This week’s Jazz On The Beach playlist features two tracks with a strong Americana roots flavour - the Pat Metheny Group’s (Cross The) Heartland from the album American Garage released on ECM in 1979 and Béla Fleck and The Flecktones’ Earth Jam from 2000’s Outbound for Columbia. The great guitarist Martin Taylor once suggested that Béla Fleck is ‘the Paganini of the banjo’, as his incredible musicianship and technique has taken the instrument from its more humble role to a virtuoso solo instrument. On this track Fleck is deep into electric banjo territory alongside Flecktones tenor saxophonist Jeff Coffin, bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Future Man (a.k.a. Roy Wooten) on Synth Axe Drumitar.
Also this week there’s classic Blue Note hard bop from saxophonists Hank Mobley and Stanley Turrentine, fusion from Herbie Hancock, piano trios led by Bill Evans and Ryo Fukui and new releases from Chris Potter, Rickie Lee Jones, Nick Marks and Byron Wallen.
Jazz Record Reviews
Here are a few of my recent album reviews for Sebastian Scotney’s excellent London Jazz News. Why not sign up for their Wednesday morning newsletter, it’s highly recommended.
Here's Donald Byrd - Live: Cookin’ with Blue Note at Montreux
Here's Samara Joy - Linger Awhile
Here's Tomorrow’s Warriors - I Am Warrior
Here's Louis Stewart - Out On His Own
Here’s the full list if you want to dig deeper
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