Jazz on the Beach 160
Carl Allen, Mark Kavuma & the Banger Factory, Jenny Scheinman, Tyshawn Sorey
On this week’s Jazz on the Beach radio show playlist is a phenomenal new track from drummer Carl Allen’s upcoming album Tippin’ (Cellar Music/La Reserve, January 2025), that features double bassist Christian McBride and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. The album was recorded in five hours on a day last January at the Van Gelder Studio, and their scorching trio version of Freddie Hubbard’s Happy Times is pure fire. I heard this for the first time last week in a taxi in Malta, probably the hippest cab ride I’ve ever taken.
Also this week, there’s violinist Jenny Scheinman’s Every Bear That Ever There Was from her album All Species Parade (Royal Potato Family, October 11th), with pianist Carmen Staaf, guitarist Bill Frisell, double bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen. (Guitarists Julian Lage and Nels Cline also play on the album). I discovered this charming track and the equally wonderful album quite by chance via Billy the Talking Puppy’s Instagram post Billy’s first time hearing jazz.
There’s a second track from the remarkable Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and drummer Tyshawn Sorey’s The Susceptible Now (Pi Recordings, October 11th), featuring four tracks spread over four sides of vinyl. This time it’s a complete reworking of McCoy Tyner’s Peresina, again with pianist Aaron Diehl and double bassist Harish Raghavan. This album has been a revelation, full of wonderful playing great beauty. I’ve been drawn to it constantly over the past few weeks.
Trumpeter Mark Kavuma and his large ensemble the Banger Factory launch their album Magnum Opus (Banger Factory, November 8th) at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Sunday November 17th as part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. Cedar Tree is one the album’s first two singles, the song was first recorded on the Kavuma/Artie Zaitz/Will Cleasby album Back to Back (Banger Factory, 2022). It really takes off here with a tight lineup featuring Kavuma, saxophonists Mussinghi Brian Edwards & Theo Erskine, pianist Noah Stoneman, double bassist Jack Garside and drummer Jack Thomas.
Extra tenor saxophones dept: there’s Cherry Float, a killer Johnny Griffin soul jazz track from Grab This! (Pacific Jazz, 1962), with organist Paul Bryant, guitarist Joe Pass, double bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Doug Sides. And Clifford Jordan’s Not Guilty from Cliff Jordan (Blue Note, 1957), with trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, alto saxophonist John Jenkins, pianist Ray Bryant, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor.
While bringing us up to date, Charles Owens plays Jerome Kern’s Nobody Else But Me, a third track from The Music Tells Us (La Reserve, December 6th), with double bassist Cameron Ralston and drummer Kofi Shepsu. Once again, Owens plays piano too.
And finally, guitarist Martin Taylor’s immaculate solo version of Mona Lisa from the album Kiss and Tell (Sony Jazz, 1999). He recently launched Martin Taylor’s Freternity on the Truefire Channel, if you want to learn from the master.
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Jazz On The Beach is broadcast live every Wednesday evening from 10.00pm - midnight and repeated the following Monday from 2.00am - 4.00am
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