Jazz on the Beach 178: Christian McBride & Ursa Major, Wes Montgomery, Caili O'Doherty, Chris Cheek, Roy Ayers, George Benson, Ezra Collective, Charlie Christian
Jazz radio from Deal: a weekly playlist of the new and the not so new
Hardly a week seems to go by when there isn’t something new from bass supremo Christian McBride, either as a bandleader or collaborator. On this week’s show he’s playing electric bass on the single More Is (Mack Avenue, out now), with Ursa Major, his new band of young giants featuring tenor saxophonist (and Artemis member) Nicole Glover, pianist/organist Michael King, guitarist Ely Perlman and drummer Savannah Harris.
It’s a strong and atmospheric tune written by Harris with a nice groove, there’s no room for any solos this time (except for a some wistful notes from Glover on the tail), but this is just a taster and there’s surely much more to follow.
Nicole Glover does however get the chance to open up on pianist Caili O’Doherty’s Riffin’ the Blues from Bluer Than Blue: Celebrating Lil Harding Armstrong (Outside Music, 7th March). This is a fascinating project with O’Doherty offering fresh interpretations of the music of this woefully under-appreciated pianist and composer who was Louis Armstrong’s pianist and wife during the groundbreaking Hot Fives and Sevens years.
O’Doherty’s rhythm section features double bassist Tamir Shmerling and drummer Cory Cox, with scat vocals by Michael Mayo on this version first recorded by Lil Armstrong and Her Dixielanders for Decca in 1940.
There’s a second track from saxophonist Emma Rawicz and pianist Gwilym Simcock’s excellent duo album Big Visit, (ACT, 28th March). His Great Adventure was written by Simcock about his young son - it’s high-spirited and challenging, and the playing is sensational.
I’m also really enjoying tenor saxophonist Chris Cheek’s Kino’s Canoe from Keepers of the Eastern Door (Analog Tone Factory/La Reserve, 23rd May). It’s beautifully recorded to tape and features guitarist Bill Frisell (who plays a wonderful solo), double bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Rudy Royston.
Sad to hear that vibraphonist Roy Ayers died last week at 84. With so much great music to choose from there’s the deeply funky title track from Red, Black and Green (Polydor, 1973), recorded with his band Ubiquity and featuring pianist Henry Whitaker, trumpeter Charles Tolliver, soprano saxophonist Sonny Fortune, electric bassist Clint Houston, drummer Dennis Davis, guitarists Billy Nicholls, Bob Fusco & David Barron, percussionists Billy King & Daniel Benzeboulon, a slew of backing vocalists and strings arranged by William Fischer.
Incidentally, I just discovered this remarkable story about Harry Whitaker written by T.J. English from the Village Voice in 2022. I may be late to the party, but if you haven’t read it, it’s an incredible story. There’s a cat too.
I’ve been groovin’ deeply all week with tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy and drummer Frank Butler’s title track from Groovin’ Blue, (Pacific Jazz Records, 1961), with trumpeter Carmel Jones, a 19 year old Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, pianist Frank Strazzeri and double bassist Jimmy Bond. It’s another Pacific Jazz release that’s getting the Kevin Gray Tone Poet treatment, just like last week’s Freedom Suite by the Jazz Crusaders.
Another terrific sounding new reissue from the lathe of Kevin Gray is guitarist Wes Montgomery’s second solo album The Incomparable Guitar of Wes Montgomery (Riverside, April 1960). It was originally rushed out a month after the guitar/organ/drums lineup of The Wes Montgomery Trio (Riverside, March 1960), when producer Orrin Keepnews felt that he’d released the wrong record to show what an incredible talent Montgomery was.
The Incomparable… really was a game changer for jazz guitar, and there’s the sensational Gone With the Wind recorded with pianist Tommy Flanagan, double bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath.
Montgomery’s great inspiration (and that of many others, too) was the guitarist Charlie Christian, who tragically died of tuberculosis at only 25. It’s been a while since I last played Swing to Bop (actually Topsy) which was recorded in May 1941 at Minton’s Playhouse on a Wilcox-Gay Recordio disc cutter by Columbia University student and recording engineer Jerry Newman.
It’s so good to hear Christian stretching out, which wasn't possible to capture on the 78 rpm technology. The rest of the musicians are trumpeter Joe Guy, pianist Kenny Kersey, double bassist Nick Fenton and drummer Kenny Clarke.
And while we’re talking guitar, George Benson is absolutely flying on the title track from Body Talk (CTI, 1973), with a young Earl Klugh on rhythm guitar, electric pianist Harold Mabern, bassists Ron Carter or Gary King (or both), drummer Jack DeJohnette, percussionist Mobutu and those killer horn charts by Pee Wee Ellis, a much funkier choice than CTI’s mainstay Don Sebesky.
There are two Blue Note tracks featuring tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine with organists - the first is Yesterdays from Dearly Beloved, (Blue Note, 1962), with his wife Shirley Scott and drummer Roy Brooks. The second in on Jimmy Smith’s title track from Midnight Special (Blue Note, 1961), with guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Donald Bailey.
And finally…..massive congratulations to Tomorrows Warriors alumni Ezra Collective for the extraordinary feat of winning the Brit Award for British Group last week. It’s incredible that a jazz ensemble could win such a high profile mainstream music award. To celebrate, there's the recent single Body Language (Partisan Records, 17th February), featuring a sensational vocal from Sasha Keable alongside EZ drummer Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones, tenor saxophonist James Mollison and trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi.
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Excellent recap and making me more aware of the young cats with chops --and the reissues as well 🙏🏽