Preview: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon - August 19

Tomorrow (Sunday) at the Black Bull, Blaydon sees the long-awaited return of Zoë Gilby. The nationally acclaimed vocalist was scheduled to appear at the Bridge Street venue in March but, due to heavy snowfall, the concert, in common with many other events at the time, was cancelled.

Now Gilby and her band are sure to make it to Blaydon without mishap. It's an eight o'clock start, two sets, original material, a selection of standards both vintage and contemporary, and musicianship of the highest order in keeping with Gilby's high profile. 

The Tyneside based vocalist will be joined by one of Ireland's finest exports - guitarist Mark Williams, bassist Andy 'Undefeated' Champion, and from the Tees Delta, drummer Richard Brown.  

Preview: Ushaw Extra! (August 24-26)

This time next week the Ushaw Jazz Festival will be in full swing. The full festival preview - posted Friday 17 - omitted details of two events...

Saturday (Aug 25) evening's late night jam session (10:15 'til late, free admission) will be hosted by pianist (and Ushaw Jazz Festival director) Paul Edis, Jazz Café jam session bass-playing mover and shaker Paul Grainger and County Durham-based drummer Abbie Finn. Ushaw's Francis Thompson Room (an inviting lounge full of oh-so-comfortable sofas) is the ideal setting for those who want to settle in for the duration or, indeed, sit-in. 

Women Play Jazz! Workshops @ The Globe

Further to the recent item about this, the dates of the workshops have now been arranged for:

September 8

October 27

November 10

December 8

These are all from 2-5pm, upstairs in the Globe Jazz Bar.

There may be extra workshops for vocalists, according to the wishes of the participants.

Further information and an enrolment form can be found on the Jazz Co-op website:

www.jazz.coop/learning

Ann Alex

CD Review: Enrico Pieranunzi & Thomas Fonnesbæk - Blue Waltz.

Enrico Pieranunzi (piano); Thomas Fonnesbæk (bass).
(Review by Lance).

So much happening jazz-wise in the northeast these days that the CDs are once more piling up. So, if you have sent me a bumper bundle, please be patient and change your name to Job. Chances are I'll not even listen to them. Such is the volume of recorded material I'm being sent that it's likely that 90% of it will end up in the garage and, if you want the address of my garage I'll happily provide it along with a crowbar.

However, one album which won't end up in the garage, other than on the car stereo is this one. Steal the car if you must but please leave the CD behind.

Gerry Richardson Trio @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall - August 17

County Durham-based correspondent Tony Eales filed a brief report to the BSH news desk on yesterday's lunchtime concert at Bishop Auckland Town Hall. The informal setting of BATH's Coffee Shop saw a good crowd turn up to listen to the Gerry Richardson Trio. Organist Richardson arrived with the Sinclairs - guitarist Rod (uncle) and drummer Adam (nephew). Eales confirms that the trio received a great reception and it won't come as a surprise if promoter Mick Shoulder offers a return booking. The monthly jazz series continues into the autumn.

Russell  
(Photo of Gerry and Adam from BSH archives)         

Saltburn Update

Fridays:

7th September - The James Harrison Quartet

5th October - New Orleans Heat

2nd November - The Riviera Quartet

Early Bird tickets £10 On the Door £12 

7th December - Xmas Jazz Party with Alligator Gumbo

Early Bird tickets £12 On the door £15

All events - doors 6.45pm Start 7.30pm 

Gig cancelled!

The eagerly anticipated visit by the Nigel Price Organ Trio at Gosforth Civic Theatre on Sept. 6 has been cancelled. In a press release, GCT stated that it was due to unforeseen circumstances and that ticket-holders would be refunded in full.

They hoped a rebooking of the band, which included sax-wiz Vasilis Xenopoulos, could be arranged for a future date.

Lance.

Book Review: Edward Allan Faine - Serendipity Doo-Dah Book Two

Following up on last year's Serendipity Doo-Dah Book One, Edward Allan Faine once again provides the background to those 'True Stories of Musical Accidents'. Although not quite as jazzy as the previous volume, there is, nevertheless, plenty to interest those who love popular song whether it be by Jerome Kern, Sammy Cahn and Jules Styne or Phil Collins and Madonna. Plus, with Faine writing, jazz is never far away. 

But the genre is immaterial, it's the songs and the stories behind them as well as the author's own input that makes this such interesting reading.

