Jazz on the Beach 201: La Tanya Hall, Dayna Stephens, Carlos Garnett, Domo Branch, Mal Waldron, Noah Young, Randy Weston, Miles Davis, Pointer Sisters, Chet Baker
New releases, classic tracks, everyone welcome
Among the new releases on this week’s playlist is tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens switching to double bass for Monk D (Contagious Music, 10th October), an album of lesser known Monk compositions recorded in one day at the Van Gelder Studio with pianist Ethan Iverson, tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley and drummer Eric McPherson. I’ve gone with Brake’s Sake which was first recorded by the Gigi Gryce Quartet (featuring Monk on piano) and released on Nica’s Tempo (Savoy, 1955).
The drummer Domo Branch has made a wonderful album in honour of Thara Memory, his high school band director. There’s Harlem Nights from Hand of Gifts (Albina Music Trust, 31st October), with double bassist Russell Hall, pianist Tyler Henderson and New Jazz Underground’s saxophonist Abdias Armenterros playing soprano.
Noah Young is the bass player in New Orleans’ horn led funksters Naughty Professor, but the cinematic Fly on the Wall is from his solo project Noah (26th September), and features keyboardist Sam Kuslan, synth bass from Shea Pierre, drummer Alfred Jordan and wild guitar from John Maestas.
I’m thoroughly enjoying vocalist La Tanya Hall’s terrific version of Horace Silver’s Pretty Eyes from If Not Now..When (Blue Canoe, 10th October), where the educator and former key member of Steely Dan’s touring band and her producer Michael Leonhart bring in saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, double bassist Gerald Cannon, guitarist Marvin Sewell and drummer Mark McLean.
Speaking of the Dan, there’s a second track from pianist and vocalist Chris Ingham’s Dan-tastic Walter, Donald - A Becker and Fagen Songbook Vol. 1 (Downhome Records, September), with Green Flower Street from The Nightfly, again featuring saxophonist Harry Greene, trumpeter Paul Higgs, double bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer/harmony vocalist George Double.
I’m really looking forward to seeing saxophonist Binker Golding present new repertoire at Ronnie Scott’s on Saturday. Ahead of that, I thought I’d play Black Ave Maria from Dem Ones (Gearbox Records, 2015), the debut Binker and Moses album with drummer Moses Boyd, kickstarting the UK jazz new wave.
I love the video that Binker put together for this track before the album was released, there are some YouTube age restrictions but you can watch it here.
From the ‘70s there’s saxophonist Carlos Garnett’s extraordinary title track from Cosmos Nucleus (Muse, 1976), featuring a big band lineup with a core of Kenny Kirkland on electric piano, guitarist Otis McCleary, bassist Cecil McBee, Jr, drummer Byron Benbow and percussionists Neil Clarke and Gene Bullard. Garnett’s writing is funky and loose, and when his soprano comes in half way through things really take off.
Another terrific extended track comes from pianist Randy Weston with Gnawa (Blue Moses) from Blue Moses (CTI, 1972). it features trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr, flautist Hubert Laws, double bassist ‘Vishnu’ Bill Wood, drummer Billy Cobham and percussionists Phil Kraus, Airto Moreira and Azzedin Weston. The horns arranged with usual CTI style by the great Don Sebesky.
Guitarist Grant Green burns up the fretboard on organist Neal Creque’s high energy Windjammer from Live at the Lighthouse (Blue Note, 1973), with soprano saxophonist Claude Bartee, vibraphonist Gary Coleman, organist Shelton Laster, bassist Wilton Felder, drummer Greg Williams and percussionist Bobbye Porter Hall.
For my fellow guitar nerds out there, here’s a guide to Grant Green’s guitars throughout his career.
There’s pianist and synth maestro Herbie Hancock’s funktastic Steppin’ in It from Man-Child (Columbia, 1975), with a Stevie Wonder harmonica solo and musicians including saxophonist Bennie Maupin, guitarist Wah Wah Watson and drummer Harvey Mason. Hancock also plays piano on The Pointer Sisters’ dazzling vocalese version of Salt Peanuts from That’s A Plenty (Blue Thumb, 1974), with double bassist Ron McClure and drummer Gaylord Birch. Music by Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Clarke with lyrics by Bruce Good and Jeffrey Cohen, it’s a glorious moment from the four sisters’ early days before switching to pop.
We’re hard boppin’ with pianist Mal Waldron and his ebullient The Way You Look Tonight from Mal/2 (Prestige, 1957), featuring tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, trumpeter Idrees Sulieman, alto saxophonist Sahib Shihab, double bassist Julian Euell and drummer Ed Thigpen. The sweet blend of the horns recalls an earlier era, and is all the better for it.
And from a few years later, drummer Art Taylor leads trumpeter Dave Burns, tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, pianist Wynton Kelly and double bassist Paul Chambers through Kenny Dorham’s familiar sounding High Seas from A.T.’s Delight (Blue Note, 1961).
There’s the Chet Baker Quintet’s Stairway to the Stars from Comin' On with the Chet Baker Quintet (Prestige, 1967), about to be released on the 5 from ‘65 box set by New Land Records. Chet plays flugelhorn with tenor saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Kirk Lightsey, double bassist Herman Wright and drummer Roy Brooks.
And finally, trumpeter Miles Davis’ ethereal Flamenco Sketches from Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959), with pianist Bill Evans, alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. I’m sure many of you didn’t need reminding who the musicians on many of these tracks are (especially this one). But I’m delighted that so many listeners and subscribers are relatively new to jazz music, and appreciate the background that streaming alone can’t provide. That’s one of the things that makes putting these playlists and radio shows together such a joy.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz On The Beach #201 - 27th August 2025
Art Taylor - High Seas
The Pointer Sisters - Salt Peanuts
Dayna Stephens - Brake’s Sake
Binker & Moses - Black Ave Maria
Noah Young - Fly on the Wall
La Tanya Hall - Pretty Eyes
Herbie Hancock - Steppin’ in It
Mal Waldron - The Way You Look Tonight
Chris Ingham Quintet - Green Flower Street
Domo Branch - Harlem Nights
Carlos Garnett - Cosmos Nucleus
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches
Randy Weston - Gnawa (Blue Moses)
Chet Baker Quintet - Stairway to the Stars
Grant Green - Windjammer
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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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Caught the Chris Ingham Quintet at The Jazz Centre UK recently, following some sage advice from Richard Williams (whose bluemoment blog is recommended reading). Very impressive and a reminder that good live music is still available at sensible prices and well worth supporting. Excellent show Adam and congrats on 200+.
I've really enjoyed previewing the new Dayna Stephens' album - the second really fine Monk tribute album of this year (the first being by Xhosa Cole). Writing about it for my next new release round-up.