Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 2026)

The Things They Say!

This is a good opportunity to say thanks to BSH for their support of the jazz scene in the North East (and beyond) - it's no exaggeration to say that if it wasn't for them many, many fine musicians, bands and projects across a huge cross section of jazz wouldn't be getting reviewed at all, because we're in the "desolate"(!) North. (M & SSBB on F/book 23/12/24)

Postage

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

Reviewers wanted

Whilst BSH attempts to cover as many gigs, festivals and albums as possible, to make the site even more comprehensive we need more 'boots on the ground' to cover the albums seeking review - a large percentage of which never get heard - report on gigs or just to air your views on anything jazz related. Interested? then please get in touch. Contact details are on the blog. Look forward to hearing from you. Lance

From This Moment On

August

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Yaron Herman Trio & Tom Cawley's 'Curios'. The Sage

This was one of those last minute decisions that saw me transported, as if by magic carpet, to the Sage. I'd heard 'Curios' earlier in the year at Scarborough so I knew what to expect. Aggression tempered with tenderness and it was the tender moments that won through for me even if I found it a little strange, or should I say 'curious', that pianist Tom Cawley chose to dedicate one of those delicate moments to an unemployed Formula One driver - Jenson Button! Another moment of rare beauty was a piece called "Truce". This simply cried out for it to be played alongside an appropriate poem - come in Keith or Angela.
Yaron Herman was something else again! He played total piano in the two-fisted way that Peterson and Tatum did; utilising the whole keyboard and even doing a Monk (Thelonius) like dance when the tension became almost unbearable. Of Israeli origin, he beautifully incorporated "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" into one of his national folk songs. It could have been arranged by Delius or Debussy such was the harmonic texture.
Bass and drums blended in well and, unlike their 'Curios' counterparts they swung when it was necessary that they 'swung'. In fairness to 'Curios', swinging isn't high up on their list of priorities.
A different, yet nonetheless enjoyable,night.

2 comments :

cptfinch said...

A highlight, I thought, was when Yaron played Toxic by Britney Spears - although his gyrating and singing a la Keith Jarrett made it a bit obvious who his influence is.

Anonymous said...

Yeah - that was something else! I didn't mind the gyratingl in fact a bit of gyrating from 'Curios' might have made it easier for me to stay awake!

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