Jazz on the Beach 192: Lafayette Gilchrist, Pasquale Grasso, Immy Churchill, Theon Cross, Benny Benack III and his dad, Serge Chaloff
We’re having a heat wave (a tropical heat wave...)
We’re having a heat wave here in South East Kent this week, thankfully the sea breeze is keeping things bearable. I’d like to think this playlist reflects how joyful these current conditions are, so if it’s not quite as balmy where you happen to be, perhaps it’ll bring the sun out for a while.
Among the new releases on the show is the marvellous Cut Through the Chase by Lafayette Gilchrist’s New Volcanoes from their upcoming Move with Love (Morphius Records, 25th July), recorded live last September at Baltimore’s Club Car. This is pianist and composer Gilchrist’s long running (since the early ‘90s) hip-hop and go-go inspired band’s first release in seven years, and features guitarist Carl Filipiak, trumpeter Leo Maxey, trombonist Christian Hizon, bassist Anthony ‘Blue’ Jenkins, tenor saxophonist Shaquim Muldrow, drummer Kevin Pinder and percussionist Bashi Rose.
Gilchrist also recently took over the piano stool of the Sun Ra Arkestra, and there’s the funky cosmic jazz of the title track from On Jupiter (El Saturn, recorded 1979), which was reissued last week by Strut Records. Ra’s Arkestra stalwarts are all present including tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, alto saxophonist Marshall Allen and drummer Luqman Ali plus vocalist Knoël Scott, bassist Victor Sproles, guitarist Skeeter McFarland and others. It’s wonderful stuff.
I’m blown away with a newly released live recording from July 2023 by tuba player and Tomorrow’s Warrior alumni Theon Cross. Affirmations is from his album Affirmations: Live at Blue Note New York (New Soil & Division 81, 11th July), which paired up Cross and fellow Londoner Nikos Ziarkas on guitar, with the tremendous Chicagoan saxophonist Isaiah Collier and his frequent collaborator drummer James Russell Sims. This was Cross’ first US performance, and to quote the title of his debut album (on Gearbox), it’s pure Fyah!
Also this week, a terrific version of D’Angelo and Roy Hargrove’s Spanish Joint by Lauren Scales, Mike Flanagan & Chris Grasso from Many Rivers (Truth Revolution Records Collective, 8th August). Based in Provincetown right at the tip of Cape Cod, vocalist Scales, saxophonist Flanagan and pianist Grasso are joined by double bassist Luque Curtis and drummer Charles Haynes on an album of (mostly) covers that are beautifully performed and hugely enjoyable. I put it down to the sea air.
Last week the fine young singer Immy Churchill sent me her captivating self-released debut single Give Me Time to Breathe (20th June). The magic is in the simplicity, it’s just her and pianist Scottie Thompson, recorded in one take at Highwater Studio in Deptford. There’s an EP following in the autumn, and I’m betting the rest of her songwriting is as strong as this.
Trumpeter Benny Benack III brings out his father, the tenor saxophonist Benny ‘Peek’ Benack Jr, on Song for Our Roger, a warm tribute to Roger Humphries, the Pittsburgh jazz legend and drummer on Horace Silver’s Song for My Father. It’s from the upcoming This Is the Life (Live) (Bandstand Presents, 27th June) was recorded live at the Blue Llama in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with double bassist Russell Hall and drummer Joe Peri.
Speaking of Horace Silver, the singer Tyreek McDole channels Andy Bey on Silver’s composition Won’t You Open Up Your Senses, the third track I’ve played so far from his debut Open Up Your Senses (Artwork Records, 6th June). McDole will be the next big jazz vocal star if a major label gets hold of him, or perhaps, even if one doesn’t. His band are superb, with tenor saxophonist Dylan Band, trumpeter Michael Cruse, pianist Sullivan Fortner, double bassist Rodney Whittaker and drummer Justin Faulkner.
Pasquale Grasso is an astonishing guitarist, his playing is close to nonpareil. A new album Solo-BeBop! ((Sony Masterworks, 13th June), arrived out of the blue last week, consisting of tracks he recorded in the remaining studio time after the sessions ended for his February release Fervency. It’s just breathtaking, and if you liked his playing on the first two Samara Joy records you’ll love this. Here’s his version of Charlie Parker’s Chasin’ the Bird.
From Be-Bop to hard boppin’ with tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s title track from his debut album Look Out! (Blue Note, 1960), with pianist Horace Parlan, double bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood.
We’re west coastin’ with the brilliant but doomed baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff’s The Goof and I from Blue Serge (Capitol, 1956), with visiting East Coasters pianist Sonny Clark, double bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Philly Joe Jones. It’s another recent and particularly deserving deluxe Tone Poet reissue with notes by fellow Substacker Syd Schwartz.
And finally, we’re back at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in New Jersey for alto saxophonist Jackie McLean’s Blue Fable from Jacknife, that was recorded in 1965 with trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Larry Willis, double bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Jack DeJohnette, but not released by Blue Note until ten years later.
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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).
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I'm really excited for the new Theon Cross album. "Affirmations" is incredible!