Jazz on the Beach 161 & Blues Beach 63
Kenny Barron, Lophae, Lou Donaldson, Horace Tapscott, back to the blues
Of all the great albums that have been released this year, the one that I’ve probably enjoyed the most is pianist Kenny Barron’s Beyond This Place (Artwork Records, May 2024), featuring the impeccable lineup of alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, double bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and drummer Johnathan Blake.
I’m not at all surprised that it’s been nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album at this year’s Grammy Awards, it would be a crime if it hadn’t. This week’s Jazz on the Beach radio show playlist features the beautiful version of Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington’s The Nearness of You. It’s almost pin drop quiet and everyone plays beautifully. To these ears, Immanuel Wilkins has never sounded better.
I’m really impressed with Lophae (pronounced Lo-fi), led by guitarist Greg Sanders with tenor saxophonist Sam Rapley, bassist Tom Herbert and drummer Ben Brown. Sanders’ writing is excellent as you’ll hear on the single Fallout from their upcoming album Perfect Strangers (January 24th). It’s been around since September and I only just discovered it, but here’s the video for their more recently released single Dedication to David T.
A few years ago Simon Ratcliffe of British electronic duo Basement Jaxx teamed up for a project with saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd and the results were released as Village of the Sun (Gearbox Records, 2022). Here’s the live version of The Spanish Dancer from the newly released Village of the Sun, Live in Tokyo (Gearbox Records, October 25th), which was recorded in May 2023 at the sharp-looking Billboard Live venue. They're playing at Lafayette in London this Sunday, as part of this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. Here’s a video of an expanded Village of the Sun lineup from Ronnie Scott’s last year.
There’s a second play in successive weeks for Mark Kavuma & the Banger Factory. This time it’s Fools Rush In from their Magnum Opus (Banger Factory Records, November 8th), where the Johnny Mercer standard is given a beautiful arrangement by tenor saxophonist Ruben Fox and is sung by his brother, the trombonist Misha Fox. Completing the lineup are pianist Reuben James, guitarist Artie Zaitz, tenor saxophonist Mussinghi B Edwards, alto saxophonist Theo Erskine, trombonist Christ-Stephane Boizi, trumpeter Mark Kavuma, double bassist Jack Garside and drummer William Cleasby. They’re playing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, also this Sunday, but that’s the luck of jazz festival scheduling.
Sad news this week with the passing of the great alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson last weekend at the age of 98. (Ethan Iverson wrote a wonderful post a few days ago). The playlist opens with the title track from Blues Walk (Blue Note, 1958), featuring pianist Herman Foster, double bassist Peck Morrison, drummer Dave Bailey and the ubiquitous conguero Ray Barretto.
The closing track is Bobbie Gentry’s Ode to Billy Joe from Mr Shing-A-Ling (Blue Note, 1968), with organist Lonnie Smith, guitarist Jimmy Ponder and drummer Leo Morris (later Idris Muhammad). These are two of my favourites but there is so much great music to choose from. ‘Sweet Papa Lou’ always played the blues, may his memory be a blessing.
And finally, there’s the Horace Tapscott Quintet’s title track from his debut album The Giant is Awakened (Flying Dutchman, 1969), with the West Coast pianist’s Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra slimmed down to a quintet of alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, double bassists David Bryant and Walter Savage Jr and drummer Everett Brown Jr.
Tapscott may have been unhappy with the final results as Flying Dutchman’s owner/producer Bob Thiele mixed the recorded tracks without his participation. But this is still a thrilling 17 minutes of adventurous and challenging jazz music. For more about this record and Horace Tapscott’s story, read Joseph W. Washek’s excellent Horace Tapscott, Tom Albach and the Story of Nimbus West Records.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on The Beach on Mixcloud, just click below…
After a second edition of Blues Beach Goes Country recently, this week’s Blues Beach radio playlist is squarely back to the blues. Among the highlights are Son House’s Empire State Express featuring Al Wilson (later of Canned Heat) on second guitar, Lucinda Williams’ terrific title track from her debut Happy Woman Blues for Smithsonian Folkways in 1980 and Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters direct-to-tape recording of King Curtis’ Soul Serenade.
There’s also T-Bone Walker’s re-recording (and renaming) of Stormy Monday Blues for Atlantic in 1959, Nick Gravenites (with guitarist Michael Bloomfield) live in San Francisco on Gypsy Good Time and Ray Charles’ Sinner’s Prayer from his first Atlantic album.
To listen to this week’s Blues Beach on Mixcloud, just click below…
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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
Blues Beach is broadcast live every other Thursday from 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Sweet Lou, then Roy right after. Hoping Quincy makes three and the reaper is not coming for Newk (Sonny Rollins, for the un hip)