Album review: Randy Weston: The Storyteller

Pianist Randy Weston has been exploring the musical roots of Africa for much of his long career, and this live set from his vibrant, percussion-driven African Rhythms Sextet marries his African researches with his own take on modern jazz. His approach to melody and rhythm is clearly influenced by Thelonious Monk and, like Monk, he likes to recycle tunes – this show includes Loose Wig and his classic Hi Fly, both from the 1950s, while the centrepiece, the three-part African Cookbook Suite, is an expansion of a piece he first recorded in 1964, opening with a solo piano segment before the sextet kick in. African Sunrise is a tribute to the Afro-Cuban legacy of Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo and Machito. Weston's arrangements give an expansive feel to all of the ensemble work, and the soloists are given their head, notably saxophonist TK Blue and the late Benny Powell on trombone.