newport Beach, CA as its base. From there it seems he worked his way up the coast, first at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, and then at Concerts by the Sea, a bit further north.
Continuing the tradition of live Jazz albums which were recorded at the Lighthouse, the Live Jazz albums recorded at his Redondo Beach venue include:
“Concerts By the Sea” by Jackie and Roy, 1978
“Live At Concerts By The Sea” by Les DeMerle, 1978
“Live At Howard Rumsey’s Concerts By The Sea” by Boss Brass, 1981
“Live From Concerts By the Sea” by Freddie Hubbard, 1983
“Live At Concerts By The Sea, Volumes 1 & 2” by Bobby Enriquez, 1984
“Live At Concerts By The Sea” by Bob Florence Big Band in 1986
“Renaissance” by Branford Marsalis, 1987
In 1975, future Latin jazz bandleader and Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez launched his professional jazz career when he was invited to sit in with Cal Tjader’s band at Concerts by the Sea. After performing with Tjader that evening, he spent the next seven years with Tjader’s band, and was signed to his own record deal on the Concord Picante label.
Concerts By The Sea was closed after heavy storm waves damaged the pier in 1988.
“Having run a Jazz club for over 30 years, I think it’s time to retire,” Howard said in a newspaper interview.
He didn’t leave the beach, though, as he lived out his retirement in Newport Beach, CA. Howard died on July 25, 2015. He was 98 years old. No one did more for “Jazz at the beach” in southern California than this man.
The following track from the Bob Florence Big Band’s live recording at Concerts by the Sea is dedicated to Chuck Niles, a local FM Jazz radio DJ whose fondness for Bop earned him the nickname of “Bebop Charlie Niles.”
Like Howard Rumsey, Chuck became a legendary figure in southern California Jazz circles. After a 50+ year career broadcasting Jazz on FM radio, Chuck passed away on March 15, 2004. He is the only Jazz DJ with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
