Jazz on the Beach 217 & Blues Beach 87: Pat Martino, Woody Shaw, Don Cherry, John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan, Sam Dillon & Andrew Gould, Art Pepper, Johnny Griffin, Donald Byrd
Blues Beach goes off-piste
Hello, and welcome to the first Jazz on the Beach playlist of the New Year. If you’re a new subscriber, thank you, it’s good to have you here, and I hope you enjoy both the radio broadcasts (you’ll find the links below) and this weekly newsletter of show notes and links.
Among the highlights this week is guitarist Pat Martino’s version of John Coltrane’s Impressions from the album Consciousness (Muse, 1975). I’ve played interpretations by Stanley Turrentine, Eric Dolphy and Wes Montgomery with Wynton Kelly, but this is the one that moves me the most besides the great saxophonist’s own.
The rest of the lineup is electric pianist Eddie Green, bassist Tyrone Brown and drummer Sherman Ferguson, who made up three quarters of the Philadelphia band Catalyst (along with saxophonist Odean Pope). As another guitar giant, the late Russell Malone, said in a 2022 Jazz Times piece:
‘The next record that I bought was Consciousness, and when I heard that I almost wanted to quit playing the guitar. I said, ‘Man, what the hell am I trying to play the guitar for when this guy’s playing it like that? I’ll never get to that level.’ That solo on Impressions - whoa!’
There’s tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan with John Coltrane from the majestic Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974), featuring pianist Stanley Cowell, double bassist Bill Lee (the song’s composer with his brother Clifton), and drummer Billy Higgins. And John Coltrane himself, with the beautiful Naima from Giant Steps (Atlantic, 1960), featuring pianist Cedar Walton, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Lex Humphries.
New and recent releases this week include the New York saxophonists Sam Dillon & Andrew Gould with their title track from Trade Off (La Reserve & Pinch Records, 12th December). Gould plays alto and Dillon plays tenor with pianist Steven Feifke, double bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Otis Brown III. I played Delusion, the first single from this album a little while ago, and this is just as strong.
Also new is the flowering Amaryllis by London based The Sound of Movement from their album The Sound of the Suite (self released, 5th December). Led by saxophonist Joel Rocca, this collective of musicians and dancers blend contemporary jazz, and, you guessed it, dance. This delicate tune is co-written and performed by Rocca and harpist Rachel Kitchlew.
Not new as such, but a new reissue coming on 30th January courtesy of Zev Feldman’s Time Traveler Recordings, is the fabulous title track from trumpeter Woody Shaw’s Love Dance (Muse, 1976). The rest of the lineup is trombonist Steve Turre, saxophonists René McLean and Billy Harper, pianist and the song’s composer Joe Bonner, double bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Victor Lewis, percussionist Guilherme Franco and conguero Tony Waters.
Fellow trumpeter Donald Byrd stretches out on the deeply funky The Little Rasti from Ethiopian Nights (Blue Note, 1972), with trombonist Thurman Green, tenor saxophonist Harold Land, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, pianist Joe Sample here playing organ, electric pianist Bill Henderson III, guitarists Don Peake and Greg Poree, bassist Wilton Felder, drummer Ed Greene and conguero Bobbye Porter Hall.
Also, pianist Les McCann is grooving deeply on Doin’ That Thing from Much Les (Atlantic, 1969), with double bassist Leroy Vinnegar, drummer Donald Dean, Willie Bobo on timbales, conguero Victor Pantoja and a terrific string arrangement by William Fischer.
I couldn’t resist playing cornettist Don Cherry’s The Ambassador from Greenland from the Cherry Jam EP (Gearbox Records, 2020) for the topicality of the title alone. But it’s also a terrific performance, recorded in October 1965 for broadcast by Danmarks Radio, with Copenhagen locals tenor saxophonist Mogens Bollerup, pianist Atli Bjørn, double bassist Benny Nielsen and drummer Simon Koppel. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a director at Gearbox and proud of the records and the high standards of audio mastering and post production the company is known for.
