Sonny Clay - West Coast Jazz

24 track CD contains 21 tracks by pianist Sonny Clay (all of his output from 1922-31), recorded in L.A. There are also 3 titles by Leon Rene's Orchestra, recorded in Hollywood in 1932 (the tracks were not issued at the time). Clay was a major player in the development of jazz on the West Coast in these early years. He had a brief spell with Reb Spikes and also with Kid Ory's Sunshine Orchestra. He formed his own band in 1923, the California Poppies, and later changed it to the Stompin' Six and then to Sonny Clay's Plantation Orch. All of these groups appear on this CD and there were very few changes in the personnel. His final four sides were made in 1931, after his return from a traumatic tour of Australia (the band was thrown out of the country!).