Jazz On The Beach 104 & Blues Beach 34
Henry Threadgill, Janis Joplin, Jazz and Blues Radio
This week's Jazz On The Beach playlist includes I Can’t Wait Till I Get Home by composer, saxophonist, flautist (and Pulitzer Prize for Music winner) Henry Threadgill, from the album Easily Slip Into Another World (RCA Novus, 1988). Written by the the cornetist, guitarist and singer Olu Dara (who is also the rapper Nas’ father) it was recorded at Mediasound Studio in New York City with trumpeter Rasul Siddik, trombonist Frank Lacy, cellist Diedre Murray, double bassist Fred Hopkins and two drummers - Pheeroan Aklaff and Reggie Nicholson. It’s a phenomenal piece of music, a repeating two chord sequence that kicks off with a powerful drum, bass and cello groove and that keeps on building, before Threadgill’s alto saxophone takes it up to the stratosphere.
Earlier this year Threadgill released a remarkable memoir, similarly called Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life In Music, which was co-written with Brent Hayes Edwards, here’s Jon Turney’s review from London Jazz News.
New music this week includes the London-based singer Lauren Bush’s fresh take on her fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell’s Circle Game from Tide Rises (Mighty Quinn Records, Oct 6), there’s the go-go vibe of Salute from drummer Daniel Villareal featuring guitarist Jeff Parker and bassist Anna Buttress with guest Neal Francis on Rhodes piano from Lados B (International Anthem, Oct 6), the swing vocalist Hannah Gill’s great version of the Nat King Cole Trio hit This Will Make You Laugh from Everybody Loves A Loser (Turtle Bay Records, Sept 8) and the exciting Komo Hem from bassist and producer Peter Eldh’s Koma Saxo from Post Koma (WeJazz Nov 10).
There’s also Praise, another track from pianist Ben Winkelman’s excellent Heartbeat (OA2 Records, Sept 15), and a beautiful version of Joni Mitchell’s Amelia by guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, double bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade from Dance Of The Elders (ECM Sept 29).
I wrote about the sensational Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov’s Arba (Greenleaf Music) for London Jazz News, you can read the review here. I’ve previously played two tracks from the album - Abraham and What Broke You? this week it’s the excellent Truth. Borochov is playing at the Pizza Express in Soho on 5-6 October.
It’s the second anniversary of Jazz On The Beach but as I made a lot of noise about the 100th show only a month ago, let’s keep this landmark low key. But to celebrate I’m playing something very special from the first show, Kenny Burrell’s Out Of This World from Bluesy Burrell (Moodsville 1963) that’s about as good as it gets. Just click below for two hours of great jazz music!
This week’s Blues Beach features a version of Hesitation Blues, one of six songs recorded by Janis Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen on 25th June 1964 at Jorma’s home while rehearsing for a benefit at San Francisco’s Coffee Gallery. Captured on a domestic reel to reel tape recorder and only officially released last year, the 23 minute recording was dubbed The Typewriter Tape as Jorma’s wife Margareta can be heard typing in the background. But the magic is all there, the 21 years old Joplin was already the real thing.
Staying on the acoustic side there’s John Fahey’s Worried Blues from The Dance of Death and Other Plantation Favourites (Tacoma 1964), Koerner, Ray and Glover’s Ramblin’ Blues from Blues Rags and Hollers (Audiophile, 1963, later re-released on Elektra) and Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo’s You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond from Travellin’ Tracks (Blind Pig, 1992).
There’s deep blues from Junior Wells with In The Wee Hours (Hoodoo Man Blues, Delmark, 1965), Sonny Boy Williamson’s Nine Below Zero (Checker, 1962), John Lee Hooker’s Think Twice Before You Go (The Healer, Chameleon 1989) and Eddie Taylor’s Bad Boy (Vee Jay 1955). And there’s a great shuffle from violinist Papa John Creach (Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane) with Papa John’s Down Home Blues (Papa John Creach, Grunt, 1971) featuring some hot guitar from Carlos Santana. But there’s plenty more, just click on the link below…
Radio Times
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