“Little Wig” by Roy Porter’s 17 Beboppers [1949]

When drummer Roy Porter arrived in Los Angeles in 1944, he was surprised at how “jumpin’” the city’s jazz scene was. Up and down Central Avenue, the city’s jazz community flourished in the 1930s and ’40s, partly because of the steady stream of newcomers like Porter. Porter’s star rose rapidly as caught the rising tide of bebop. Throughout 1946 he backed Charlie Parker (and recorded the tracks “Ornithology” and “Yardbird Suite,” among others). By 1948 had his own band and Savoy had come calling for a four-side session. Often loaded with Benzedrine (“bennies”—an early euphoric stimulant) in this period, Porter and his big bebop band recorded two sessions in early 1949. “Little Wig” comes from the second session, recorded February 23rd.

Have a listen and take a trip back to the amphetamine-driven bebop culture of late 1940s Central Avenue in Los Angeles. Get more in depth by reading Roy Porter’s autobiography There and Back (the source for my short paragraph above) and get ahold of the box set Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles (1921-1956) (which is where this recording can be found).