Jazz On The Beach 118: Ulysses Owens Jr, Sunny Reyne & Henry Franklin
Blues Beach 42: doing what it does best
I enjoyed drummer Ulysses Owens Jr’s work with Christian McBride, especially on the Live At The Village Vanguard album (Mack Ave, 2015). Since around that time Owens has returned to Julliard as a professor (he was in their first jazz class at 17 years old) and assembled some of the young musicians he’s been mentoring into the fluid quintet lineup of Generation Y. This week’s Jazz On The Beach features their version of Jackie McLean’s tribute to Charlie Parker, Bird Lives, from their album A New Beat (Cellar Live, January 19th).
The album was recorded in one day last March at the Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey, and on this particular track the spotlight is on the sensational alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan. Also featured are trumpeter (and Jazz On The Beach favourite) Benny Benack III, pianist Luther Allison and double bassist Phillip Norris with Owens directing from the drum throne. It’s an incredibly dynamic performance that positively leaps out of the speakers.
I’m always happy to play something from Gene Russell’s Black Jazz label, so here’s bassist Henry ‘The Skipper’ Franklin’s Blue Lights, the opening track from his second album The Skipper At Home (Black Jazz, 1974) that like all of the label’s recordings during its existence from 1969-75 represent what was going on musically and socially. Like many of this week’s selections there’s a positive energy here that feels so vital in these dark January days, thanks to the freedom and inspirational playing of tenor saxophonist Charles Owens (the elder, not the contemporary Charles Owens I’ve been playing recently), trumpeter Oscar Brashear, trombonist Al Hall Jr, guitarist Kenny Climas, drummer Nudgu Chancelor and pianist Kirk Lightsey. As Shirley Ray Reid says in the sleeve notes: ‘The Skipper welcomes you to his world of energy, love, peace and music’.
From Melbourne, Australia there’s singer Sunny Reyne’s rather lf-released album I’ve Been Sleeping Too Long. She worked with producer Lewis Moody whose light touch keeps things fresh and focused, her voice soaring over a crisp broken beat groove and a cozy piano part that feels particularly comforting in the current cold snap. Sunny has a wonderful name, it reminds me of Raine Hilson (whose maiden name was Shine) who was Vangelis’ excellent studio engineer in the ‘80s.
There’s a trio of piano trios. First, the melodic Sanción from Yes! Trio featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg, double bassist Omer Avital and drummer Ali Jackson, from their album Spring Sings (Jazz & People, February). As promised last week there’s the Justin Kauflin Trio’s Coming Home from Live At Sam First (Sam First Records, 2023) with double bassist David Robaire and drummer Mark Ferber. The third piano trio pick is the second track to be released from Ethan Iverson’s upcoming Technically Acceptable (Blue Note, January 19th) asking the question Who Are You, Really featuring double bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Kush Abadey. Ethan writes all about it here.
After playing the late pianist and vocalist Les McCann’s fabulous Beaux J. Poo Boo last week there was a big response for more, so here’s Cold Duck Time with tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris from the soul jazz classic Swiss Movement (Atlantic, 1969) that was recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. As for the title, I only just discovered that Cold Duck is an American sweet sparkling wine that reputedly became the champagne of choice among pimps in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
So now you know, if you didn’t already. The wine doesn’t sound too promising, so I’ll stick with McCann, Harris, trumpeter Benny Bailey, double bassist Leroy Vinegar and drummer Donald Dean to lift my spirits.
Many thanks to all the new substack subscribers and listeners to Jazz On The Beach on Deal Radio and Mixcloud, it’s great to have you here and hope you keep enjoying the music. If you found your way here through recommendations from other substackers, please look at my own recommendations for some excellent music (mostly) related writers.
This week’s Blues Beach goes back to what it probably does best by mixing up all different kinds of artists, styles and eras. There’s Southside Chicago with Son Seals’ Arkansas Woman, River Thames Eel Pie Island style with The Rolling Stones’ Grown Up Wrong, Country blues with Guitar Nubbit’s Georgia Chain Gang and Brit blues boomers Tramline with Look Over Yonders Wall, the first song I heard played at the Marquee Club in August 1968. Let’s all play the blues and blow those January blues away!
