The West Coast Jazz Revival - Ted Gioia

Trumpeter Shorty Rogers and drummer Shelly Manne joined many other jazz musicians in relocating to the West Coast in the 1950s.
"Every 50 years or so, California makes a claim for jazz preeminence—and then loses its way. Will it work out better this time? Don’t believe anyone who tells you that jazz originated on the West Coast. It’s just the word for jazz that started out in California. But it could have been so much more. The term first appeared in the Los Angeles Times in 1912, when a baseball pitcher bragged about his 'jazz ball'—so wobbly that no one could hit it. ... Before long, 'jazz' was linked to anything different, exciting, or dynamic. ... But California might have taken over the music, too, and set itself up as a home base for the first generation of jazz performers. The musicians were willing, and, for a while, it looked as though it would happen. That was the first wave of West Coast jazz. By my measure, there have been two subsequent waves—extraordinary moments when California stepped to the forefront of the genre and seemed ready to assert itself as the creative center and trendsetter in the music. The first two waves crested and ended in failure. The third wave is happening now. ..."
City Journal
W - West Coast jazz
NPR - West Coast Cool: The Jazz Sound Of '50s California (Audio)