Preview: Ushaw Jazz Festival (August 24-26)

(Preview by Russell)

A week today sees the start of the third annual Ushaw Jazz Festival. Now firmly established in the jazz calendar, this year's headliners - Nicola Farnon, Jo Harrop and Alan Barnes - are guaranteed to attract large audiences to the magnificent Ushaw estate. 

The action begins at six o'clock on Friday (August 24) in the Francis Thompson Room. The Early Bird Big Band - an expanded line-up of Paul Edis' young musicians' workshop band - will set the standard for the August bank holiday weekend. Such is the talent within the ranks that some former members have gone on to secure places at prestigious music schools at home and abroad. 

At eight o'clock Ushaw Jazz Festival director Paul Edis features alongside the first of the event's headline names. Yorkshire-based Nicola Farnon returns to the region having made a lasting impression with a winning performance at Durham's Gala Theatre. The double bassist-singer will arrive at Ushaw - located a couple of miles from Durham City - with drummer Phil Johnson. The trio will entertain festival-goers with a programme comprising gems from the Great American Songbook together with one or two original compositions. The Nicola Farnon Trio comes highly recommended.

Stop Press: New York All-Stars UK/European Tour

(Press release)

Due to a sudden illness, Harold Mabern will be unable to take part in the Burnin' in London album tour as planned. New York pianist Mike LeDonne, who has performed with Eric Alexander for years, will replace Harold. Mike has played with many of the greats in jazz, including Benny Goodman, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie and a number of others.

New York-based saxophonist/composer Seamus Blake joins the line-up of Eric Alexander, Mike LeDonne, Aldo Zunino and Bernd Reiter for three launch concerts at London's Pizza Express Soho. Seamus is recognised as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz and has performed with exceptional artists, including John Scofield, Antonio Sanchez, John Escreet, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chris Cheek, David Kikoski and Alex Sipiagin.

Ubuntu Music is extremely proud to release the first live recording of Burnin’ in London by the New York All-Stars on 7 September. Review.

More on Aretha (1942 - 2018)

(By Steve T)

It's common knowledge that Aretha sang gospel prior to becoming the Queen of Soul, but the Jazz is less known, though what I've heard sounds fine.

It may come as a surprise to some that I haven't heard everything she's ever done, but I haven't and have no intention of doing so. Much is made of her gospel roots, but that was already present, in the music of Ray Charles, James Brown, Solomon Burke and especially Sam Cooke.

Nevertheless, it's impossible to overstate her significance in soul music, and particularly amongst the ladies. For many years it was difficult for female soul singers to become established without the Aretha grain. Roberta Flack initially became a singer-songwriter in the vein of Joni Mitchell because she didn't fit the Aretha model. You either did Aretha or Diana Ross.

As I scour the news channels, I cringe at some of the clips of her faltering voice; a voice on the edge, on a tightrope, the site of the finest art. Hardened Soul Fans will tell you that, while Aretha's voice often fell on the wrong side of good taste, particularly after her sixties/early seventies heyday, Linda Jones never missed.

RIP Aretha

The sad, but not unexpected, news that Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, died today has left music lovers of all genres in mourning.
Gospel and soul were how the world saw her but, in the early days of her rise to fame jazz was her marketing label. And even when that fame arrived most of the jazz audience still claimed her as one of their own. That jazz feel was always there, as it was/is with most soul singers.
To say she will be sadly missed is the understatement of this, her 76th year, and, although there were millions who said a little prayer for Aretha, it wasn't enough.
Rest In Peace.
Lance.
NY Times obituary.

Preview: Kinesis + Abbie Finn Trio @ The Newcastle Jazz Co-op - August 18.

This Saturday at the Globe drummer Abbie Finn plays a duo gig with saxophonist Harry Keeble. They met at Leeds College of Music. Abbie has since graduated, indeed she has recently completed a period of further study in London and this Newcastle date with undergraduate Harry - he's still at Leeds - promises an evening of standards and some freer material. 

During the evening bassist Paul Grainger will join Abbie and Harry in a trio set. The jam session kingpin knows the duo from their assured contributions at sessions around town and it will be interesting to hear what they come up with. Doors at the Railway Street premises open at 7:30, £6 admission (student £3).    

Russell 

To clap or not to clap? That is the question

Applause after solos in the mid-performance of a piece has long been a tradition in jazz albeit not a tradition applauded by everyone.

