Ted Gioia wrote an interesting book on modern jazz in California 1945-1960 the simply titled "West Coast Jazz".

He's a new book out "The Birth and Death of the Cool":
http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2010/03/birth-and-death-of-cool.html

Remember you heard it first here - that bastion of uncool, Chinny-Chenners will be posting a review soon.