Swingin' on Central Avenue: African American Jazz in Los Angeles - Softcover

Peter Vacher has been lecturing and writing about jazz for more than fifty years. He has contributed to a wide variety of publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Guardian newspaper. His collaboration with clarinetist Joe Darensbourg on his autobiography inspired his research on African-American jazz in California. He is the author of two books of interviews with American jazz musicians, among them many who performed in Los Angeles.

This book is one which, as soon as you’ve finished it, you want to go back to the beginning and start again, because the detail on the gigs that people played is extraordinary. . . .Absolutely fascinating. (BBC Radio 2 - Paul Jones)


The author has rescued a clutch of instrumentalists from obscurity. . . .Vacher has given us a valuable addition to the Central Avenue library, as rich in personal experience as it is broad in range. (DownBeat Magazine)

Swingin’ On Central Avenue is a welcome addition to jazz history for dedicated West Coasters. (Jazz Journal)

Anyone who has read Vacher’s other books . . . will already be familiar with his quiet erudition and respectful courtesy; Swingin’ on Central Avenue is another fine addition to his oral-history oeuvre. (London Jazz News)

Our man Vacher has done it again . . . he has assembled another expertly-edited oral histories by less renowned musicians. (Jazzwise)

Swingin' on Central Avenue . . . present[s] a picture of an important jazz community. (Jazz Rag)

The book has a substantial photo section, a comprehensive bibliography, and a decent index. What’s not to like? (VJM's Jazz and Blues Mart)

It is an irresistible book, and I speak as someone who finds many books — after decades of reading — utterly resistible. Peter Vacher . . . is one of those rare multi-talented writers. . . .Every jazz fancier I know would find something delightfully memorable in these pages. . . .The book is entertaining, powerful, and eye-opening. Peter Vacher has surpassed himself, and that is saying a great deal. (Jazz Lives)

This fascinating oral history project. . . .[is] a welcome study that goes first-person and behind-the-scenes of a vibrant, colorful jazz community. (Big City Rhythm & Blues)

Anyone interested in African-American music in California will find it a worthwhile addition to their shelves. (Blues & Rhythm)