Jazz on the Beach 206 & Blues Beach 84: Hal Singer, Babo Moreno, Tom Ollendorff, Saiga Tracks, Ferg Ireland Trio, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Lefty Dizz, Angela Strehli
This week's radio playlists and notes
One of the many fine American jazz musicians who relocated to Europe during the mid-twentieth century was the tenor saxophonist Hal Singer, who moved to Paris in 1965 at the age of 56, and lived there until he died at 101 years old in 2020. On this week’s playlist there’s his terrific Malcolm X from Blues and News (Futura, 1971), his second album recorded there as a leader, engineered by Pierre Guichon (most probably at Wagram Studios) and produced by jazz polymath Gérard Terronès. The lineup features trombonist Jacques Bolognesi, guitarist Jean-Claude Andre, pianist Siegfried Kessler, double bassist Patrice Caratini, fellow expert drummer Art Taylor and conguero Alain ‘Paco’ Charlety.
Following on from early August’s Jazz on the Beach 198, there’s another track from trumpeter Luis Gasca’s Latin tour de force For Those Who Chant (Blue Thumb, 1972), with the phenomenal Spanish Gypsy. The line up includes guitarists Carlos Santana and Neal Schon, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist George Cables, bassist Stanley Clarke, drummers Lenny White and Mike Shrieve, and percussionists including congeros Victor Pantoja and Mike Carabello and timbale players Carmelo Garcia and Coke Escovedo.
New releases this week include the Saiga Horns brass section of trumpeter Josh Short and alto saxophonist Mike Anning as Saiga Tracks. Detroit is from their EP Introducing Saiga Tracks (Bridge the Gap, 14th November), and joining them on this highly enjoyable horn led fusion groove are guitarist Kyle Drakard, keyboard player Robert Dimbleby, bassist Dayna Fisher and drummer LOX.
Babo Moreno is the creation of London drummer and percussionist Fabio De Oliveria, the son of the great percussionist Bosco De Oliveria. There’s Sun City from the album Babo Moreno (Matsuka, 26th September), with trombonist Dennis Rollins, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, saxophonist Tamar Osborn and bassist Gili Lopes all among the impressive lineup on this British-Brazilian feast.
Also new is guitarist and Bath native Tom Ollendorff’s lyrical and melodic Past Lives from his third album Where in the World (Fresh Sound/New Talent, 21st November), featuring the marvellous pianist Aaron Parks, double bassist Connor Chaplin and drummer James Maddren.
From bassist and producer Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam comes The Cut of the Knife, a homage in 5/4 time to Dave Brubeck from What’s Up, (self released, 2025). The rest of the line up is guitarist Tristan Clark, pianist Baden Goyo, drummer Joel E. Mateo and saxophonist Alex Blade Silver plus a guitar solo from Kerry Marx. Miller hosts the Follow Your Dream podcast, and by a complete coincidence I’m being interviewed on the 4th October episode.
I can’t stop listening to vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant’s whip-smart What Does Blue Mean to You from Oh Snap (Nonesuch, 19th September), with pianist Sullivan Fortner, double bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer Kyle Poole. Here’s a live version of the song from SFJAZZ last year.
Considering how much John Coltrane I play on the show, I can’t believe I’ve never chosen Duke Ellington & John Coltrane’s In a Sentimental Mood from Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963). It’s just perfect, with Duke at the piano and Coltrane playing tenor with double bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Elvin Jones. While we’re here, may I suggest you read fellow Substacker Bret Primack’s inspirational new book How John Coltrane Changed Me - A Jazz Journey. It’s a thing of beauty.
And finally, I’ve been revisiting double bassist Ferg Ireland’s trio sessions recorded in 2017 and released as two 12” EPs in 2018 and 2021. There’s Ludwick Blues from Vol. 2 (Mondegreen, 2021), with alto saxophonist Nathaniel Facey and drummer James Maddren. The vinyl is long sold out but digital and CD of both volumes together are available from Bandcamp. If you like what New Jazz Underground are doing, you’ll probably love this.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz On The Beach #206 1st October 2025
Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments
Saiga Tracks - Detroit
Tortoise - Layered Presence
Babo Moreno - Sun City
Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - In a Sentimental Mood
Cécile McLorin Salvant - What Does Blue Mean to You
Hal Singer - Malcolm X
Peter Horsfall - Lady of the Lavender Mist
Ferg Ireland Trio - Ludwick Blues
Tom Ollendorff - Past Lives
Luis Gasca - Spanish Gypsy
Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam - The Cut of the Knife
Horace Silver - The Kicker
Herbie Hancock - Actual Proof
The Great Jazz Trio - Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
Lucky Thompson - Mid-Nite Oil
Blues Beach
There’s classic and contemporary blues in the latest edition of Blues Beach, with B.B. King’s original version of You Upset Me Baby from 1954 and Ray Charles’ first single Mess Around from 1953. Also, Howlin’ Wolf’s Spoonful and Muddy Waters’ (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man from the two Chess/Cadet Concept psychedelic sixties albums that included members of Rotary Connection, which you loved or hated (or even both). There’s Johnny Jenkins’ version of John Lee Hooker’s Dimples from Ton-Ton Macoute! in 1970 featuring Allman Brothers Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, and the great Lefty Dizz with Cloudy Weather from 1989’s Ain’t it Nice to be Loved.
There’s Angela Strehli channelling Jimmy Reed on the Blues Beach favourite Take Out Some Insurance from 2022’s Ace of Blues, The Soul of John Black aka John Arthur Bigham with Six Pack of Blues from 2004’s J.B.’s Blues Party! and Robert Finley’s Lucky Day from Black Bayou in 2023. And a steamy version of Guitar Slim’s immortal The Things That I Used to Do by Lynn August featuring pianist Marcia Ball from the just released The Last Real Texas Blues Album celebrating Antone’s 50 years of the blues.
To listen to this week’s Blues Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Blues Beach #84 2nd October 2025
Roomful of Blues - Lillie May
Lefty Dizz - Cloudy Weather
Johnny Jenkins - Dimples
William Clarke - Lollipop Mama
The Soul of John Black - Six Pack of Blues
Keb’ Mo’ - Angelina
R.L. Burnside - Come on In
Howlin’ Wolf - Spoonful
Muddy Waters - (I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
Bernard Allison - Into My Life
Robert Finley - Lucky Day
Johnny Rawls - Tell Me the Truth
Angela Strehli - Take Out Some Insurance
B.B. King - You Upset Me Baby
Antone’s 50th Allstars & Lynn August - The Things That I Used to Do
Ray Charles - Mess Around
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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).
Blues Beach broadcasts every other Thursday from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (UK time).