Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

19,012 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 876 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 16) 55.

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

October.

Sat 17: SunOrbitUs @ Culture House, Sunderland. 11:00am - 5:00pm. Closing event in a year-long piece of music. 11:00am-1:00pm Improvisation workshop w. Faye MacCalman; 2:00-5:00pm Collective Improvised Performance by Sunderland residents. SOLD OUT!
Sat 17: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 17: Martin Taylor @ Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £48.72; £43.37. Solo guitar. SOLD OUT!

Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Jump jive.
Sun 18: Guisborough Big Band @ Redcar Rugby Club. 5:00-8:00pm. ‘Charity Big Band Birthday Bash’ in aid of Parkinson’s UK & Young Sounds UK. Free (donations on the door).
Sun 18: Martin Taylor @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £23.30. Solo guitar.
Sun 18: Ben Crosland Quartet with Steve Waterman @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Pete Tanton (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Tue 20: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Head, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Tickets from Tully’s, Rothbury. Coquetdale Jazz. Note change of venue.
Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Scotty Adair.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: FILM: Blue Moon @ Washington Arts Centre. 1:00pm. £4.50 (inc. bf). Biopic of lyricist Lorenz Hart.
Wed 21: De'Sean Jones’ Urban Art Orchestra @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.; £5.00. student, unwaged; free to Mercury Awards ticket holders. De'Sean Jones (tenor sax, EWI); Tjoe Man Cheung (guitar); Mikele Montolli (double bass) + others TBA.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 21: Roby Glod-Steve Sewell Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Thu 22: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 22: Mercury Prize @ Utility Arena Newcastle. 8:00pm. £60.25.; £48.75. Line-up inc. Knats.
Thu 22: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bandstand!, Exhibition Park, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.20 (inc. bf) via Instagram. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Thu 22: Olly Styles Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.75.

Fri 23: Sara Oschlag w. Arnie Somogyi Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); John Hirst (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ Gala Theatre, Durham. 1:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Maja Bugge & Dave Evans @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.
Fri 23: Knats @ King Street Social Club, North Shields. 7:00pm. £17.00., £14.70., £11.30., £5.50. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Fri 23: Sara Oschlag & Arnie Somogyi w. Ben Lawrence @ Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. Sara Oschlag (vocals); Ben Lawrence (keyboards); Arnie Somogyi (double bass).
Fri 23: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ Redhills, Durham. 8:00pm. James Pearson (piano); Sam Burgess (double bass); Chris Higginbottom (drums); Alex Garnett (sax); Polly Gibbons (vocals). Durham Jazz Festival. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: SwanNek + Jacob Egglestone @ Fabio’s Bar, Durham. 9:00pm. Durham Jazz Festival.

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