This use to be a topic among jazz musicians and jazz lovers debating what style was better. East coast style more aggressive and West coast being laid back. Has this change? Who today best represents the East and who is in the West. This friend of mine who plays lived down the street from Cal Jader and he would go on and on about the differences. My teacher fully believed the East coast was where you go to really test the waters and find out what new and happening. Any body have and opinion. dpvjazz

It's a tough call. I mostly play east since that's what most of the guys I play with do, but oddly enough my favorite recordings are west. Makes sense, though, since I'm originally from Missouri and live in Texas.

I didn't realize this phenomenon still existed today.

I suppose there could be different requirements/tolerances in Hollywood than in NYC...

Hello folks...New computer--took a while to reload all this stuff and figure out how to get back here. WHAT A PAIN!!!

I wasn't around in the 50s (well, I was around, but involved with problems rather more fundamental, like properly lacing my shoes ), but my father was in music business and would tell me stories of Manhattan cut sessions lasting until dawn (usually racially segregated, surprisingly), and was surprised when he hit LA that cut competitions were unknown there at the time.

Relevant? Maybe not, but I thought it interesting enough to share.

Be well.

Yeah, I think the East Coast mentality was "survival of the fittest". West Coast mentality was "survival of the smartest." We studied this thing in college and it is highlighted in any American music history reference.

With globalization, I am surprised if such a dichotomy still exists today. Anyone?

EAST Coast WEST Coast
1. aggressive 1.laid back
2. about the art? 2.about recording?
3. testing yourself 3.packaging yourself
4. starving 4.landing a deal

I am sure some might take offense but I know players from both coasts and there still is a difference in the thought process. Ipgrunt my piano teacher has recordings of some of those sessions and they were cooking. He said the trick was to let the inexperience come up to play then changes keys before starting the tune or changing the tempos from slow to fast or fast to slow. This took care those that were not ready. That is EAST Coast. On the west there seem to be more of a blending of styles with a direct approach not to be aggressive but hence LAID BACK music.

Back in the '50s when this schism started, it seemed that Shelly Manne was the drummer on a lot of the key West Coast dates. He was known for his tasteful but sophisticated work with brushes as well as with sticks. So if you want someone like Shelly behind you, that's a west coast gig. If you're looking for someone who plays like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, or Louis Hayes, that's east coast.