Jazz Recommends Jazz November 2022

Review: Roy Ayers staked a bold claim by flaunting the fact that he had 'Reach[ed] The Highest Pleasure' back in June '77. Unfortunately for us back then, this lifetime hedonistic milestone - documented in instrumental funk form - was shelved for reasons unknown beyond simple artistic oversight. As said, this slick solo instrumental for drums, bass and vibraphone is a perfect soul-jazz, chillout trifecta, one for the rarities collectors.

Review: Education & Recreation is the new album from Melbourne, Australia band Surprise Chef, whose music is all about evoking rich moods. Their vibrant arrangements draw on 70s film scores, jazz's funky styles and plenty of the sounds and scenes that hip hop has taken most of its samples from over the years. Their instrumental sound has been honed over years of practice with Lachlan Stuckey on guitar, Jethro Curtin on keys, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and Hudson Whitlock composing and producing. From chunky earworms to mediative grooves, this one has it all.

Review: The Tone Poet series from Blue Note continues apace with this reissue of Kenny Burrell's masterful self-titled album. As guitarists go, Burrell has a sound which dances with nimble eloquence few could even dream of matching. Hear him cavorting across 'Be Happy' and it's quite hard to imagine the notes were played by human hands. Despite that, it's also a wonderfully delicate, rounded sound which more than makes it worthy of an entry into this series - just marvel at that tone, captured across a variety of spots in New York in the spring of '56.

Review: Amanda Whiting released her first music back in 2007, but it's been in recent years the accomplished UK harp player has developed a working relationship with Jazzman. N doubt a response to the rude health of UK jazz, 2020 saw the release of Little Sunflower and last year she delivered After Dark. Now Whiting makes it a hat trick with Lost In Abstraction, a stunning release which shows off her gift as a performer and composer across 10 vignettes. There's a mellow mood to the music on offer here, and if you have a weakness for the lilting sound of the harp in a jazz context, be sure not to miss this exquisite album.

Review: Originally released in 1965, Oh Baby! was the third studio album by jazz organist Big John Patton on Blue Note. Landing right in the hard bop era, the six pieces hold down a sharp focus as Patton freewheels up and down his scales backed up by a tight ensemble. With Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Harold Vick on tenor sax, Ben Dixon on drums and the legendary Grant Green on guitar, Oh Baby! Is bursting with catchy grooves and recognisable licks, not least the familiar chord chops that punctuate 'Fat Judy'. It's a classic slab of jazz on one of the genre's most important labels - need we say more?

Review: We write this just a few days after the sad passing of Pharoah Sanders, one of the great jazz musicians of his generation. It lends the music an extra air of potency, not that it really needed it. This one is an album that is noted for being the one that reunited Sanders with vocalist Leon Thomas, who in years previous appeared on some of Sanders' most endearing tunes. Many tunes here are defined by the use of Henderson's synthesizer but for opener 'Shukuru' and closing funereal piece 'For Big George'. Both are some of the album's highlights.

Review: Groovy, spiritual, and oh so, rare, this live album by drummer Roy Brooks is one of the best to ever come out of the spiritual jazz scene.
With a career spanning over 50 years and collaborations with artists like Horace Silver, Stanley Turrentine, Yusef Lateef, and Charles Mingus, Roy Brooks was a foundation and leading force of the Jazz scene throughout his entire storied life. These five tracks, spread over 48 minutes, are packed with so much groove, they could kill a grown man. Don't miss this iconic album, available on vinyl only from P-VINE Records.

Review: This record is the end of five years of hard work by the Strut label and Art Yard. It is a first-ever Detroit Artists Workshop Retrospective across two slabs of vinyl with jazz legends like Donald Byrd, Bennie Maupin, Yusef Lateef and more all making the cut. The music comes from lots of hard research in the archives of author, DJ and activist John Sinclair. The end product is this glorious retrospective of the influential Detroit Artists Workshop with tunes that span from 1965 to 1978.

Review: Education & Recreation is the new album from Melbourne, Australia band Surprise Chef, whose music is all about evoking rich moods. Their vibrant arrangements draw on 70s film scores, jazz's funky styles and plenty of the sounds and scenes that hip hop has taken most of its samples from over the years. Their instrumental sound has been honed over years of practice with Lachlan Stuckey on guitar, Jethro Curtin on keys, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and Hudson Whitlock composing and producing. From chunky earworms to mediative grooves, this one has it all.

