The 1992
Lighthouse All-Stars, a reunion group of 1950s Los Angeles veterans, consisted of flugelhornist
Shorty Rogers, trumpeter
Conte Candoli, altoist
Bud Shank, tenor saxophonist
Bob Cooper,
Bill Perkins on baritone, tenor and soprano, pianist
Pete Jolly, bassist
Monty Budwig and drummer
Larance Marable. Budwig passed away from cancer just a couple months after this recording, which may have been the last of his very productive career. Although one thinks of the
Lighthouse All-Stars as being a cool jazz group, the music on their Candid date -- eight then-new Rogers compositions and one apiece from
Shank and
Cooper along with a reworking of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" -- is actually more in the hard bop and even post-bop vein. The CD is billed as being co-led by
Shorty Rogers and
Bud Shank -- Rogers because of the writing and
Shank since he had emerged into the band's most prominent soloist. All of the veteran musicians play up to par, and the results are quite enjoyable, even if none of the new songs became standards. ~ Scott Yanow