It was one of the finest jazz television series ever. During 1956-58, Stars Of Jazz aired 130 episodes. Hosted by Bobby Troup, it was a local show based in Los Angeles other than 29 programs in 1958 that were broadcast nationally. The half-hour shows generally featured a jazz group (ranging from Dixieland and swing survivors to West Coast cool jazz) and a vocalist; many of the latter slipped away into obscurity despite their talents. In typical thoughtless and short-sighted fashion, network executives discarded all of the kinescopes after the series was cancelled. It is thanks to the series’ producer Jimmie Baker that 45 of the shows were saved before it was too late but, barring a miracle, the other 85 are lost. However nearly all of the music (if not the videos) has survived because the shows were broadcast on the radio to the Armed Forces, and some were also taped by viewers.
James A. Harrod’s book Stars Of Jazz is subtitled A Complete History of the Innovative Television Series, 1956-1958. It lives up to its title. There is a brief overview and an interview with the late photographer Ray Avery who was fortunate enough to attend most of the tapings and whose photos are seen through the book. There is also a chapter on the beginnings of the series and how it came together.
The bulk of the book is a summary of each of the 130 programs. Through his research, James A. Jarrod was
