Richard Bock

Richard Bock was among the early producers and record owners to fully exploit the roster of avaiable talent on the West Coast, along with Lester Koenig of Contemporary. Bock co-formed Pacific Jazz in 1952 with drummer Roy Harte. He eventually became its sole owner and built the label through astute signings even though many of the artists he inked eventually left for bigger companies. Bock signed and produced some of the earliest dates by Chet Baker, Clare Fischer, Jim Hall, Art Pepper, Les McCann and many others. He also started World Pacific in 1958, recording Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar. Bock began this subsidary label feeling Shankar's music did not fit on Pacific. He would later issue other types of jazz on World Pacific, but it was a short-lived label. Bock sold it and Pacific to Liberty in 1965. He remained as an advisor until 1970 when he left music production completely and entered the world of film. But Bock later become a producer for Koenig's Contemporary label after it had been acquired by Fantasy and produced sessions by George Cables, Bud Shank, Frank Morgan, Art Farmer and Barney Kessel until his death in 1988.