It is not often that tunes played on the BBC Radio 3 programme Jazz Record Requests influences the Cosmic Jazz playlist.  It is a programme that usually plays music from differerent points of the jazz spectrum.

Last week’s programme, however, featured the beautiful Max Roach tune Effi from the album Members, Don’t Git Weary, a highly recommended album from which Gilles Peterson played musical selections when Max Roach died.  Another tune on last week’s programme was  the Hank Mobley classic Soul Station. They enlivened a journey from Ipswich to Norwich and deserve another airing – look for both on this week’s Cosmic Jazz.

The excellent Echoes magazine is celebrating 35 years of publication. In the February edition its deputy editor & jazz correspondent Kevin LeGendre, along with their soul, reggae and hip-hop specialists have selected their favourite 35 albums of that period. Two of Kevin’s choices will feature on the programme tonight. While we are talking of February magazines, this month’s edition of Jazzwise includes a review by Cosmic Jazz presenter Neil MacRae.

1. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson – Stakes is High
2. Sonny Rollins – Alfie’s Theme
3. Hank Mobley – This I Dig of You
4. Jackie McLean – I’ll Keep Loving You
5. Steve Williamson – Waltz for Grace
6. Jaco Pastorius – Opus Pocus
7. Cleveland Watkiss – Blessing in Disguise
8. Miles Davis – Ife (live)
9. Max Roach – Effi
10. Kenny Garrett – Lonnie’s Lament
11. Hank Mobley – Soul Station
12. Weather Report – Black Market (live)
13. Babatunde Lea – March of the Jazz Guerrillas
14. Havana Cultura (feat. Roberto Fonseca) – Mami

Two really unusual Youtube clips this week.  The first features the late Dr Billy Taylor, here with Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith and Duke Ellington (and an unseen band…) on The David Frost Show:

And in contrast, here’s Weather Report featuring Wayne Shorter with an interesting take on Johnny Mercers standard Midnight Sun recorded live in Germany in 1978.  Enjoy!