Jazz on the Beach 210, Blues Beach 86: Jerome Sabbagh, Freddie Hubbard, Teemu Åkerblom, Mike LeDonne, Colectiva, NIJI, Mark Murphy, Mississippi John Hurt
Listen to more jazz music and play the blues
On this week’s Jazz on the Beach radio show playlist is a second track from Jerome Sabbagh’s Stand Up! (Analog Tone Factory/La Reserve, 17th October). The French-born, New York-based tenor saxophonist leads guitarist Ben Martin, double bassist Joe Martin and drummer Nasheet Waits on Lunar Cycle, dedicated to the saxophonist Sam Rivers. It sounds terrific and was recorded live to ½” tape (that means no overdubs and no mixing) by James Farber at the Power Station.
Here’s a live performance from the Jazz Gallery in New York earlier this year.
There’s a large stack of British jazz releases this week, starting with the Banger Factory, who seem to have taken up residency on the show with individual and combined projects (Artie Zaitz, Mussinghi Brian Edwards, Pete Horsfall, etc), all of which are terrific. Here’s the title cut from Back to the Beginning (Banger Factory, 21st November), led by trumpeter Mark Kavuma, with tenor saxophonist Ruben Fox and Mussinghi Brian Edwards, alto saxophonist Theo Erskine, guitarist Artie Zaitz, pianist Reuben James, vibraphonist David Mrakpor, double bassist Jack Garside and drummer Jack Thomas. I’m looking forward to seeing them at the Pizza Express, Soho, on Saturday 22nd November during the London Jazz Festival.
The pianist and prolific sideman Niji Adeleye aka NIJI, formerly resident organist for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, has released a new version of Mata, which first appeared on his album ORÍKÌ (Aeronxutics, February). This version was filmed at Lightship 45 Studios (a floating recording studio on the River Thames), with bassist Jack Polley, drummer David KD, trumpeter Harrison Cole and tenor saxophonist Rilet Stone-Lonergan. Here’s the video.
It’s been three years since I played the all-female Afro-Latin jazz ensemble Colectiva’s How Do You Like Your Ladies? on the show. Now comes Eero from their E.P. Colectiva (Jazz Refreshed, 12th December), featuring trombonist Viva Msimang, percussionist Lilli Elina, drummer Lya Reis Guerrero, alto saxophonist and flautist Allexa Nava, pianist Luisa Santiago, trumpeter Poppy Daniels and bassist Alley Lloyd.
There’s the tech-savvy Tierra from St Barbe, whose second E.P. Shoal (Bridge the Gap) will be released in January. The trio are guitarist James Maltby, bassist Edwin Ireland and drummer/synth player Floyer Sydenham, who may just be named after the 18th century philosopher and Plato translator. They are crowdfunding for a mixing, mastering and marketing budget, if you want to contribute go here.
There’s a follow up track from guitarist Tom Ollendorff with West Lake from the excellent Where in the World, (Fresh Sound/New Talent, Mocloud, 21st November), featuring pianist Aaron Parks, double bassist Connor Chaplin and drummer James Maddren.
Following on from the Markus Holkko Quartet last week, there’s more great jazz from Finland with the Teemu Åkerblom Quartet. Avo’s Tune is from the album 10 Year Anniversary - Alternate Takes (Jazzaggression, now), featuring double bassist Åkerblom, flautist Max Zenger, tenor saxophonist Ville Vannemaa and drummer Mikko Arlin. As the title suggests, this is one of the alternate takes from their debut recorded in 2015, and is being released as a lathe cut edition of just 50 copies. If you’re interested, don’t hang around for this one, you can buy here.
There’s another track (the third?) from a future album of the year contender by drummer Domo Branch, with the title track from Hand of Gifts (Albina Music Trust, 31st October). The rest of this fabulous quartet are double bassist Russell Hall, pianist Tyler Henderson and tenor saxophonist Abdias Armenterros.
