Sing it Loud: Black and Proud - Channel 4

On Channel 4 tomorrow night (Wednesday 28, 11:10pm) there is a Black History Month documentary looking at young musicians blazing a trail on the British jazz scene. From Ronnie Scott's, Maya Jama presents a selection of performers including Zara McFarlane and Ashley Henry (pictured). 

Russell

Album review: Patrick Cornelius' Arcadia - Way of the Cairns

Patrick Cornelius (alto sax); Michael Janisch (bass); Kristjan Randalu (piano); Paul Wiltgen (drums).

Arcadia were, it seems, previously known as TransAtlantic Collective under which heading they performed close to 100 concerts in 8 different countries from 2006 - 2009.

They have come together again to take the listener on a journey through a set of, quote,  "inspiring scenes".

These scenes include a description of an ascent of Great Head Mountain (Way of the Cairns), a beachside stargazing party - as one does - (Star Party) and other explorations through the "untamed wilderness" of Arcadia, an American National Park up there in the northeastern corner of Maine.

SAGE GATESHEAD ANNOUNCES LATEST PROGRAMME LINE-UP FOR SAGE LIVE 2020 (Includes Yazz Ahmed & Archipelago)

(Press release)

Following its first live performances since March 2020 last weekend, Sage Gateshead announces the latest line-up for Sage Live 2020, a series of live performances running from October until December.

The full series is also live streamed, opening up performances beyond the 300 capacity the venue is able to accommodate due to social distancing.

This announcement follows the news that Sage Gateshead has been awarded £1.8 million from the government’s Cultural Recovery Fund. This support, along with the ongoing £3 million fundraising campaign, will help the organisation through to March 2021.

Abigail Pogson, Managing Director of Sage Gateshead said:

12,000 not out and still bopping...

Wow! We've now reached 12,000 posts since BSH began in 2008. What began with very modest aims has now had almost four and a half million page views from all over the world.

Although our main emphasis has been covering jazz in all its many forms in the north east our writers also travel to the London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott's, Pizza Express, Spice of Life and other clubs in the capital. 

Festivals in Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Scarborough and elsewhere are covered along with occasional reports from our continental ops, as well as visits to Wisconsin for the annual Bix Fest and, of course, Hong Kong, where our good friend, broadcaster and bandleader Colin Aitchison, makes our presence known via interviews with myself and other local musicians.

David Gray Flextet Live (and online) @ The Globe - Oct. 25

David "Showtime" Gray (trombone/vocal); Adam Sams (guitar/vocal); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Michael Mather (drums).

He dances like Fred Astaire, plays trombone like Fred Wesley and sings like Fred the Plumber. "Showtime" is well named. As a mover he outshines the previous area champion James Harrison and displays a sartorial elegance that Ray Burns and even the late George Melly would have been envious of!

However, that is merely the packaging, the prime cut of sirloin is the blistering, battering ram a.k.a. the trombone. If our man had been on the Jericho gig, the trumpet section would have had the day off.

An Ellington Big Band Special - Sunday at seven

Tony Eales, a long-standing friend of BSH, got in touch to remind us that the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra can be heard this evening playing Duke Ellington on BBC Radio 2. The Beeb's much missed Big Band Special recorded the show way back in 2005. This evening, as part of October's Black History Month celebrations, Sunday Night is Music Night will once again broadcast the event billed Black, Brown & Beige: The Music of Duke Ellington. Pianist Wayne Marshall conducts the orchestra with singer Kim Cresswell taking a starring role. Tune in at seven o'clock. 

Russell 

Retro album review: Alan Clare Trio - Jazz Around the Clock & The Alan Clare Trio w. Bob Burns

Alan Clare (piano); Kenny Napper (bass); Eddie Taylor/Bobby Kevin (drums) + Don Rendell (tenor sax); Ray Premru (bass trumpet); Bob Efford (tenor sax); Bob Burns (alto sax) - 1 track each.

Jazz Around the Clock features Alan Clare - surely one of the all-time British piano greats - in trio format as well as with the above guests, It's an absolute gem. How long it's been lying dormant among my CDs  I don't know but, as it was released in 2005, I guess for at least 10 years. How could I have been so negligent? I certainly intend to make up for it.

Paper Moon Duo @ Prohibition Bar - Oct. 24

John Wilson (guitar); Jude Murphy (bass guitar, flute, vocals) + Dave Weisser (vocals)

And then there were three. The advertised Paper Moon Trio turned out to be the duo of multi-instrumentalist Jude Murphy and the venerable John Wilson. Later, our duo would be joined on one number only by a very special guest. Prohibition Bar was, as usual, on top of the social distancing thing. Mitch and co continue to lead the way...

Lest we forget - as if!

I got to thinking the other day - or was it last year? - about some of the characters that have been part of the northeast jazz scene during the course of my lifetime. I've only picked out those who are no longer with us to avoid a libel action or getting filled in.

They weren't always the best or the worst on their instrument but they all had one thing in common - they were individuals. They were what jazz musicians were when jazz musicians were, shall we say, jazz musicians. Their sounds were as identifiable as their speech. They didn't learn to play the blues or blow bop or Dixieland at college but instead it was in the clubs and bars with like-minded wannabees. So, working on a one per instrument, here are my choices:

That 'must have' is now a 'have got'!

It's Record Store Day. You've got to support your local record shop, haven't you? Anything by Thelonious Monk is a 'must' and the much heralded Palo Alto recording fell into that category. There it was on display in JG Windows, all 180g vinyl of it. Don't say: Well, You Needn't and Don't Blame Me, the Impulse! album now takes pride of place in the collection.

Russell

Vinyl here, vinyl there...

Today (Saturday 24) is Record Store Day. What?! Hasn't there already been a Record Store Day this year? Come to think of it, hasn't there been not one but two Record Store Days? Yes, and today is the third of them. The pandemic scuppered the original date back in April so, determined not to be defeated, independent record shops have bounced back, time and again. Doors open early today with many goodies on offer. 

On Air Abbie - Saturday

Today (Saturday) at noon be sure to tune in to Colin Muirhead's Jazz on the Tyne programme. Drummer Abbie Finn talks to Colin about her new album Northern Perspective and other matters. CAPNE's Hive Radio station is based in BSH's heartland, Jarrow, South Tyneside. To listen visit: wwwcapne.org or see Abbie's Facebook page. 

Russell

Kellock kicks off label's UK Launch

(Press release)

Award-winning Scottish pianist Brian Kellock spearheads the UK launch on 30th October of New Zealand-based Thick Records, with two of the label’s three initial releases featuring the Edinburgh-born, Glasgow-based Kellock’s talents.

The launch is built around Think About It! - the long overdue follow-up to Kellock and his trio’s 2002 BBC Jazz Award-winning album, Live at Henry’s – and includes two albums by label owner and drummer, John Rae.