Jazz on the Beach 234 & Blues Beach 98: Kellee Patterson, Herbie Hancock, Paul Carlon Trio, Lakecia Benjamin, New Jazz Underground, Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet, Roger Glenn, Dexter Gordon
‘The beginning and end of all music’
This week’s Jazz on the Beach playlist features two tracks from the great 1970s Oakland, California label Black Jazz Records, both included on the recently reissued The Best of Black Jazz Records (1971-76) from Soul Jazz Records. First is Chicago band The Awakening’s soulfully grooving Slinky from their second album Mirage (1973), with electric pianist Ken Chaney, trumpeter Frank Gordon, trombonist Steve Galloway, tenor saxophonist Richard ‘Ari’ Brown, double bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Arlington Davis Jr.
The second is from vocalist Kellee Patterson’s debut Maiden Voyage (1973) with her magnificent version of Herbie Hancock’s title track with lyrics by his sister Jean Hancock. The musicians are flautist George Harper, trumpeter Everett Turner, electric pianist Ernest Vantrease and double bassist John W Heard. It’s hard to believe that this wonderful album never achieved the success it deserved, whether through distribution problems, politics, poor promotion, plain bad luck or a combination of all four. Of the twenty albums released by Black Jazz Records, the only ones to make much of an impact at the time were by Doug and Jean Carn. Thankfully most, if not all, of the catalogue has been reissued by Real Gone Music.
There’s new music from saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin with Mi Gente from We Dream (Artwork Records, 5th June), and featuring trumpeter Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), pianist Oscar Pérez, double bassist Elias Bailey and drummer Johnathan Barber. And on the same label, there’s New Jazz Underground with how do you do (ii), the second movement of the blues suite that forms the second half of new album Hoodies (Artwork Records, 29th May). There’s a lead vocal from saxophonist Abdias Armenteros, and backups from double bassist Sebastian Rios and drummer TJ Reddick. Here’s a video.
Guitarist Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet are on the playlist with Like Swimwear (Part One) from Happy Today (International Anthem, 15th May), recorded live at Lodge Room in Los Angeles in August 2025, and featuring alto saxophonist Josh Johnson, acoustic bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Jay Bellerose.
I’m really hooked on That Trio Vibe from the Paul Carlon Trio’s Between Us Three (Truth Revolution Recording Collective, 17th July), featuring tenor saxophonist Carlon, conguero and percussionist Chembo Corniel and double bassist Alex ‘Apolo’ Ayala. You’ll probably be hooked too.
Back to 1965 with Miles Davis’ title track from E.S.P. (Columbia, 1965), with newly arrived tenor saxophonist (and the song’s composer) Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, double bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. And from the same year, Herbie Hancock’s Dolphin Dance from Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965), with Carter and Williams, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and tenor saxophonist George Coleman, who preceded Wayne Shorter in Miles’ quintet.
From a few years earlier, there’s pianist Bill Evans with Cole Porter’s All of You from Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961), with his incomparable rhythm section of double bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian.
Two tracks with almost mirror image titles that sit well together are Israeli guitarist Ron Magril’s Minor Blues from Inspired (GleAM Records, 2025), with Hammond organist Yonatan Riklis and drummer Ofri Nehemya, and the John Coltrane Quartet’s Blues Minor from Africa/Brass (Impulse!, 1961), featuring Coltrane playing tenor with pianist McCoy Tyner, double bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Elvin Jones and a full brass section.
I’m delighted to see that there’s a reissue coming in July of Latin jazz flautist Roger Glenn’s Mizell Brothers-produced Reachin’ (Fantasy, 1976). On the playlist there’s Kick with bassist Paul Jackson, guitarist Ray Obiedo, drummer Gaylord Birch, keyboard player Mark Soskin, and percussionists including Bill Summers and Baba Duru. If you liked Glenn’s playing with Donald Byrd, you’ll probably like this too.
And finally, we’re still hard boppin’ with tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon and a sensational 14 minute version of Fried Bananas, recorded by Dutch broadcaster VPRO at a show in Heemskerk in 1972. It was released along with Gordon favourites The Panther and Body and Soul on the album Fried Bananas (Gearbox Records, 2016), and features his Dutch working band of pianist Rein De Graaff, double bassist Henk Haverhoek and drummer Eric Ineke.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach, click below:
Or listen back on Mixcloud:
Jazz on the Beach #234 13th May 2026
Paul Carlon Trio - That Trio Vibe
Malcolm Strachan - Step On It
Herbie Hancock - Dolphin Dance
Lakecia Benjamin - Mi Gente
Miles Davis - E.S.P.
New Jazz Underground - how do you do (ii)
The Awakening - Slinky
Kellee Patterson - Maiden Voyage
Ron Magril - Minor Blues
John Coltrane Quartet - Blues Minor
Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet - Like Swimwear (Part One)
Bill Evans Trio - All of You
Dexter Gordon - Fried Bananas
Roger Glenn - Kick
The Breaks - Hasheesh
Blues Beach
With the Black Keys drawing on the raw, stripped back North Mississippi hill country blues on their new album Peaches!, including a cover of Tomorrow Night by the great Junior Kimbrough, this week’s Blues Beach playlist features some killer tracks from the music that’s a key part of their roots.
There’s Junior Kimbrough himself with Keep Your Hands Off Her from Do The Rump!, T-Model Ford’s T-Model Theme Song from Pee-Wee Get My Gun, Jessie Mae Hemphill’s Shame on You from Run Get My Shotgun, Robert Belfour’s Hill Stomp from Pushin’ My Luck and Calvin Jackson & Mississippi Bound’s Hard to Get Along from Goin’ Down South.
There’s also Boogie Jake’s Early Morning Blues, Jimmy Reed’s Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth, Little Feat’s On Your Way Down and Dr John’s Peace Brother Peace, a jaw-dropping Jerry LaCroix vocal on the Ray Charles hit I’ve Got News for You from Edgar Winter’s White Trash and Albert Collins’ debut single The Freeze.
To listen to this week’s Blues Beach, click below:
Or listen back on Mixcloud:
Blues Beach #98 14th May 2026
Boogie Jake - Early Morning Blues
Leroy Washington - My True Life
The Black Keys - Tomorrow Night
T-Model Ford - T-Model Theme Song
Junior Kimbrough & The Soul Blues Boys - Keep Your Hands Off Her
Jessie Mae Hemphill - Shame on You
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Get Yourself Together
Edgar Winter’s White Trash - I’ve Got News for You
Jimmy Reed - Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth
Robert Belfour - Hill Stomp
The Fabulous Thunderbirds - The Crawl
Albert Collins - The Freeze
Little Feat - On Your Way Down
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Poor Man’s Plea
Dr. John - Peace Brother Peace
Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers - Don’t Blame Me
Calvin Jackson & Mississippi Bound - Hard to Get Along
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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).