Jazz on the Beach 222: New Jazz Underground, Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell, Vimbs Mavimbs, Harlem River Drive, Work Money Death, Gary Bartz, Blue Lou Marini, Cedar Walton
Jazz radio show notes from Deal on the Kent Coast
It’s only been a year, though it feels much longer, since there was new music from New York’s mighty trio New Jazz Underground featuring saxophonist Abdias Armenteros, double bassist Sebastian Rios and drummer TJ Reddick. After years of releasing music themselves via YouTube videos, streamers and Bandcamp, they’ve now signed a record deal with the Paris based Artwork Records.
Their new single which arrived a few days ago is a typically inspired take on Lainey Wilson’s Hold My Halo (Paint Me Perfectly) from their upcoming album Hoodies, due this spring. Here’s the video:
A note on Artwork Records: the label was founded by the late Jean-Philippe Allard, a wonderful record producer who previously ran Polygram Jazz in France. Their roster is of the highest calibre and includes recent Grammy winner Sullivan Fortner, Kenny Barron, Micah Thomas, Tyreek McDole and Lakecia Benjamin.
Other new releases this week includes the London based Queenstown Collective’s uptempo fusion bomb Grapefruit (self-released, 25th February), the title track from their upcoming debut EP. Drummer and leader James Morgan, saxophonist James Akers, keyboard player Eddie Lee, guitarist Tjoe Man Cheung and bassist Luke Wynter are joined by guest trumpeter JSPHYNX (aka Johnny Woodham) from Alfa Mist’s band.
There’s South African double bassist Vimbs Mavimbs (aka Thembinkosi Mavimbela) with the marvellous Love Drive, the first taste of his Late Bloomer (La Reserve, 12th June), featuring soprano saxophonist Sisonke Xonti, guitarist Keenan Ahrends, pianist Teboho Kobedi and drummer Lungile Kunene. It may have taken the vastly experienced Mavimbs a long time to release his own album, but it’s certainly been worth the wait.
There’s a second track from London trio St Barbe’s EP Shoal (Bridge the Gap, 18th February), and it’s the exquisite ballad Dorothy performed by guitarist James Maltby, bassist Edwin Ireland and drummer Floyer Sydenham. It’s quite a change from their normally more intense approach, perhaps that’s exactly what makes it stand out.
Deep spiritual jazz Leeds style comes from Work Money Death and Pain Becomes Prayer and the Prayer Becomes a Song from A Portal to Here (ATA Records, 13th February). WMD are led by tenor saxophonist Tony Burkill with bassist and ATA Records’ Neil Innes, pianist Johnny Richards, drummer Sam Hobbs, percussionist Sam Bell and harpist Alice Roberts. This is their first recording since the death of ATA guitarist Chris ‘Earl’ Dawkins, and its depth and power is intense.
Tenor saxophonist and former Blues Brother Blue Lou Marini still swings big at 80 years old on this homage to bass trombonist Joe Randazzo with The Diamond Jig from Playtime (La Reserve, 24th April). He’s accompanied by The Italian Groovers, Hammond organist Gianluca Di Ienno, guitarist Alessandro Chiappetta and drummer Enzo Zirilli. A Diamond Jig is a sea fishing lure, I’m assuming in reference to his friend Randazzo’s accomplishments as a fisherman.
There are a number of outstanding ‘70s records this week, starting with trumpeter Charles Tolliver & pianist Stanley Cowell‘s Household of Saud from their big band driven Music Inc. (Strata-East, 1971). The rest of the line up is double bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jimmy Hopps, plus saxophonists Bobby Brown, Wilbur Brown, Jimmy Heath, Clifford Jordan and Howard Johnson, trumpeters Lorenzo Greenwich, Virgil Jones, Danny Moore and Richard Williams and trombonists Garnett Brown, Curtis Fuller, John Gordon, Dick Griffin. An amazing band with a huge sound, and what a way to launch a record label, as this was the inaugural Strata-East release.
