Jazz on the Beach 220: Harold McKinney, Cecil McBee, Johnny Lytle, Walter Smith III, Olli Soikkeli, Yoku Tamura, Alexander Claffy
Weekly jazz radio from Deal
On this week’s Jazz on the Beach radio playlist there’s something very special from the Detroit collective Tribe Records, founded by musicians Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison and active from 1973-76. The track in question may well be the definitive version of Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance, performed by pianist and vocalist Harold McKinney from Voices and Rhythms of the Creative Profile (Tribe Records, 1974). McKinney shares lead vocals with his wife Gwen McKinney, plus trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, flautist Wendell Harrison, bassist Ed Pickens, drummer Ron Jackson, percussionists Charles Miles and Billy Turner (who also created the cover art) while Darryl Dybka plays some wonderfully wiggy Moog synth.
Here are the McKinneys performing the song on TV with trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, tenor saxophonist Donald Walden, double bassist Rod Hicks and drummer Ike Daney.
Among the new releases this week is double bassist Alexander Claffy’s She from Alive in Philadelphia, Vol. 1 (Cellar Music/La Reserve, 27th March), recorded last March at Chris’ Jazz Cafe. The lineup features tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Kevin Hays and drummer Bill Stewart. Here’s the video:
There’s a beautiful version of the ballad My Ideal from tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III on Twio Vol. 2 (Blue Note, 6th March), his third album for the label. The rhythm section on this track is double bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Kendrick Scott, while double bassist Ron Carter plays on five tracks and tenor saxophonist Branford Marsalis guests on two.
Also, a third track from guitarist Julian Lage’s terrific Scenes from Above (Blue Note, 23rd January), with Something More, featuring Hammond organist John Medeski, double bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Here’s Sebastian Scotney’s review of the album for the Arts Desk.
I completely missed the release of producer, programmer and monster keyboard player Simon Grey’s Pressing Matters (GroundUP Music, October 2025), and only recently picked up on the exciting Confusion, which features electrifying playing from tenor saxophonist Paul Booth, who lives just up the coast in Ramsgate.
Speaking of electrifying, the New York based Finnish guitarist and gypsy jazz specialist Olli Soikkeli really goes for it on his version of George Benson’s high velocity blues Clockwise on his straight ahead album New York Trio (self-released, March 2025), with double bassist Mike Paul Sikivie and drummer Ben Zweig. Soikkeli even shares a birthday with Benson (22nd March).
Two fine piano trio performances… drummer Roy Haynes leads from the front on a snappy version of Irving Berlin’s How Deep Is the Ocean from Love Letters (Eighty-Eight’s/Village, 2002), featuring pianist Kenny Barron and double bassist Christian McBride. It was produced by Yasohachi ’88’ Itoh, and as with all releases on his Eighty-Eight’s label it was recorded live in the studio and sounds spectacular.
Staying with the Japanese connection, there’s pianist Yoku Tamura’s On Green Dolphin Street from Jazz Prestige (Trio Records, 1979), recorded at Berry Studio in Tokyo with the rhythm section of double bassist Andrew Simkins and drummer Frank Gant. I could never listen to too many versions of this song.
Following on from the two new Blue Note releases, here are three older ones, starting with pianist Horace Parlan and the title track from Speakin’ My Piece (Blue Note, 1960), featuring the Turrentine brothers pianist Tommy and tenor saxophonist Stanley, double bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. There’s trombonist Grachan Moncur III with The Coaster from Evolution (Blue Note, 1964), featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, double bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Tony Williams.
And the playlist opener with pianist Duke Pearson’s Big Bertha from Sweet Honey Bee (Blue Note, 1967), featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, double bassist Ron Carter and drummer Mickey Roker.
Two great vibraphonists and two tenor giants… there’s Milt Jackson with his dark and funky version of the Stylistics hit People Make the World Go Round from Sunflower (CTI, 1973), with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Herbie Hancock, guitarist Jay Berliner, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Billy Cobham and percussionist Ralph MacDonald. It took great restraint not to play the album’s title track, but I’ll probably succumb soon, as I haven’t played it for a while.
Things get deeply funky with Johnny Lytle’s Tawhid from People and Love (Milestone, 1972), featuring tenor saxophonist Marvin Cabell, electric pianist Daahoud Hadi, electric bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer Josell Carter and percussionist Arthur Jenkins, Jr.
There’s John Coltrane’s magnificent Spiral from Giant Steps (Atlantic, 1960), with Coltrane playing tenor alongside pianist Tommy Flanagan, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor.
And there’s Joe Henderson with Ron Carter’s R.J. (for Ron Jnr) from Tetragon (Milestone, 1968), recorded in May 1968 with double bassist Ron Carter, pianist Don Friedman and drummer Jack DeJohnette. There were also three tracks recorded earlier in August 1967, again with Carter but with pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Louis Hayes. The album is being reissued in March by Craft Recordings’ Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series, with merch goodies including a ‘Tetragon Rainbow’ zoetrope slip mat.
And finally… double bassist Cecil McBee’s wondrous title track from his spiritual jazz masterpiece Mutima (Forces Unseen) (Strata-East, 1974), featuring trumpeter Tex Allen, flautist Art Webb, alto saxophonist Allen Braufman, soprano saxophonist George Adams, pianist Onaje Allen Gumbs, drummer Jimmy Hopps, conguero Lawrence Killian and the great Billy Hart playing percussion with Michael Carvin.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz on the Beach #220 28th January 2026
Duke Pearson - Big Bertha
John Coltrane - Spiral
Simon Grey featuring Paul Booth - Confusion
Olli Soikkeli - Clockwise
Roy Haynes - How Deep Is the Ocean
Walter Smith III - My Ideal
Grachan Moncur III - The Coaster
Alexander Claffy - She
Yoku Tamura - On Green Dolphin Street
Johnny Lytle - Tawhid
Julian Lage - Something More
Milt Jackson - People Make the World Go Round
Harold McKinney - Freedom Jazz Dance
Horace Parlan Quintet - Speakin’ My Piece
Joe Henderson - R.J.
Cecil McBee - Mutima
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