Nocturnes: Short dark riffs, the blues formalized. James Ellroy, described by the Los Angeles Times: “Developing into one of the great American writers.” Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet novels — The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, White Jazz — an epic pop history of a toxic metropolis. Hollywood Nocturnes: An alternative Ellroy universe, etched less in blood and more in elegiac neon. Dick Contino: Accordion virtuoso, lounge lizard, Red Scare scapegoat. On a greased slide in ’58 L.A.: A show biz fatality begging to happen. Dick Contino’s Blues: Half nocturne, half torch song. A blast back to tailfins, disease-free promiscuity, sex killers, Commie-bashing, publicity kidnaps, and B-movie redemption — an ode to a time when love came cheap. Nocturnes: Noir set to music. James Ellroy: America’s great noir writer. Dick Contino: America’s kingpin accordion player, then and now. The accordion and noir?... Suspend your disbelief. Hollywood Nocturnes: The novella Dick Contino’s Blues, Ellroy’s entire short-story oeuvre, and a few surprises. Dig it, kats and kittens, chix and charlies: This is prime-time Ellroy