Three important mid-century tracks: alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman’s Ramblin’ from Change of the Century (Atlantic, 1960), with trumpeter Don Cherry, double bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Billy Higgins. Hard bop with tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins’ Asiatic Raes from Newk’s Time (Blue Note, 1959), with pianist Wynton Kelly, double bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Philly Joe Jones. And trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s mighty title track from Backlash (Atlantic, 1967), with alto saxophonist James Spaulding, pianist Albert Dailey, double bassist Bob Cunningham, drummer Otis Ray Appleton and conguero Ray Barretto.
Speaking of mighty, there’s Hammond B3 organ supremo Mike LeDonne & the Groover Quartet with Slow Freight from Turn it Up! Live at the Sidedoor! (Cellar Music/La Reserve, September). It’s a phenomenal lineup featuring tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Joe Farnsworth.
Eric Alexander also appears in his own right as leader with Jave from Like Sugar (Cellar Music/La Reserve, September), a tribute album to Stanley Turrentine, featuring pianist David Hazeltine, double bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer George Fludas.
And finally, vocalist Mark Murphy’s sublime version of Cole Porter’s Get Out of Town from the E.P. A Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn (Gearbox Records, 2013). This was Murphy’s final recording, beautifully captured at the Merion Inn in Cape May, New Jersey, with pianist Alex Minasian, double bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Steve Williams, with trumpeter Till Brönner contributing later. The venue, which Murphy liked and had excellent acoustics, was chosen for its proximity to the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, where he was a resident. He may have been over eighty, but that voice was still magnificent.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz On The Beach #210 12th November 2025
Freddie Hubbard - Backlash
Dave McMurray - The Jungaleers
Teemu Åkerblom Quartet - Avo’s Tune
Jerome Sabbagh - Lunar Cycle
NIJI - Mata
Colectiva - Eero
Mark Kavuma & the Banger Factory - Back to the Beginning
St Barbe - Tierra
Ornette Coleman - Ramblin’
Mark Murphy - Get Out of Town
Domo Branch - Hand of Gifts
Tom Ollendorff - West Lake
Something Else! feat Vincent Herring - Filthy McNasty
Pat Metheny - 80-81
Mike LeDonne & the Groover Quartet - Slow Freight
Mal Waldron Trio - Dancing on the Flames
Sonny Rollins - Asiatic Raes
Eric Alexander - Jave
Blues Beach
The twice monthly Blues Beach keeps rolling on, with more great blues this week from John Lee Hooker, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, Robert Johnson, Houston Stackhouse, Mississippi John Hurt and the Vaughan brothers, Stevie Ray with Rude Mood and Jimmie with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Wait On Time.
We have ‘60s British blues from Van Morrison’s Them channelling John Lee Hooker on Big Joe Williams’ Baby, Please Don’t Go , the Animals with the Hook’s own Boom Boom and the Rolling Stones with Little by Little, their rewrite of Jimmy Reed’s Shame Shame Shame with a borrowed Junior Wells title.
There’s Mississippi John Hurt’s Candy Man and Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur’s great version of his C-H-I-C-K-E-N.
And finally… a documentary on the great man himself.
To listen to this week’s Blues Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Blues Beach #86 13th November 2025
Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Crosseyed Cat
Johnny Otis - Sandy’s Boogie
Magic Dick & Jay Geils - Feel So Bad
Them - Baby, Please Don’t Go
The Animals - Boom Boom
The Rolling Stones - Little by Little
Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes - All Night Long
Houston Stackhouse - Bricks in My Pillow
Professor Longhair & his Blues Scholars - In the Night
Robert Johnson - Love in Vain
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Rude Mood
Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur - C-H-I-C-K-E-N
Taj Mahal - Farther on Down the Road
William Clarke - Educated Fool
John Lee Hooker - Maudie
The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Wait On Time
Antone’s 50th Allstars feat. Eve Monsees - Lookin’ Good
Mississippi John Hurt - Candy Man
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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).