Jazz on the Beach 245: Ahmad Jamal, Kamasi Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Jocelyn Gould, Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves, Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly, Plas Johnson
‘It’s just about time for August, to come hot-footin’ it by…’
I generally skip past the opening credits when watching a TV streaming series. But my finger was a little slow on the remote during series two of Apple TV’s Sugar, and was delighted to discover the theme music was Kamasi Washington’s Street Fighter Mas from the multiple LP Heaven and Earth (Young, 2018). It fitted perfectly, despite being drastically edited down. So here’s the original, stretching to almost six minutes, with exciting solos from tenor saxophonist Washington, trombonist Ryan Porter and trumpeter Dontae Winslow, plus a massed ensemble of musicians and singers. Here’s how it works on screen.
There’s a fine new version of one of my favourite songs, Neal Hefti’s Girl Talk, by the Canadian jazz guitarist Jocelyn Gould. It’s from So Delighted (La Reserve, 10th October), and features Hammond organist Ben Patterson and drummer Fabio Ragnelli. Girl Talk was written for the Carroll Baker movie Harlow, and is one of a few songs from soundtracks on this week’s playlist.
From trumpeter Mark Kavuma’s productive South London based Banger Factory Records, comes Tomorrow’s Warriors alumni and trombonist Christ-Stéphane Boizi, with The Sustainer of My Faith from his debut As the Spirit Leads (Banger Factory, 2nd October), which also features vibraphone from Jonny Mansfield and tenor saxophonist Ruben Fox.
Sticking with new releases, there’s Narrow Water II, a second really strong track from Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov’s Imanu (With Us) (RealBird Records, 4th September), recorded in Belgium with his touring quartet of pianist Rob Clearfield, double bassist Luca Fattorini and drummer Amir Bar Akiva.
I sometimes feel we take too many of the biggest jazz stars of the past for granted, until we listen and remember what made them great. That’s true of Ella Fitzgerald these days, but just listen to Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love and the rest of the album Live at Falkoner Theatre Copenhagen 6th February 1966 (Gearbox Records, 24th July), and it all becomes very clear. She’s in sensational form with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and pianist Jimmy Jones, and it’s essential listening for anyone who wants to hear how it should be done.
I was sorry to hear that tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson died last week at 94. Although he will forever be associated with The Pink Panther theme, he played on hundreds of movie and record dates with everyone from Frank Sinatra to the Beach Boys. Here’s One Mint Julep from Mood for the Blues (Capitol, 1964), featuring his L.A. studio peers, pianist Ray Johnson, Hammond organist Ernie Freeman, guitarists Rene Hall and Bill Pitman, double bassist Red Callender and drummer Earl Palmer.
Also departed at 92 is the marvellous French pianist René Urtreger, who played with Miles Davis on the Ascenseur pour l’échafaud soundtrack (Fontana, 1958), with tenor saxophonist Barney Willen, double bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Kenny Clarke. Here’s Florence sur les Champs-Élysées, one of my favourite cues from the soundtrack that found an echo in So What a year later.
A major influence on Miles was the pianist Ahmad Jamal, whose outstanding version of Cole Porter’s Love for Sale from The Ahmad Jamal Trio (Epic, 1956), with guitarist Ray Crawford and double bassist Israel Crosby, is one of this week’s highlights. Below is the original cover art, changed from the 1962 repress onwards.
I’m enjoying Bay Stater and alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan’s Straight from the Source clips on Instagram. Hopefully it won’t be too long before she has new music out, so in the meantime here’s NATO from her sensational debut Among Giants (Blue Engine, 2024).
I was planning to play a Wynton Kelly piano trio track, but got sidetracked after hearing Unit 7 by guitarist Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio from Smokin’ at the Half Note (Verve, 1965), with double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. It’s no secret that only side one of the album was captured live, the repertoire for side two was recorded a few months later at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio. The unreleased Half Note performances finally appeared in 1998, and I’ve never understood why producer Creed Taylor considered them unsuitable. If anyone knows the answer, please comment.
There’s the breathtaking Cabin Fever from tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker’s Tales from the Hudson (Impulse!, 1996), with guitarist Pat Metheny, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Calderazzo also plays on the Branford Marsalis Quartet & Dianne Reeves’ version of They Say It’s Wonderful from Dedicated to You (Blue Note, 18th September), featuring versions of standards from the album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (Impulse!, 1963).
We’re hard boppin’ as always with saxophonist Sonny Stitt’s On Green Dolphin Street from Sonny Side Up (Roost, 1961), with pianist Jimmy Jones, double bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Roy Haynes. The song was written for the Lana Turner and Van Heflin movie of the same name, has anybody out there seen it? And there’s trombonist Curtis Fuller’s Twelve-Inch from Blues-ette (Savoy, 1960), featuring saxophonist Benny Golson.
You’ve probably noticed that I’ve played the Preservation Hall Jazz Band quite a lot recently, watching Treme earlier this year got me hooked. I’ve included the swaggering title track from So It Is (Sub Pop, 2019), and here’s a great live video.
And finally, I’ve probably played every track from tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s Sugar (CTI, 1970) at least a couple of times over the last five years. But never the incredible live version of the title track recorded at the Hollywood Palladium in 1971 and added to the 2001 CD reissue. It features Turrentine with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, guitarist George Benson and bassist Ron Carter from the studio version, with the addition of flautist Hubert Laws, organist Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith, drummer Billy Cobham and percussionist Airto Moreira.
To listen to this week’s Jazz on the Beach, click below:
Or listen back on Mixcloud:
Jazz on the Beach #245 29th July 2026
Sarah Hanahan - NATO
Preservation Hall Jazz Band - So It Is
Kamasi Washington - Street Fighter Mas
Branford Marsalis Quartet & Dianne Reeves - They Say It’s Wonderful
Christ-Stéphane Boizi - The Sustainer of My Faith
Vimbs Mavimbs - One Night In Hamburg
Sonny Stitt - On Green Dolphin Street
Jocelyn Gould - Girl Talk
Itamar Borochov - Narrow Waters II
Eric Gale - East End, West End
Ahmad Jamal - Love for Sale
Ella Fitzgerald - Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love
Michael Brecker - Cabin Fever
Miles Davis - Florence sur les Champs-Élysées
Curtis Fuller Quintet - Twelve-Inch
Wes Montgomery & Wynton Kelly Trio - Unit 7
Plas Johnson - One Mint Julep
Stanley Turrentine - Sugar (Live)
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Thanks, Adam.