Jazz on the Beach 170: Sultan Stevenson, James Brandon Lewis, Artemis, Richard Baretta
Birth of the Blue, Jamaladeen Tacuma
Now that the holidays are far behind us, the new releases are coming thick and fast. One of the most anticipated is from the sensational young British pianist, composer and Tomorrow’s Warrior Sultan Stevenson, whose Unspeakable Happiness is the first single to be released from his second album El Roi (Edition, 28th March).
It features his well established young rhythm section of drummer Joel Waters and double bassist Jacob Gryn who were such an important part of Stevenson’s debut Faithful One (Whirlwind), one of JOTB’s favourite albums of 2023. The horn section also sees a return for trumpeter Josh Short, but taking over from tenor saxophonist Denys Baptiste this time is Soweto Kinch.
Another Tomorrow’s Warrior alumni to get excited about is saxophonist Lewis Daniel, whose Find Your Tribe (self release, 17th January), is the first single from Defective Disc due later this year. He’s joined by trumpeter Jay Phelps, pianist Diân Gasper, trombonist Nathaniel Cross, bassist Dónal Pywell, drummer Barrell Jones, percussionist Will Fry, choirmaster Daniel Thomas and a string section.
There seems to be new music from saxophonist James Brandon Lewis every few months, but I’m certainly not complaining. On this week’s playlist there’s Prince Eugene from Apple Cores (Anti-Records, 7th February,) a trio recording with longtime drummer and mbira player Chad Taylor and bassist/guitarist Josh Werner. The album is inspired by poet and writer Amiri Baraka’s Apple Cores essays for DownBeat magazine in the mid ‘60s (writing as LeRoi Jones), and by the cornettist Don Cherry. As James says:
“The record itself is a nod to Amiri but mainly a nod to Don Cherry, using Amiri as a branch to really get the conversation going. It’s not a tribute in the sense that we’re playing Don Cherry compositions, but that the music is commenting on his musical curiosity.”
Pianist Renee Rosnes returns for the second week in a row, this time as leader of Artemis alongside trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, double bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Allison Miller. The track is The Smile of the Snake from new album Arboresque (Blue Note, 28th February), a great tune composed by pianist Donald Brown and first recorded by trumpeter Art Farmer, then saxophonist James Spaulding and Brown himself.
Drummer Richard Baretta takes it to the bridge with James Brown’s I Feel Good from Looking Back (Savant, 21st February). This is an album of rock and soul classics with new jazz arrangements by pianist Bill O’Connell, also featuring alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist Michael Goetz and percussionist Paul Rossman. Baretta started out as a working drummer but took a forty year side hustle into film production, first as a location manager and finally as a producer (The Wolf of Wall Street, Joker). He also has great taste in convertibles.
Completing this week’s new releases is Glebe, the London based former Leeds College of Music alumni, guitarist Kieran Gunter and pianist Chris Bland. Here’s the second single from their debut album Gaudi (Daggio, 17th January). You Can’t Write Tears is a composition in the Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays style (a good thing), and features tenor saxophonist Dom Pusey, bassist Jack Tustin and drummer Filippo Galli.
From the archives, there’s the former Ornette Coleman Prime Time bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma with Sunk in the Funk from his debut Show Stopper (Gramavision, 1983), a monster of an album that I played endlessly before it mysteriously disappeared sometime in the ‘90s (I have my suspicions). Jamaaladeen is playing his Steinberger electric bass with guitarist Rick Iannacone, drummer Anthony McClary, alto saxophonist James R. Watkins and percussionist Ron Howerton who is forgiven for those ‘disco Syndrum pew-pews’.
Two artists who always fit right in with the finest musical company are Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen with Slinky Thing from Sunken Condos (Reprise, 2012), and Rickie Lee Jones with Weasel and the White Boys Cool from her phenomenal debut Rickie Lee Jones (Warner Bros, 1979). The writing, arrangements, performances and musicianship are dazzling.
There are two ‘60s Blue Note gems, starting with hard bop from alto saxophonist Jackie McLean and Francisco, the opening track from Capucin Swing (Blue Note, 1960), featuring trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Walter Bishop, Jr, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. And from a few years later, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s Head Start from Happenings (Blue Note, 1967), with pianist Herbie Hancock, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Joe Chambers.
And finally, Miles Davis’s On Green Dolphin Street from Birth of the Blue (Analogue Productions, January). This track has been available for many years on albums Jazz Track, ‘58 Sessions, 1958 Miles, The Miles Davis and John Coltrane Complete Columbia Recordings and more. But following the success of James Kaplan’s recent book 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the Lost Empire of Cool, Analogue have produced a gorgeous sounding cut and pressing of the four tracks recorded at the first sessions by what became the Kind of Blue lineup in May 1958 - Miles, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on The Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Also….
My recent review of Carl Allen’s sensational Tippin’ with Christian McBride and Chris Potter for UK Jazz News, you can read it here.
I’m really enjoying this clip of drummer Chris Dave guitarist/vocalist Marcus King and bassist MonoNeon from the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York earlier this week.
Richard Perry’s 1970 Plymouth Superbird Hardtop is up for auction this Saturday, you can bid here. But be warned, it won’t be cheap.
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