Jazz On The Beach 144 & Blues Beach 55
Playlists, links and more on this week's radio shows
With the England v Netherlands Euros semi final kicking off at 8pm on Wednesday evening, there was a very real possibility that extra time would be played which would overlap Jazz On The Beach’s 10pm start on Deal Radio. So to be on the safe side, I chose some long tracks for the front of the show so I wouldn't miss any of the action. But thanks to Ollie Watkins’ superb last minute goal, the match was over at 9.55pm and it’s England v Spain in the final on Sunday.
Listening back to the show yesterday I thought the long tracks worked really well, starting with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Moanin’ from First flight To Tokyo (Blue Note, 2021) recorded live at Hibiya Public Hall on 14th January 1961, featuring the great drummer on their first landmark Japanese visit with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist (and Moanin’s composer) Bobby Timmons and double bassist Jamie Merritt.
Next came trumpeter Bobby Rodriguez’s exuberant latin jazz big band reworking of Freddie Hubbard’s Little Sunflower as Simply Macrame (Simply Macrame, Jazz Men Records 1973), which was followed by tenor saxophonist Wendell Harrison’s Where Am I from An Evening With The Devil (Tribe, 1972) featuring fellow Tribe Records co-founder Phil Ranelin on trombone, Marcus Belgrave on flugelhorn, electric pianist Charles Eubanks, double bassist William Austin and drummer Ike Daney.
Then there was some respite from tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson with a beautiful version of Duke Pearson’s You Know I Care from Inner Urge (Blue Note, 1966) with pianist McCoy Tyner, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Elvin Jones.
Also this week, trombonist Hiroshi Fukumura’s incredible title track from Hunt Up Wind (Flying Disc, 1978) that features saxophonist Sadao Watanabe and the rhythm section might of pianist Dave Grusin, guitarist Cornell Dupree, bassist Chuck Rainey, drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Paulinho da Costa.
There’s vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s powerful Black Heroes from Now! (Blue Note, 1970) written by tenor saxophonist Harold Land with vocalist Eugene McDaniels, pianist Stanley Cowell, guitarist Wally Richardson, double bassist Herbie Lewis and drummer Joe Chambers.
A first listen to Glasgow band Ari Tsugi with Aki from their album Simultaneity (Rebecca’s Records, July 5th), released on DJ Rebecca Vasmant’s label that’s promoting new music from the vibrant Glasgow music scene. The original trio of guitarist Mashu Harada, bassist Clement Gaud and drummer Joe Weisberg are joined on this track by trombonist Liam Shortfall and keyboard players Angus McDonald and Peter Koneckny.
There’s more from drummer Charles Goold with a version of Haitian konpa ambassadors Tabou Combo’s Bebe Paramount from the jazz meets Haitian rhythms of Triptych Lespri (La Reserve, June 28th), pianist Zaccai Curtis with Cuban Fantasy from the sensational Cubop Lives! (Truth Revolution Recording Collective, May 10th) and Something Else! led by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring with a great version of Stanley Turrentine’s Too Blue from Soul Jazz (Smoke Sessions, June 14th).
And here’s one I missed, my thanks to Bret Primack for pointing me towards the phenomenal alto saxophonist Patrick Bartley who recently released an album with his Tokyo based band Dreamweaver. Here’s Universal from their debut The Dreamweaver (Ultra Vibe, April 24th) with guitarist Mei Inoue, keyboardist Takayuki Suenaga, bassist Yuji Ito and drummer Hiromi Mura.
Just click the link below to listen to this week’s J.O.T.B…
Blues Beach
This week’s show features yet more Jimmy Reed (how can one not?), Lowell Fulson’s classic Tramp which was covered by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, plus Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup’s I’m Gonna Dig Myself A Hole and prewar gems from Blind Lemon Jefferson with Easy Rider Blues and Henry Thomas with John Henry.
There’s T-Model Ford’s Nobody Gets Me Down from his 1997 debut album recorded when he was 76 years old, and wonderfully reviewed by the Santa Fe New Mexican as ‘Demented songs of love and violence and human endurance’.
There are new releases from Chris Cain, probably the finest contemporary blues guitarist, with Too Little Too Late, Little Feat and Bonnie Raitt come together for a wonderful version of Muddy Waters’ Long Distance Call, Duke Robillard revisits his Roomful of Blues days with Just Kiss Me and there’s some fabulous Brit blues harmonica from Giles Robson on Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues.
And finally, I’m playing the slide guitar solo on the title track of Alexis Korner’s Juvenile Delinquent, recorded in late 1983 and released after his untimely death in 1984. The session took place at the Kinks’ Konk Studio in Crouch End and was produced by John Alcock (Thin Lizzy, John Entwistle) and engineered by Alexis’ son Damian. The solo went down in one take with a quick harmony overdub on the tail, and for any guitar geeks out there I was playing a 1976 ebony Gibson Les Paul Pro Deluxe through a 1960 Gibson GA-100 bass amp with boost from an MXR vintage script Distortion+.
Just click the link below to listen to this week’s Blues Beach…
Listen live
You can listen live to Jazz On The Beach every Wednesday evening from 10.00pm - midnight* and to Blues Beach every other Thursday from 6.00pm - 7.00pm* on DealRadio.co.uk or via the TuneIn Radio app. (*UK time). Or you can ask your smart device to ‘Play Deal Radio’.
Both shows are broadcast live from the Deal Radio Studio at 69a High Street, Deal, Kent CT14 6EH, a stone’s throw from the beach.
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Jazz On the Beach and Blues Beach radio shows are sponsored by our good friends at 6 Park Avenue Coffeehouse & Bar, Deal and Wellingtons Coffeehouse & Bistro, Dover.
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Distribute the playlists and playback links for my two radio shows avoiding social media platforms
Make those shows more enjoyable by offering background on the music played
Share music and whatever knowledge I have
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Playing catch-up. This whole set was like a glass of water on embers..as ever, cool selection!