Dave Pell

Saxophonist Dave Pell led one of the coolest of the West Coast Cool bands. His light, floating octet featured superior musicians such as Zoot Sims, Paul Smith and Benny Carter playing the charts of Shorty Rogers, Marty Paich and Bill Holman. His own saxophone style was appealing, but when L.A. started treating jazz like the silent screen starlet of Sunset Boulevard, Pell joined the ranks of sunglass-sporting rock producers. He returned to jazz in the late '70s, balancing bop and cool with the big band swing he started with.