Press release from the Saltburn Big Band

Please see the fabulous Saltburn Big Band performing No Moon at All, sung by the equally fabulous Bridget Metcalf, during our recent sellout concert at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Stokesley. 

 

The band is next appearing at Saltburn Community Theatre on the evening of the 27th of October.  Tickets can be purchased HERE. Adrian Beadnell

The Olivia Cuttill Quintet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University - Oct. 17

Anonymous

Olivia Cuttill (trumpet, compositions); Issey Chivers (vocals); Tom Harris (piano); Fergus Quill (bass); Miles Pillinger (drums).

When I took my seat in the King's Hall Recital Room in Newcastle University for a 45 minute lunchtime concert little did I think I was about to witness one of the 'Gig of the Year' contenders. After all, there's some mega names in the running already - and the opening number, Isabella, did nothing to change things. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, Cuttill displaying a big round sound on an interesting composition but the (musical) Earth didn't move for me.

Album review: Al Jarreau & NDR Bigband - Ellington (ACT)

Al Jarreau Vocals)+ NDR Bigband: Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolt Burkhardt, Nicolas Boysen, Reiner Winterschladen (trumpets); Fiete Felsch, Björn Berger, Christof Lauer, Frank Delle, Tini Thomson (reeds); Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann (Nov. 26), Günter Bollmann (Nov. 29) (trombones); Ingo Lahme (trombone/tuba); Hans Vroomans (piano/Rhodes); Peter Tiehuis (elec. acoustic guitar); Christian Diener (basses); Wolfgang Haffner (drums); Jörg Achim Keller (MD?arranger); Joe Turano (vocal arranger).

I've heard Ellington performed in every which way including loose but never quite like this! Some purists might class it as sacrilege - I almost did. However, the trick I found is to forget every bar of Ellingtonia you've ever heard and treat it like you're hearing it for the very first time. Judging by the applause I guess that's what the enthusiastic audience did.......and so did I!

The Black Swan jam session - Oct. 15

Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Bailey Rudd (drums) + Niffi Osiyemi (vocals); Olly Styles (tenor sax); David Gray (trombone, vocals); Abbie Finn (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Liam Oliver (guitar); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Alexia Gardner (vocals); Dan Potter (drums); Oscar Nolan (piano); Ian Drever (vocals); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Neil Hopper (double bass); ? (guitar); Shayo (vocals); Jack ? (drums); Becky Tuck (vocals); Moyo (guitar); Darius (vocals); Theo Nolan (drums)

Freshers' week has been and gone, student hangovers a thing of the past...until the next time. Judging by the large student turn out at last night's Black Swan jam session, with the bar staff working non-stop, this morning it's likely the cry 'never again' will be heard across student halls of residence. 

R.I.P. Malcolm Armstrong.

Just received the sad news that pianist Malcolm Armstrong passed away yesterday (Oct. 15).

Over the years, Malcolm played with many local bands including the River City Jazzmen, the Maine St. Jazzmen and Rendezvous Jazz.

He was also accompanist for Ponteland Ladies Choir.

I remember him well from the Breda Jazz Festival back in the 1980s where he was part of the award winning River City Jazzmen (see photo).

A fine pianist who will be sadly missed. Lance

Shellac (M2): Jimmy McPartland & his Orchestra - Daughter of Sister Kate/In a Mist (Harmony)

With apologies to Fats Navarro and Jimmy Noone, I have to slip in another 'M' as I haven't any 78s by artists whose surname begins with the letter N!

Nevertheless this is an interesting one not least because the 'orchestra' - all six of them - is led by legendary Chicago cornet player Jimmy McPartland and his wife, British born, Marian McPartland who became an even greater legend. On this recording Marian is listed as Marian Page, the stage name she'd adopted in her early days playing theatres in Britain with fellow pianist Billy Mayerl.

Press release: Trailer Released For The Record Store Project Documentary: Exploring The Cultural Impact Of The Uk Record Store & Black Music

A major new project that explores the cultural impact of UK independent record stores that specialised in Black music from 1950 onwards, will be released in time for Black History Month 2024., the Trailer for which can be viewed here- https://youtu.be/W9JcX-kvszE.

“A lot of us (DJs) kind of started at the same time and we all kind of grew together. Some I would just see in the record shops fighting over records or whatever. Hustling to try and get the latest import - actually, we don't have that anymore. I miss that. We don't have that kind of community where you just hang out and chill. Like I could spend hours in the record shop just chilling - there was a certain happiness, like a joviality to just being in as a punter and seeing certain regulars coming in again. I'd never thought of it like that before, but they were actually really good meeting hubs.” WAYNE C MCDONALD Newcastle

Album review: Nick Tomalin Quintet - Shades of Shearing

Nick Tomalin (piano); Nat Steele (vibes); Dave Warren (guitar); Dominic Howles (bass); Matt Fishwick (drums).

A reimagined version of the fabulous George Shearing Quintet, a band that created a lot of  attention on both sides of the Atlantic back in the late 1940s/early 50s when the classic singles first appeared on those distinctive, yellow labelled MGM 78s. I've still got a few of them plus a double album collection.

Over the years, the distinctive, closely knit harmony became over-formulated with familiarity perhaps taking the edge off the initial excitement.

Sunday night @ the Globe - Dulcie May Moreno - Oct. 13

© Patti/Sylvia

Dulcie May Moreno (vocals); Mark Williams (guitar); Mick Shoulder (bass); John Bradford (drums)

Across the road in the aircraft hanger known as the Utilita Arena, Becky Hill was feeding the 10,700. In the Globe Dulcie May Moreno was preaching to a lesser congregation. In a perfect world the situation would have been reversed. At least nobody in the Globe needed medical attention.

Dulcie is a regular visitor to the area (she was born here) and never fails to captivate an audience as was proved last night.

Tonite! (Sunday Oct. 13) Dulcie sings at the Globe!

On Friday lunchtime, during a short return visit to the region, Dulcie May Moreno attracted a full house to Auckland Castle (they were turning people away at the door). This evening, our Newcastle-born, Kent-resident vocalist/composer will be in concert with her 'Northern Jazz Cats' on Railway Street, NE4 7AD. Join Dulcie, guitarist Mark Williams, bassist Mick 'The Bishop' Shoulder and drummer John Bradford for two sets of jazz standards and one or two original compositions. It's an eight o'clock start (doors at 7:00pm). Tickets £10.00. advance, £12.00 at the door, £7.00. 25 & under. Book now: www.theglobenewcastle.bar. Russell