A blue plaque for Club A'Gogo

On a recent visit to London it was fun to play the tourist game 'spot the blue plaque'. Wandering through Camden into Bloomsbury (calling in at Judd Books) blue plaques were everywhere (on some streets there are several plaques stating 'such and such lived here'). Artists, literary figures, politicians, scientists, some famous, some less so (less so, as far as the wandering tourist was concerned). And onto Soho ...

Paul Hartley Quartet featuring Bryan Pendleton play the music of Rodgers and Hart @ the Railway, Stockport - Sept 30

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Bryan Pendleton (piano); Paul Hartley (guitar); John Sandham (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

The last time Bryan Pendleton headlined at the Railway was on April 26 when he fronted a quintet playing the music of George Shearing. For last night's show Bryan delved into the vast amount of songs composed by the prolific partnership of Rodgers and Hart whose output between 1919-1943 totaled over 500 numbers. They collaborated on 28 Stage musicals, many films featured their songs and it must have been a hard task for Bryan to choose 15 tunes from such a wealth of material.

Album review: Jim Witzel Trio & Quartet - Feelin' It

Jim Witzel (guitar); Brian Ho (B3); Jason Lewis (drums) + Dann Zinn (tenor sax on 3 tks). 

Some good old down home bluesy funkified soul as typified by 1960s Blue Note artists such as Jimmy Smith, McDuff and McGriff mixed in with some standards and The Beatles' Norwegian Wood which I suppose these days can also be classed as a standard.

Five trio tracks - the standards - and three quartet work outs on Witzel originals. It's music to listen to, to dance to, to imagine you're in a bar, not necessarily a jazz joint, back then in any big American city, although probably not Nashville.

Lewis Watson Quartet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - Sept. 26

(© Roly Veitch)

Lewis Watson (tenor sax, soprano sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A while ago Lewis Watson emerged from a long period of (musical) hibernation. The man hadn't been heard on a jazz stage for many a moon until he popped up at Newcastle's Lit & Phil. The word got out and, as quick as you like, all seats were snapped up. Prior to the down beat, BSH Editor-in-Chief LL wondered if King Lewis could retain his crown. The opening bars of the first number dispelled any such doubts, the man was back! Fast forward a few months to an autumnal Monday evening, the nights drawing in, the temptation of England v Germany on the telly, would anyone make the effort to get along to Blaydon Jazz Club to hear King Lewis? 

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2022: Skylla + Pete Wareham, Ruth Goller, Will Glaser @ Bobiks,The Punch Bowl, Jesmond - Sept. 25

(© Ken Drew)

Skylla - Ruth Goller(bass, vocals); Lauren Kinsella, Alice Grant (vocals).

Pete Wareham (sax, flute, electronics); Ruth Goller(bass, vocals); Will Glaser (drums)

The festival's second night at Bobiks was a very serious affair. Deeply heavy improvised music with little or no chat from anyone on stage. However, since this was The Guardians of the Underworld maybe it was time for acute listening rather than two way communication.

(© Ken Drew)

The evening began with Ruth Goller’s Skylla - the title of her first solo album. The name Skylla is referenced  from the Scylla a mythical 6 headed female sea monster which guards  a narrow strait with fellow monster Charybdis hence the expression ‘between Scylla and Charybdis’ means ‘the lesser of two evils’ or  ‘between a banjo and a sousaphone’ for  this festival’s attendees.

WE'RE BACK!

Fingers crossed, those pesky gremlins have been sent packing and we're back in business!

Internet down

 Normal service ASAP. Apologies  Lance 

Buy your ticket to the 30th Marsden Jazz Festival and help secure its future.

(Press release): One of the longest-running jazz festivals in the UK needs your support to bring word class live music to rural Yorkshire and ensure its survival. September 2022

Marsden Jazz Festival returns for its 30th year on 6th-9th October 2022 with an electrifying lineup of award-winning, international acts, including Gary Crosby, Emma Rawicz, Arun Ghosh, Ruby Wood and Robert Mitchell. 

Frank Griffith Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Sept. 25

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Frank Griffith (tenor sax/clarinet); Richard Wetherall(piano); Ed Harrison (bass); Victor Lundberg (drums)

Here at the Railway I arrived early in order to grab a good seat in front of the bandstand and the room was already starting to fill up with the usual Sunday night regulars. Ed Harrison was the first of the band to arrive but by the time 9pm rolled around there were no other musicians to be seen. This was weird as I’ve always found that bass players are normally the last to arrive at gigs but, on further investigation, it appeared that  both Frank and Victor were on their way and had got delayed for traffic reasons. The next to arrive was Richard Wetherall and you could almost hear a sigh of relief from the assembled jazz fans.

This Sunday @ the Prohibition Bar - Celebrating the Life and Music of Pharoah Sanders

The death of free form legend Pharoah Sanders on Sept. 24 sent shock waves through the jazz fraternity with many reacting in their own individual way.

The Sun Ra Arkestra, with whom Sanders played in the 1960s tweeted: Pharoah Sanders Sun Ra Arkestra alumnus has departed this planet.

Closer to home, guitarist Tom Atkinson has assembled a band of disciples to pay tribute to one of the founders of Spiritual Jazz this Sunday (Oct. 2) at the Prohibition Bar on Pink Lane. See poster for details - Lance