Jazz On The Beach 141
Winston Mankunku Ngozi, John Klemmer, Harry Bosch plays Mr Gone, new releases and a midsummer playlist
This week’s Jazz On The Beach playlist opens with the great South African saxophonist Winston Mankunku Ngozi’s Ndizakuxhela Kwamajola from Abantwana Be Africa (Sheer Sound, 2003), his last album before his death in 2009 aged 66. He’s accompanied here by some of the hottest young players of the time with Prince Lengoasa on flugelhorn, pianist Andile Yenana, bassist Herbie Tsoaeli and drummer Lulu Gontsana.
I was initially planning to play his Mankunku Quartet’s Yakhal’ Inkomo from 1968, one of the greatest of all South African jazz records, but rediscovered this track from a recently discovered list that I’d made twenty years ago, and again fell for its flowing groove and beautiful playing.
New releases this week…from London there’s vocalist Zara McFarlane’s terrific version of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues from Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan (Eternal Source Of Light, June 14th) and saxophonist Nubya Garcia’s hard driving first single The Seer from her next album Odyssey (Concord, September 20th). The 18 piece London based afro-cuban big band New Regency Orchestra are hot hot hot on Fiesta Time from their eponymous debut album (Mr Bongo, June 14th) and singer Jo Harrop is smouldering on You’ll Never Be Lonely In Soho from The Path Of A Tear (Lateralise, June 7th) written by Harrop with Paul Edis and produced in Los Angeles by Larry Klein.
Also this week, there’s Chicago’s Black Diamond led by saxophonists Artie Black and Hunter Diamond with Say To Yourself from Furniture of Mind Rearranging (WeJazz, July 5th), while Nashville’s Concurrence - pianist Paul Horton and bassist Greg Bryant (plus drummer Tommy Crane) - are positively Groovin’ At Del Morocco from Indivisible (La Reserve, June 7th). There’s pianist and producer Robert Glasper’s soothing Going Home from Let Go, a collaboration with Apple Music for ‘the express intention of helping listeners recalibrate mentally’, while from Finland there’s flautist Jimi Tenor’s tie up with producers Cold Diamond & Mink on the cosmic funk question Is There Love In Outer Space? (Timmion, May 31st). We certainly hope so.
From one of our albums of the year so far there’s the beautiful Albert Ayler, A Meditation In Light, the third track we’ve played from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianist Amina Claudine Myers’ Central Park Mosaics Of Reservoir, Lakes, Paths And Gardens (Red Hook, May 10th). Also this week, there’s Pharaoh Sanders’ version of Coltrane’s Crescent from Crescent With Love (Venus, 1994) and Sonny Rollins’ Alfie’s Theme Differently from Alfie (Impulse! 1966), while our jazz rock fusion milestone (many consider it to be the first) is a 23 year old John Klemmer flying his freak flag high on Jimi Hendrix’s Third Stone from The Sun from Blowin’ Gold (Cadet Concept, 1969) with guitarist Pete Cosey, bassist Phil Upchurch, pianist Thompson and drummer Morris Jennings. And you’ll never hear surf music again…
And finally, in Michael Connelly’s latest Lincoln Lawyer book Resurrection Walk, Mickey Haller’s half-brother Harry Bosch plays saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s Harry’s Last Stand from Introducing Wayne Shorter (Vee Jay, 1960) featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan and the Freddie Freeloader rhythm section of pianist Wynton Kelly, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. Connelly certainly passed on to Bosch his own deep love of jazz music.
Here’s the complete playlist, just click the link below and hope you enjoy.
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