Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 2025).

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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Lapwing Jazz Trio @ Three Sheets to the Wind, Alnwick. 5:15pm or 5:45pm (times tbc). Part of the Alnwick Story Festival's music fringe programme: Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Joseph O’Brien: The Ultimate Tribute to Frank Sinatra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. O’Brien & seven piece band (inc. Wendy Kirkland, Jim Corry & Pat Sprakes).
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 02: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £10.00. Day 3/3.
Sun 02: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 02: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free (donations).
Sun 02: Side Café Orkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Derwentwater Road, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 02: Milne Glendinning Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 6:30pm.
Sun 02: Bella by Barlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 02: Ali Watson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Discs to Die For. New Posts.

Paul Edis, that eternal optimist and piano wiz, suggested we submit lists of our favourite albums. I'm not sure what criteria he had in mind; perhaps "Kind of Blue" should be excluded to give the rest a chance.
However, Paul wasn't thinking in terms of a popularity poll, rather a few recomendations from other people.
Discs that have already been chosen are excluded, a maximum of five per person and stipulate that only one disc per artist is on each list.
So far we have 80 discs - it would be nice to make it 100 which means four more lists. Go for it! This is the latest posting - From Chris Yates.
Jelly Roll Morton Red Hot Peppers (1926 sessions - in many formats).
Duke Ellington: 'The Webster-Blanton Band' (3 CD set on Bluebird).
Louis Armstrong Plays W.C.Handy.
Charles Mingus, 'The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady.
Horace Silver, 'Song for My Father'.
-----
Lance

23 comments :

Roly said...

Roly's choice - -
Richie Kamuca/Mundel Lowe 'Richie'
Jim Hall/Ron Carter 'Alone Together'
Bix - the Singing the Blues/I'm coming Virginia session.
Wes Montgomery/Johnny Griffin 'Life at Zsubo's.
Ornette Coleman/Pat Metheny - Song X

Anonymous said...

Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots
Coleman Hawkins - The Stanley Dance Session
Ben Webster - The Quintet Sessions
Barry Harris Trio - Live At The Jazz Workshop
The Great Jazz Trio - Someday My Prince Will Come

David said...

Great choices Lance - you pipped me to the post with a couple of those!

Here's my offering:

Steps Ahead - Smokin in the Pit
Dexter Gordon - Go!
John Coltrane - Blue Trane
Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage
Miles - The Complete Comcert 1964 (I know this is slightly cheating because its really two albums but I first bought it as a double CD so I'm sticking with it!)

I'll probably have a new list next week but I always come back to these beauties!

John T said...

Carol Kidd - When I dream
Blossom Dearie - Blossom time at Ronnie Scott's
Buddy Rich - Big Swing Face
Ben Webster - Soulville
Jim Tomlinson - The Lyric

Liz said...

As a non musician I feel a bit daunted to enter my choices, but here goes. If we are talking desert island choice, then mine is really quite simple. A 7 CD boxed set of the complete Concord recordings of Mel Tormé & George Shearing. Each of these discs has everything I could ever want in musical magic. Whenever I play them I get such an uplifting sensation, and whatever life has chucked at me that day, it makes it all go away, it is quite simply my raison d'etre.

Lance said...

Liz, I'm not sure if a 7 CD set counts as one disc! However, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt seeing as how you live in York and Paul, who thought up this idea, does have Yorkist connections.
If I personally had to choose one track from the boxed set it would be "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square."

Liz said...

Your taste is impeccable Lance, that track is quite sublime.
So, if I'm allowed 4 more discs here they are:
Ella Sings Cole Porter.
Frank "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning".
Django/Stephane "Stars of the Hot Club".
Tony Bennett/Bill Evans "Together Again"

cptfinch said...

Hampton Hawes Trio Volume 1 (anything by Hampton could go here)
Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Bill Evans, Waltz for Debbie
Freddie Redd, the Connection (what I like is Freddie's compositions and Jackie Mclean's playing)

Paul said...

Right I'd better get my choices in here as some of them have already been taken..

Tony Bennet/Bill Evans Album [with Days of Wine and Roses etc]
Donald Brown - Car Tunes
Charles Mingus - Ah Um [might seem obvious but no one has put it down]
Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet - [the one with Joy Spring, Jordu etc]
Joshua Redman - Elastic [with Jazz Crimes etc - fantastic]

J.McD said...

1. Art Tatum/BenWebster Quartet - Gone with the Wind.
2. Thelonius Monk - Criss Cross.
3. Charles Mingus - Ah Um.
4. Ella Fitzgerald with Ellis Larkins - Songs in a Mellow Mood.
5. Charlie Rouse - Yeah!

Each one a gem!

Miles said...

Louis Armstrong Hot 5 & 7, where it all began.
Trumpet Kings at Montreux 1975, Roy, Diz & Clark bowing the roof off.
The Atomic Mr. Basie, nuff said.
Buck Clayton Jam Session, Buck & Co making it sound easy.
Clifford Brown Joy Spring, What it might have been.