In other forms of music such as grand opera applause is only given at the end of an aria when the rendition has, by general consensus, been sufficiently outstanding to merit the disruption of the show whereas, in jazz, the audience tends to clap irrespective of merit. And, if the audience doesn’t oblige, I know one bandleader that practically orders them to put their hands together and woe betide those who don’t.

The old Alex Welsh band were the first name band I encountered who used similar tactics. After a solo by one of his sidemen, Alex would exhort the crowd to ‘make him happy’ irrespective of how unhappy the player had made the audience feel although, I must confess, that I can’t recall any of the Welsh band making this listener feel unhappy. But the principle is there, after all, you don’t applaud dropped catches in cricket or missed ‘sitters’ in football.

I remember reading in an old Jazz Journal of film star Judy Holliday who, at the time was in a relationship with Gerry Mulligan, standing at the edge of the stage egging-on the audience to applaud a performance by the Mulligan Quartet at a concert in Paris.

Stu Collingwood-Russ Morgan Organ Duo @ Dun Cow, Jesmond - August 15

Stu Collingwood (organ); Russ Morgan (drums)

(Review by Russell)

A no-nonsense gig...set up, reposition/requisition a few chairs, switch off the muzak, likewise the wall-mounted tv screen (tennis from Cincinnati) distractingly directly behind the musicians then hit the road with an uptempo Days of Wine and Roses. 

Yeh, Yeh kept things cookin' as Stu Collingwood readied himself for a vocal on Georgia. The north east boasts a plethora of fine pianists, yet it is only recently that Paul Edis has exercised the tonsils in public, now Stu, although one suspects he's been singing on gigs for many a year. So, this begs the question...how many of our piano men and women sing but haven't got round to it? You know their names, next time you see one of them request a vocal number! 

Lickety Split to Take it to the Bridge @ the Globe.

Next Wednesday (August 22) at the Globe Jazz Bar, Newcastle, the northeast's longest running jam session/jazz workshop, Take it to the Bridge, have special guests Lickety Split featured. The post-bop octet is one of the most swinging bands around and, because of the personnel's many other commitments, aren't always able to get together as frequently as their fanbase would like so don't miss out this time. Entry is only £1 and, as a bonus, you also get sets by Dave Weisser and his Railway St. Irregulars a.k.a Take it to the Bridge.

Lance

Women Jazz Workshops @ the Globe

Are you a woman who plays a sax or a trumpet at home, or who sings jazz which only the cat gets to hear? Why not come to the Women’s Jazz Workshops at the Globe?

These workshops have been running, usually monthly, at the Globe for the past year or so. They are very enjoyable, sociable, sometimes challenging, and productive of good music. Our mentor is Jilly Jarman, composer and multi-intrumentalist, and the group of women enjoying the workshop include players of various saxes, flute, piano, bass guitar, and sometimes a drummer, as well as about 4 of us vocalists. I’ve been very pleased to discover the sheer range of jazz activity that women do – you don’t always realise this when you go to jazz jams where it sometimes seems that male instrumentalists predominate.

CD Review: Maurice Frank - Mad Romance And Love

Maurice Frank (vocals); John DiMartino (arrangements, piano); Eric Alexander (ten sax); Aaron Heick (sop sax, clarinet, alto flute); Paul Meyers (guitar); Luques Curtis (bass); Obed Calvaire (drums); Samuel Torres (perc).

(Review by Ann Alex)

I listened in an unconventional way, by starting with track 4 on which Eric Alexander (no relation to me, he’d disown my musical attempts) is featured. As Lance had praised this jazzman in another review I needed to check him out and I wasn’t disappointed. On Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me the sax’s improvised responses to the singer’s statements are most impressive, in fact, it just about talks back. Great stuff!

CD Review: Stéphane Spira - New Playground

Stéphane Spira (soprano); Joshua Richman (piano/Rhodes); Steve Wood (bass); Jimmy Macbride (drums).

(Review by Lance).

Soprano has never been my favourite member of the saxophone family. Neither the ten-miles wide vibrato of Sidney Bechet nor the painful harmonic extremities of the latter-day John Coltrane have floated my boat so it was with some trepidation that I approached this album. Spira, a French-born resident of New York had me wondering, given Bechet's years in Paris and Trane's time in New York, if this was going to be an unholy marriage of the two extremes?

Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. Spira has a liquidity of tone that ticks all the right boxes whilst managing to keep the listener interested with his ideas and compositions.