It’s been too long since I played something by the brilliant Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov, so here’s the powerful Bayat Blues from the excellent Arba (Greenleaf Music, 2023), with pianist Rob Clearfield, double bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jay Sawyer. I wrote about this album when it was released, here’s my review for UK Jazz News.
Bubbling away is Hammond organist Charles Earland’s hard cooking tribute to his wife Letha from Black Drops (Prestige, 1970), with trumpeter Virgil Jones, trombonist Clayton Pruden, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, guitarist Maynard Parker and drummer Jimmy Turner. I didn’t know that ‘The Mighty Burner’ started out as a baritone saxophonist and was a high school bandmate of Pat Martino.
And finally… three deep saxophone ballads, from altoist Art Pepper and tenor players Wayne Shorter and Johnny Griffin. Pepper’s Everything Happens to Me comes from Roadgame (Galaxy, 1982), and was recorded at the Japanese-owned Maiden Voyage Club in Los Angeles just a year before his death, with pianist George Cables, double bassist David Williams and drummer Carl Burnett. It’s also available on the indispensable The Complete Maiden Voyage Recordings (Omnivore Records, 2023). One can’t own too many Art Pepper records.
Next comes Shorter’s moody The Albatross from Second Genesis (Vee-Jay, 1974), his second album as a leader recorded in 1960 with pianist Cedar Walton, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and his Jazz Messengers’ bandleader, drummer Art Blakey.
And the closing song on the playlist is Griffin’s fabulous Lover Man from Introducing Johnny Griffin (Blue Note, 1957), his debut as a leader, with pianist Wynton Kelly, double bassist Curly Russell and drummer Max Roach. The album was recorded only a couple of months before ‘The Little Giant’s’ high octane A Blowin’ Session (Blue Note, 1957), featuring fellow saxophonists Hank Mobley and John Coltrane. Maybe I’ll play something next week.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz on the Beach #217 7th January 2026
Woody Shaw - Love Dance
Sam Dillon & Andrew Gould - Trade Off
The Sound of Movement - Amaryllis
Clifford Jordan Quartet - John Coltrane
Les McCann - Doin’ That Thing
Pat Martino - Impressions
John Coltrane - Naima
Don Cherry - The Ambassador from Greenland
Art Pepper - Everything Happens to Me
Charles Earland - Letha
Wayne Shorter - The Albatross
Itamar Borochov - Bayat Blues
Donald Byrd - The Little Rasti
Johnny Griffin - Lover Man
Blues Beach
After the New Year’s Day back to basics playlist, I went decidedly off-piste this week into southern soul and rock as well as blues. But it all fits together nicely, so why not? There’s a pre-Brothers’ Duane Allman shining on Boz Scaggs’ Look What I Got! and King Curtis’ Games People Play, and especially, on Wilson Pickett’s Hey Jude. That’s the great steel guitarist Freddie Roulette on Jack Bonus’ Cold Chicago Wind, and James Burton with phaser and fuzz on Hoyt Axton’s That’s All Right.
Plus Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan (with the Fab T-Birds), Albert Collins recording with Nashville cats, and for those who remember the CBS Fill Your Head With Rock and Rock Machine I Love You samplers there’s Pacific Gas & Electric’s Bluesbuster and Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper’s Stop.
To listen to this week’s Blues Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Blues Beach #89 8th January 2026
Albert Collins - Harris County Line-Up
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Hideaway
ZZ Top - Chevrolet
King Curtis - Games People Play
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
Hoyt Axton - That’s All Right
Boz Scaggs - Look What I Got!
Pacific Gas & Electric - Bluesbuster
Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper - Stop
Jontavious Willis - Keep Your Worries On the Dance Floor
Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude
Jack Bonus - Cold Chicago Wind
The Fabulous Thunderbirds - You’re Humbuggin’ Me
The Band - The Weight
Jesse Ed Davis - Bacon Fat
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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).
Thanks for Jazz Beach collection together with interest in illuminating notes – really enjoying it