Jazz on the Beach 244 & Blues Beach 102: Art Pepper, Tenderlonious, Pharaoh Sanders, Moyses Dos Santos, Dizzy Gillespie, Mathis Picard, Benny Golson, Knats, Thelonious Monk

This week’s playlist is split pretty evenly between new releases and classic repertoire, and going out live on Wednesday evening they certainly sounded good next to each other. Proof that when it comes to jazz music, time is not always linear.

One of this week’s highlights is alto saxophonist Art Pepper’s extraordinary version of Patricia, from Unreleased Art, Vol III: The Croydon Concert, May 14th 1981 (Omnivore, 2022).

I love the emotional studio version on Art Pepper Today (Galaxy, 1978), but this is something else, with Pepper playing with his own band of pianist Milcho Leviev, double bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Carl Burnett. As his widow, the remarkable Laurie Pepper, says in the sleeve notes:

‘Patricia was written for Art’s estranged daughter. It’s one of the most beautiful things he ever wrote, and Art gave his solo, here, everything he had.’

I’m really enjoying, albeit a little late, the marvellous Boa Viagem from the London-based Brazilian bassist to the stars Moyses Dos Santos. It comes from his album Maria (Far Out, 12th June), and has an irresistible groove and fiery horns from Nick Ferraro, Josh Short and James Wade-Sired. Even though the heat wave has backed off since last week, there’s plenty of summer left to enjoy this tropical delight.

Something very exciting too from the New York-based French-Malagasy pianist and composer Mathis Picard. Here’s FearLess, from the upcoming Sound Orchestra (La Reserve, soon), featuring his big band full of terrific players and a composition that lives up to its title with a restless dancing spirit.

Another track justifying its title is trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie’s Theme from the Cool World from The Cool World soundtrack (Phillips, 1964). I don’t know the movie at all but the score by Mal Waldron is terrific, and along with Gillespie in superb form features tenor saxophonist James Moody, pianist Kenny Barron, double bassist Chris White and drummer Rudy Collins. The movie poster is a hoot!

Also new is Bowling Ball (Fontana), a single from Newcastle’s Knats that was only just recorded at London’s Metropolis Studios and is not on their recently released album. Poet Cooper Robinson’s heartfelt political rant is supported by the band on probably their tightest and most powerful performance yet.

From John Coltrane there’s the Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra hit Violets for Your Furs from Coltrane (Prestige, 1957), where he plays tenor with pianist Red Garland, double bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath. Although the original composition is probably about Lana Turner, Coltrane’s performance makes its subject sound far more exotic.

Staying with Coltrane, there’s a track from my favourite Pharaoh Sanders period with a deeply passionate version of Wise One from Crescent With Love (Venus, 1993), where he plays tenor with pianist William Henderson, double bassist Charles Fambrough and drummer Sherman Ferguson. The album was recorded in New York for the Japanese Venus label and later released in the US on Evidence.

And more Trane with Londoner saxophonist and flautist Tenderlonious’ thrilling version of Blues Minor from Africa/Brass Live (22a, 3rd July). It was recorded at The JazzLab in October 2025, and comes from the Melbourne International Jazz Festival’s Pique-nique Take Two series, following a playback of the original Coltrane album. Tenderlonious (aka Ed Hawthorne) plays alto saxophone with pianist On-Ly, double bassist Horatio Luna and drummer Tim Carnegie.

We’re hard boppin’ with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson’s You’re Not the Kind, a Gigi Gryce tune from Benny Golson & the Philadelphians (United Artists, 1958), featuring trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Ray Bryant, double bassist Percy Heath and drummer Philly Joe Jones. And there’s more modern boppin’ with the Okazaki Brothers’ 10-6-12 from Blood But Blues (Mo-Zone, 2026), led by trumpeter Yoshiro and tenor saxophonist Masanori.

I make no excuses for playing so much recently from Vanisha Gould, my favourite singer of the moment, especially after seeing her perform live earlier this year. Here’s My Sweet Kitty, the first single from her upcoming album What an Interesting Girl (Cellar Live, La Reserve), with pianist Chris McCarthy, double bassist Charlie Lincoln and drummer Samuel Bolduc. Even though My Sweet Kitty may not be terribly subtle, it’s purr-fect!

And finally, rounding off this playlist, some prime Thelonious Monk with Bye-Ya from the gloriously mono Mønk (Gearbox Records, 2018), recorded in 1963 at the Odd Fellow Palace in Copenhagen, with tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, double bassist John Ore and drummer Frankie Dunlop. From Tenderlonious to Thelonious indeed! Here’s the Japanese release version with the instagram-friendly obi strip.

• Benny Golson - You’re Not the Kind

• Moyses Dos Santos - Boa Viagem

• Okazaki Brothers - 10-6-12

• Knats - Bowling Ball

• Dizzy Gillespie - Theme from the Cool World

• Gary Bartz, Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Day by Day

• William Hill III - Keep It Movin’

• Vanisha Gould - My Sweet Kitty

• Pharoah Sanders Quartet - Wise One

• Tenderlonious - Blues Minor

• Mathis Picard & the Sound Orchestra - FearLess

• Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes - Devika (Goddess)

• Art Pepper - Patricia

• John Coltrane - Violets for Your Furs

• Thelonious Monk - Bye-Ya

The South East Kent coast’s favourite blues radio show returns after a short break and a brief foray into C&W with a playlist that just keeps rolling along. There are big hitters including John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Ray Charles, Albert King, Earl Hooker, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson II, alongside lesser known artists (but not lesser talents) like Carey Bell, Lazy Lester, Byther Smith and Johnny Copeland.

Why not give this playlist a road test and play via either of the links below through your car stereo? Or for a touch of nostalgia and a little tape saturation, do what a number of listeners are already doing and download the playlist onto a cassette for off road listening. If you’d like me to send you the show as a file, just ask.

• Johnny Copeland - Mama Told Me

• Byther Smith - Mississippi Kid

• Junior Wells - Checking On My Baby

• John Lee Hooker - Sugar Mama

• Eddie Kirkland - Daddy, Please Don’t Go

• Otis Rush - Please Love Me

• Ray Charles - Losing Hand

• Howlin’ Wolf - Evil (Is Going On)

• Champion Jack Dupree - Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee

• Albert King - Breaking Up Somebody’s Home

• Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff

• Ry Cooder - Denomination Blues

• Sonny Boy Williamson II - Keep It to Yourself

• Earl Hooker - Earl’s Boogie Woogie

• Lazy Lester - I Hear You Knocking

• Carey Bell - Bell Hop

• ZZ Top - Tube Snake Boogie

• King Curtis - Soul Twist

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).