Unknown said...

I can well understand the Kind of Blue embargo, and for similar reasons I'll impose my own on A Love Supreme, Mingus Ah Um!, Brilliant Corners and Saxophone Colossus. There are so many Discs to Die For, and any five out of about two dozen would keep me happy for a long time.

What I'll do then is select five that probably aren't all that obvious, all of which mean a lot to me and in their own different ways represent the finest qualities of this wonderful music:

Gerry Mulligan - Night Lights
MJQ - The Last Concert
Jan Garbarek - Afric Pepperbird
Walt Dickerson - Tell Us Only The Beautiful Things
Bobby Previte - Hue And Cry

Anonymous said...

OK Lance,

This is a hard one...there should be a Louis & a Parker in there, but I would want a mix, with some dixieland and big band.

1) The Great 16 (Muggsy Spanier at his best)
2) Norman Granz Jazz At The Phil "Stardust" with Charlie Shavers & Hamp..great show stuff and entertainment.
3) Ellington At Newport, The excitement Of The Ellington Band Live and the great Paul Gonsalves.
4) The Benny Goodman Sextet's & Septets With Cootie and Charlie Christian.
5) The Atomic Mr Basie.

That gives me a fair mix, with a couple of fun classic live albums.

Colin (Hong Kong)

Lance said...

Thanks Colin but we've already got Atomic Mister Basie so you can have a bonus selection.

Anonymous said...

HI Lance,

Missed that one, OK, I'll go for a bit more classic jazz, with Tommy Ladnier, Bechet, Mezzrow, Frankie Newton, Pete Brown, Teddy Bunn, James P etc, grt back to the roots...

The Panassie Sessions

russell said...

Hi Lance

The following aren't my all time favourites - they are however on the turntable on a regular basis.

Art Blakey - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers ( Lee Morgan's intro and solo on the opening number '' Moanin' '' is as good as it gets ).

Miles Davis - Miles Davis Live in Europe ( a lo-fi recording at the Antibes Jazz Festival, nevertheless I prefer live sets ).

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Kirkatron ( a consistently high level of performance throughout from Roland ).

Joe Pass - Live at Long Beach City College ( sublime ).

Wynton Marsalis - Wynton Marsalis Quartet Live at Blues Alley ( a two LP set - for those who doubt Marsalis' credentials this album will dispel them ! ).

Russell

Phil Portus said...

Hi Lance
The late arriver to this Blog, asking for 5 of the best has a more difficult job ….since a lot of the classics jazz albums have been mentioned. Anyway!
I play piano….. so there may be a bias.
1. Here is Bobby Timmons - Bobby Timmons – Some great tracks including Moanin’ – piano trio version
2. The Mountain – Abdullah Ibrahim – The tracks, The Mountain and The Wedding are particularly haunting
3. The Awakening – Ahmad Jamel – Just great piano trio
4. Work Song – Cannonball Adderley – A classic must hear album….I love Jo Zawinul’s Mercy, Mercy,Mercy…..so simple but Wow!
5. The Melody at Night With You – Keith Jarrett. He recorded this solo album after an illness….wonderful thoughtful playing.
I’d have a different list on another day…. As other people have said. I would have included Night Train by Oscar Peterson…but has already been chosen ….that is one of my all time favorites.
I’ll check out some of the lesser known to me entries from other bloggers on this project …this is a fun way to discover new albums.
Cheers
Phil Portus (Manchester)

Norman Redhead said...

J.J.Johnson/Al Grey-Things Are Getting Better All The Time.
Three Tenors-Don Byas/Paul Gonsalves/Ben Webster.
Gerry Mulligan-Presenting The Gerry Mulligan Sextet.
Coleman Hawkins-The Hawk Relaxes. Cannonball Adderley Quintet In San Francisco.

Lance said...

Charlie Byrd: Blues For Night People.
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie (The Quintet of the Year): Live at Massey Hall.
Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet.: Study In Brown.
Hank Mobley Quartet: Soul Station.
I'd probably choose 5 different ones tomorrow!
-----

Chris Y said...

Jelly Roll Morton Red Hot Peppers (1926 sessions - in many formats)
Duke Ellington: 'The Webster-Blanton Band' (3 CD set on Bluebird)
Louis Armstrong Plays W.C.Handy
Charles Mingus, 'Black Saint and Sinner Lady'
Horace Silver, 'Song for My Father'

Mal Maddock said...

1.Night Train: Oscar Peterson.
2.Potpourri: Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra.
3.Chick Corea: Light as a Feather.
4.Pat Metheny: Secret Story.
5.Stan Kenton: Artistry in Rhythm.
.....Mal Maddock

Lance said...

Good choice Mal but Night Train is already booked (by Chris Finch)so you've got one more bite!

Anonymous said...

Ok I will add
Bill Evans: With Symphony Orchestra.
Mal Maddock

Blog Archive