When we trace the soundtrack of Los Angeles, we find it inseparable from the genius of Black musicians who transformed not just a city, but American culture itself. From the jazz clubs of Central Avenue to the birth of West Coast hip-hop, Black artists have been the architects of sounds that defined generations.
In the 1920s through 1940s, Central Avenue became the “Harlem of the West”— a thriving corridor where legends like Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and Art Pepper honed their craft. The Dunbar Hotel hosted Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, while the Club Alabam and Last Word Café pulsed with bebop and swing until dawn. Despite facing Jim Crow-era segregation that barred Black musicians from performing in many white establishments, Central Avenue flourished as a space where artistic innovation knew no boundaries. Here, musicians experimented freely, creating the West Coast jazz sound that would influence music worldwide.
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