Review: Florence Adooni's relationship with Philophon goes back some time. She was the voice of Guy One's group and featured on his hit 'Estre' while she also provided vocals for Jimi Tenor's club classic 'Vocalize My Luv'. Under her own name, she has also dropped a series of top albums that have earned her the title of "the queen of Frafra-Gospel". This super sweet 45rpm typifies that sound with shakers and hand clapping, acoustic guitars and earthy drum sounds. 'Yinne' is upbeat and sunny and rich in melody and 'Fo Yelle' is much more heartfelt and introspective. Both are great.

Review: It's not the first time Frank Sinatra's music has been compiled under an album called a 'collection'. 2011 saw to 'The Collection', and consisted of two discs - The Swing Collection and The Ballads Collection. But now 2022 goes the extra mile, to bring us 'Collected', a four-side album of all the crooner's classics. Much like his cool, calm and 'collected' demeanour, all sides here contrast to the other classics comps in the sense that they mix and match Sinatra's moods to expert effect.

Review: Jazz and cosy winter nights by the fire seem to go hand in hand. This bumper collection across four sides of vinyl taps into that association with a splendid compilation, that's sure to become a favourite around your house during this year's festivities, with all the classics such as 'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby, the Home Alone classics 'Winter Wonderland' by Connie Francis and 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' from Brenda Lee, plus many more. Lovely stuff.

Review: Mike Peden is the man responsible for having unearthed this one for BBE. Per Husby Septett's 'The Peacemaker' was recorded in 1976 and is a wonderfully deep yet somehow under-the-radar small big band set that features the very best Norwegian jazz artists of the time, all led by pianist and band leader Per Husby. 500 copies were only pressed list time round and it packs a big, dynamic punch with original compositions by Per Husby and covers such as Harold Land's title cut 'The Peacemaker', and other jams mixing up post bop, modal, bossa and ballads by artists such as Charlie Parker.

Review: Deeper into Alice Coltrane's catalogue - beyond 'Journey In Satchidananda' or 'Lord Of Lords' - comes this classic bit with cosmic bandleader Pharoah Sanders and saxophonist visionary Joe Henderson. 'Ptah The El Daoud' was initially recorded and released in 1970, and now gets a reissue via Audio Clarity, whose aim with this one is to bring the listener a perfect replica of the original. Made in the basement of her then house in Long Island, New York, this is a light, clarinetting affair; with the track 'Turiya & Ramakrishna' sonically opining Coltrane's Vedantic Hindu views on consciousness, and the seminal 'Blue Nile' nailing sinister serialist moods in their trilling, dark saxophone bits. Of note is that Joe Henderson was recorded on the left channel throughout, while Sanders was on the right; Coltrane noted this decision was intentional, with the two artists' disciplines being so different as to represent the opposing sides of the brain.

Review: This experimental jazz album cause a stir when first landed, but got lost in the mists of time. This reissue brings it back to life so new listeners can luxuriate in its deep, adventurous, and soulful sounds. The tracks were recorded in a Philadelphia basement almost 50 years ago and are defined by plenty of tape echo. The tunes are all loose and filled with great interplay between musicians with a dusty fidelity that captures the lo-fi recording techniques. 'Drum Drum' is the standout track, but there is plenty to love throughout this record.

Review: Bobby Hutcherson was one of the greatest vibraphone and marimba players in jazz, and he left behind a staggering legacy. By 1965 he was already recording his first album as bandleader for Blue Note, and just three years later he recorded Stick-Up!, his fifth for the label and one of his all time finest. Decca clearly agree as they now present the album again in their Tone Poet series. Backing Hutcherson up is Joe Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Turner on piano, Billy Higgins on drums and Herbie Lewis on bass, and in that ensemble you get a golden example of post bop perfection.

Review: Contemporary jazz great Jeff Parker is back with new album Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy. It is a lyrical album of free improvisation driven by groove by the acclaimed guitarist and composer. It was all recorded live in a bar in LA's Highland Park neighbourhood with drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Anna Butterss and alto saxophonist Josh Johnson. The recordings reached to over ten hours but have been masterfully edited and arranged to make this a melodic, hypnotic and spacious listen. This is another gem from Jeff Parker's unique sound world.

Review: Legendary U.S jazz drummer and Black Panther Steve Reid and his band, The Legendary Master Brotherhood, are best known for their cult classic debut Nova from back in the late 70s. He also played in Sun Ra's Arkestra, was a Motown session drummer and backed James Brown at the Apollo. His other album Odyssey Of The Oblong Square is no slouch either though. It is a deep spiritual jazz classic from the master drummer and Vietnam conscientious objector. This special one-off reissue comes on lovely gold vinyl meaning those long and often fruitless searches for a hard to find original are no more.