From the following year, pianist Eddie Palmieri leads Harlem River Drive on the funky Latin jazz of Idle Hands from Harlem River Drive (Roulette, 1971), with his brother Charlie on organ, vocalist Jimmy Norman, baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, tenor saxophonist Dick Meza, trombonist Bruce L. Fowler, guitarist Cornell Dupree, bassist Gerald Jemmott, drummer Bernard Purdie with conguero Eladio Perez and Nick Marrero on timbales.
Another year on and there’s The Awakening’s spiritual plea When Will it Ever End from Hear, Sense and Feel (Black Jazz, 1972), featuring electric pianist Ken Chaney, trumpeter Frank Gordon, tenor saxophonist Ari Brown, trombonist Steve Galloway, double bassist Reggie Willis and drummer Arlington Davis Jr.
There’s also Gary Bartz NTU Troop’s euphoric Jujuman from I’ve Known Rivers And Other Bodies (Prestige, 1973), recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. Bartz plays soprano saxophone and sings with pianist Hubert Eaves, double bassist Stafford James and drummer Howard King.
And from Japan, trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki with the Valentine’s Day appropriate Romance from Cat (Columbia Japan Creative Sounds series, 1976), featuring tenor saxophonist Takeru Muraoka, electric pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba and drummer Akira Ishikawa.
There’s guitarist Kenny Burrell’s Out of this World, a big JOTB favourite, from Bluesy Burrell (Moodsville 1963). He’s accompanied by double bassist Major Holley, drummer Eddie Locke, conguero Ray Barretto and pianist Tommy Flanagan (who joins in for a few bars halfway through), while Burrell‘s guitar just floats over the shuffling latin groove.
From one brilliant guitarist to another, Pasquale Grasso’s phenomenal version of Charlie Parker and Benny Harris’ Ornithology from Be-Bop! (Sony Masterworks, 2022), featuring double bassist Ari Roland and drummer Keith Balla. Here’s a video from Birdland last year.
Originally reissued last year for Record Store Day, there’s Argentinian guitarist Agustin Pereyra Lucena’s optimistic title track from Ese Dia Va A Llegar (The Day is Going to Come) (Far Out Recordings, October 2025), originally released on Cabal in 1975. He’s accompanied by double bassist Guillermo Reuter, drummer and percussionist Carlos Carli and sings with Laura Hatton, Luis Maria Cosenza and Patricia Scheuer.
Two absolute classics… pianist Thelonious Monk and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins’ hard boppin’ The Way You Look Tonight from Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins (Prestige, 1956), featuring double bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Art Taylor.
And trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s ‘half bossa feeling and half something else’ Sao Paolo from Una Mas (Blue Note, 1964), featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Herbie Hancock, double bassist Butch Warren and drummer Tony Williams.
And finally… pianist Cedar Walton re-recorded what was probably his best known composition Bolivia for Midnight Waltz (Venus, 2005), with double bassist David Williams and drummer Jimmy Cobb. It was mixed and mastered for CD in Japan with Venus 24Bit Hyper Magnum Sound, which was touted as a very powerful sound with strong presence. But whatever the marketing hyperbole, we should thank producers like Venus’ Tetsuo Hara and Eighty-Eight’s' Yasohachi ‘88’ Itoh for revitalising senior jazz legends’ recording careers, capturing live studio sessions in high quality audio, initially for Japan’s discerning classic jazz fans and ultimately for all of us.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach on Mixcloud, just click below:
Jazz on the Beach #222 11th February 2026
Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell - Household of Saud
New Jazz Underground - Hold My Halo (Paint Me Perfectly)
Queenstown Collective - Grapefruit
St Barbe - Dorothy
Agustin Pereyra Lucena - Ese Dia Va A Llegar
Vimbs Mavimbs - Love Drive
Blue Lou Marini - The Diamond Jig
Pasquale Grasso - Ornithology
Gary Bartz NTU Troop - Jujuman
The Awakening - When Will it Ever End
Kenny Burrell - Out of this World
Kenny Dorham - Sao Paolo
Cedar Walton Trio - Bolivia
Harlem River Drive - Idle Hands
Work Money Death - Pain Becomes Prayer and the Prayer Becomes a Song
Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins - The Way You Look Tonight
Hiroshi Suzuki - Romance
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