Jazz on the Beach 190: Gary Crosby, Blue Mitchell, Wild Iris Brass Band, Mabumi Yamaguchi Quartet, Fred Hersch, John Handy III
Tomorrow's Warriors coming to the Deal Music and Arts Festival
As many of you may know, I live in the coastal town of Deal in South East Kent. With two Tomorrow’s Warriors ensembles set to perform at this year’s Deal Music and Arts Festival (3rd–13th July), I recently spoke with Dr Gary Crosby OBE, the double bassist, educator and co-founder of the pioneering artist development programme.
We talked about the newly formed Tomorrow’s Warriors Big Band, an exciting group of 14 - 25 year olds led by the Levitation Orchestra’s Axel Kaner-Lidström. They will be joined by special guest Warrior, the alto saxophonist Camilla George, for the closing show of the Festival at St George’s Church on 13th July.
We also discussed the phenomenal young tenor saxophonist Maddy Coombs, who will be leading her quartet at The Lighthouse on 10th July, featuring pianist Finn Carter, double bassist Menelik Claffey and drummer Jordon Hatfield. Here’s Winter Sun filmed by jazz re:freshed at 91 Living Room, Brick Lane.
As if it were needed, this was another opportunity to play Transmigration by Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop from Migrations (Dune Records, 1997), a foundation of 21st century British jazz. The band on this powerful Neil Yates composition are double bassist Crosby, trumpeter Yates, drummer Robert Fordjour, alto saxophonist Tony Kofi, tenor saxophonist Denys Baptiste and pianist Alex Wilson.
This week’s show opens in great style with trumpeter Blue Mitchell and Chick’s Tune from The Thing to Do (Blue Note, 1965), with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, pianist and composer Chick Corea, double bassist Gene Taylor, and the drummer Al Foster who sadly passed away last week at 82 years old. This was the teenage Foster’s first recording, and his intro is magnificent.
Also from the ‘60s is alto saxophonist John Handy III’s Tales of Paradise from his second solo album No Coast Jazz (Roulette, 1960). The rhythm section is double bassist Bill Lee and drummer Lex Humphries, and this gorgeous tune features a worthy solo from pianist Don Friedman.
There’s guitarist Grant Green’s hard boppin’ Ezz-Thetic from Solid (Blue Note, 1979), which although recorded in 1964 was not released until four months after Green’s death. It features a stellar lineup of saxophonists James Spaulding on alto and Joe Henderson on tenor, pianist McCoy Tyner, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Elvin Jones.
On the new release front, there’s saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trombonist Ray Mason’s ‘New Orleans meets Nashville’ Wild Iris Brass Band, with an Ellington inspired arrangement on the irrepressible Bramble Ramble from Way Up (Ear Up, 26th July). The rest of the band are trumpeter Emmanuel Echem, alto saxophonist Jovan Quallo, sousaphonist Neil Konouchi, drummer Justin Amaral and Ryoko Suzuki adds tambourine. This is so much fun!
For something more serene, pianist Fred Hersch performs a marvellous version of Charlie Haden’s First Song from The Surrounding Green (ECM, 27th June), with double bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron. There’s a deep connection going back to when Haden played on one of Hersch’s earliest recording dates in 1987 with Baron also present.
There are two terrific late ‘70s Japanese releases this week, with tenor saxophonist Mabumi Yamaguchi’s jazz funk samba Distant Thunder from Leeward (Union, 1978), featuring electric pianist Ichiro Doi, double bassist Ikuo Sakurai and drummer Hideo Sekine.
The second is trumpeter Terumasa Hino’s Merry-Go-Round from Double Rainbow (CBS Sony Japan, 1981), featuring an outstanding lineup of soprano saxophonist Steve Grossman, no fewer than three Fender Rhodes players in Herbie Hancock, Kenny Kirkland and Mark Gray, extra keyboards from Masabumi Kikuchi, guitarists Butch Campbell and Lou Volpe, electric bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Harvey Mason, with congas and percussion from Don Alias, Airto Moreira and Manolo Badrena.
And finally….hello to new subscriber (and fabulous singer) Tessa Souter, delighted to see you here. There’s her version of Benny Carter’s Key Largo from Nights of Key Largo (Venus Records Japan, 2008), with pianist Kenny Werner, double bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Billy Drummond. Souter has a new album Shadows and Silence - The Erik Satie Project coming later this month.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on The Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Listen live to Deal Radio - click here
Jazz On The Beach broadcasts every Wednesday evening from 10:00 PM to midnight (UK time), repeating on Monday morning from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM (UK time).
Blues Beach broadcasts every other Thursday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (UK time).