Jazz

Western jazz musicians were exploring Arabic music and maqams(modes) half a century ago, long before ‘world music’ became a scene.

The album title here refers to some of the late works of saxophonist John Coltrane, an artist that inspired London’s Denys Baptiste and generations of other sax players besides. Coltrane himself recorded these lesser-known numbers in 1965, the year before his groundbreaking A Love Supreme, and many of the tracks were released posthumously.

On this live album Lloyd revisits several of ‘my many children’, and it’s fascinating to hear how his view of these fine compositions has evolved. The earliest include ‘Passin’ Thru’, recorded in 1962 with Chico Hamilton, ‘How Can I Tell You’, recorded for Columbia in 1964, and ‘Dream Weaver’ and ‘Tagore’ featured with his breakthrough quartet on its late-1960s tours and recordings.

Coming alongside his recent 70th birthday celebrations, this exploratory borehole into the jazz stratum of Daryl Runswick’s career redeems itself from self-indulgence by being both original (none of this material has appeared before) and an invaluable snapshot of 1970s British modern jazz in live performance.

Neil Ardley’s day job in the ’70s was writing science books, yet he also made his name composing and arranging Third Stream (a fusion of jazz and classical) music for London’s young jazz talents. These live recordings, made for radio in 1971, are like a time capsule with their strings, ‘proggy’ guitar and weird electronic effects.

Pianist Aaron Parks has a mellifluous, expansive style and all except one of the pieces presented here are his; bassist Street mostly operates as a supportive extension of the pianist’s left hand, for which the music is
none the worse. Hart has a wealth
of varied experience running from soul to fusion, but he also carries
with him the stadium jazz legacy inherited from some of his former bandleaders such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.

The New Simplicity Trio (NST) says it took its name from the post-serial movement of late-1970s contemporary classical composers. If that suggests an academic even dry approach to the music, don’t be put off. In practice it means the London-based trio aims to distil their music down to its essential melodic and harmonic qualities.

The regeneration of the piano trio began around the turn of the century, but reputations often seemed to flower from factors bearing little relation to the fundamental virtues of the genre: for example, a preponderance of elements imported from rock, additional instruments or electronics. Nothing necessarily wrong with these, but it is refreshing to hear a trio like this, developing the tradition while staying within its broad constraints.

Jazz has done well to hold on to young singer Polly Gibbons. Her soulful voice and telegenic looks put her on a par with media-friendly middle-of-the-road stars like Joss Stone and Adele. But Gibbons has stayed true to her jazz roots and this, her third album, is another real treat for purists – not least because the singer is accompanied by a fiercely swinging, tightly arranged big band.

With so much 21st-century jazz to choose from, it’s refreshing when a disc turns up that harks back to the swinging sixties. In this case it’s the movie and TV music, plus other recordings, of pianist Dudley Moore.

If tenor sax player John Coltrane shaped generations of tenor sax players, the influence of his wife’s devotional music has also endured. It is still popular in today’s jazz scene.

As a pianist, Coltrane was rooted in modern jazz and joined her husband’s band when his abstract improvisation was shifting towards Eastern style chants and cycles. After he died in 1967 and she converted to Vedic Hinduism, Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda retreated, making music designed for meditation.

Having included guest musicians on some previous releases, this highly regarded Australian trio rings the changes again: new label, new bassist and the introduction of live electronic manipulation. The title references the fact that some of the tunes were devised specially for the recordings, while others had been extensively road-tested… that, and the fluid relationship between written material and improvisation.