Jazz on the Beach 213: Don Rendell / Ian Carr 5tet, Muriel Grossmann, Herbie Hancock, Adrian Cox, Calvin Keys, Joe Henderson, Ezra Collective, Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan, Steve Coleman
Baby, it's cold outside
There’s British jazz royalty on this week’s playlist with the Don Rendell / Ian Carr 5tet and their souped-up Hot Rod from Dusk Fire (Columbia, 1966), one of the finest albums from UK jazz’s golden era. Alongside tenor saxophonist Rendell and trumpeter Carr are pianist Michael Garrick, double bassist Dave Green and drummer Trevor Tomkins, a formidable lineup.
It was recorded at Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park, London, for producer Denis Preston’s prestigious (and highly collectable) Lansdowne Series, as were the other four 5tet releases: Shades Of Blues (1965), Phase III (1968), Change Is (1969) and the misnamed Live (1969) which was recorded in the studio with an invited audience. More of Lansdowne’s crown jewels include Joe Harriott & Amancio d’Silva’s Hum Dono (1969), Stan Tracey’s Jazz Suite (1965), and The Mike Taylor Trio’s Trio (1967).
I was lucky enough to spend time with Ian Carr during my Sony Jazz days. He would often drop by the Great Marlborough Street office while working with director Mike Dibb on the documentary film The Miles Davis Story. Ian had been an instrumental early pioneer of jazz rock fusion with his hugely influential band Nucleus, wrote Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography, and was well aware of his esteemed stature in jazz music and education. He once told me in all seriousness (I’m pretty sure): ‘You know, if Miles hadn’t heard Nucleus, he might never have gone electric.’
The only other track of ‘60s vintage this week comes from pianist Jack Wilson, with Do It from the breezy soul jazz of Easterly Winds (Blue Note, 1968). On board are trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Garnett Brown, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins. This was one of the Blue Note Tone Poet reissues that has probably given me the most joy, along with Curtis Amy & Dupree Bolton’s Katanga! and Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott’s Hustlin’.
Moving into the next decade with four great tracks from 1974, starting with Herbie Hancock’s Palm Grease from Thrust (Columbia, 1974), the middle of the three Headhunters albums between Headhunters (1973) and Man-Child (1975). Hancock plays Fender Rhodes, keyboards and synths while Bennie Maupin plays various saxophones over an irresistible funk groove from electric bassist Paul Jackson and drummer Mike Clark (the East Bay/Oakland thing), and percussionist Bill Summers.
Another deep funk great is Ben Sidran’s Fat Jam from Don’t Let Go (Blue Thumb, 1974). Sidran plays electric piano with drummer Clyde Stubblefield, bassist Phil Upchurch, guitarist James ‘Curley’ Cooke and saxophonists Bunky Green and Sonny Seals. The funky drummer never sounded…funkier.
There’s The Crusaders Whispering Pines from their double album Southern Comfort (ABC/Blue Thumb, 1974), with trombonist Wayne Henderson, bassist and tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder, pianist Joe Sample, drummer Stix Hooper (that bass drum!) and guitarist Larry Carlton.
Following on from last week’s Henry Franklin track, guitarist Calvin Keys stretches out on the title cut from Proceed With Caution! (Black Jazz, 1974). It’s more soulful spiritual jazz featuring many of the label’s mainstays, including double bassist Franklin, pianist Kirk Lightsey, saxophonist Charles Owens here playing flute, drummer Leon Chancler and percussionist Owen Marshall.
There’s a great fun new release from London clarinettist Adrian Cox, with his version of Lil Armstrong’s Perdido Street Blues from his upcoming 4 track EP (complete with hand made ‘zine), featuring guitarist Alexander ‘Honey’ Boulton (also an excellent banjo player) and double bassist Alex Gilson.
More this week from saxophonist Muriel Grossmann’s marvellous Breakthrough (RR Gems, 25th October), with the both deeply swinging and free-thinking Indestructible. She’s playing tenor and flute here with guitarist Radomir Milojkovic, Hammond organist Abel Boquera and drummer Uros Stamenkovic.
I generally keep my distance from Christmas music, but couldn’t resist the mighty Ezra Collective’s Joy to the World from their 3 track Christmas single (Partisan, 20th November). The other two carols are Hark the Herald Angels Sing and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen which work just as well, thanks to drummer Femi Koleoso, brother TJ Koleoso on bass, keyboard player Joe Armon-Jones, tenor saxophonist James Mollison and trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi.
Keeping that Finnish vibe going from the last few weeks with the Timo Lassy Trio’s Mountain Man Exit / Orlo from Live in Helsinki (We Jazz, March 2025), where Lassy plays tenor with double bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen. As I played a Five Corners Quintet track last week that Lassy didn’t play on, it felt right to redress the balance.
I was pleased to rediscover tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s expansive version of Cuban composer Osvaldo Farrés’ Tres Palabras from Canyon Lady (Milestone, 1975). The arrangement is by trumpeter Luis Gasca (of For Those Who Chant fame), and features pianist Mark Levine, electric pianist George Duke, double bassist John Heard, drummer Eric Gravatt, percussionists Carmelo Garcia and Victor Pantoja, trumpeters Oscar Brashear and John Hunt, trombonists Julian Priester and Nicholas Tenbroek and flautists Hadley Caliman, Ray Pizzi and Vincent Denham.
I love Henderson’s Blue Note era, especially Mode for Joe and Page One, but the often overlooked 12 albums he recorded for Milestone between 1967-‘77 are sensational.
In the early ‘90s I was working at Tower Records in Piccadilly Circus when Steve Coleman & Five Elements’ The Tao of Mad Phat (Fringe Zones) (Novus, 1993), was released. We played it daily over the jazz department’s excellent (and extremely loud) sound system for months. Here’s the title track recorded before an invited studio audience with Coleman playing alto saxophone, keyboard player Andy Milne, guitarist David Gilmore (not that one, different spelling), bassist Reggie Washington and drummer Gene Lake.
And finally… guitarist Bill Frisell & double bassist Thomas Morgan’s gorgeous live version of John Barry’s 007 theme You Only Live Twice from Epistrophy (ECM, 2019), recorded at the Village Vanguard three years earlier. Incidentally, Bond creator Ian Fleming used to own Mermaid Cottage, a few miles down the coast from here at Saint Margaret’s Bay. It was also once the home of Noël Coward, and is currently for sale.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz On The Beach #213 3rd December 2025
Jack Wilson - Do It
Timo Lassy Trio - Mountain Man Exit / Orlo
Adrian Cox - Perdido Street Blues
Muriel Grossmann - Indestructible
Herbie Hancock - Palm Grease
Ezra Collective - Joy to the World
Don Rendell / Ian Carr 5tet - Hot Rod
The Crusaders - Whispering Pines
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan - You Only Live Twice
Joe Henderson - Tres Palabras
Calvin Keys - Proceed With Caution
Ben Sidran - Fat Jam
Steve Coleman & Five Elements - The Tao of Mad Phat
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