Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz 19: West Coast USA Pt. 2: 70s & 80s Various Artists

Moving beyond the cool jazz commonly associated with 1950s California, this collection explores the West Coast’s fertile underground jazz scene. As 1960s counterculture grew, musicians drew on Black politics, spiritual practices and the wider cultural changes sweeping the region. Independent labels including Arhoolie, Theresa and Nimbus provided outlets for artists pursuing greater musical freedom, while Los Angeles’ Central Avenue remained a vital jazz hub. Together, these recordings trace the development of modal, Afro-centric and spiritual jazz across California and neighbouring states during the latter 20th century.