John Hallam (clt/sax), Thomas "Spats" Langham (gtr/bjo/vcl), Roy Cansdale (bass), Paul Adams (dms)
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Bebop Spoken There
Marc Myers: " If the original group with Baker was Dover sole, the group with Brookmeyer was beef stew." - (JazzWax, December 7, 2019).

Today Monday December 9
Afternoon
Jazz
Jazz in the Afternoon - Cullercoats Crescent Club, 1 Hudleston, Cullercoats NE30 4QS. Tel: 0191 253 0242. 1:00pm. Free admission.
Evening
St Cuth’s Big Band - St Cuthbert’s Society, 12 South Bailey, Durham DH1 3EE. 8:00pm. Free (donations). St Cuth’s Big Band ‘Christmas Concert’. Concert in dining hall, licensed bar
To the best of our knowledge, details of the above events are correct but may be subject to alteration.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010
"Theatre by the Lake" in Keswick An evening with John Hallam and friends, featuring "Spats" Langham. March 21.
John Hallam (clt/sax), Thomas "Spats" Langham (gtr/bjo/vcl), Roy Cansdale (bass), Paul Adams (dms)
You might want to watch BBC4 on Friday evening...
22:00 Arena - Frank Sinatra.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Kairos 4tet - Schmazz @ The Cluny.
On a non-musical note and this is a crit that applies to many local bands - is it really necessary to introduce the band five times during a gig?
On another, more sombre note, Paul Bream announced that Schmazz has lost its supportive grant from the Arts Council...
Lance.
Ruth Lambert Quintet @ Queen's Hall Hexham this Thursday April 1 - No foolin'!
Farewell Herb Ellis - Aged 88.
Tribute site.
Tonight Schmazz @ The Cluny - Kairos 4tet/Big Band @ Ryton/1954 Band @ Customs House
Reflecting on the Festival
Monday, March 29, 2010
Zoe and Andy Spice it up on Wednesday.
Saturday at the Sage Gateshead Jazz festival Gwilym Simcock and Massed Voices
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Splinter Group - Splinter @ The Bridge. A brief review by J and K.
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra - Gateshead Jazz Festival
Most people that I spoke to, including myself - yes I talk to myself - had reservations about the wisdom of including Rhapsody in Blue in a jazz festival programme. The same people probably questioned the validity of last years pairing of Guy Barker with the Northern Sinfonia and look how wrong they proved to be!
Meanwhile, on the Concourse...
The Raymond Scott Experience - the Stu Brown Sextet.
From my seat in the stalls of Hall Two I watched clips of a forthcoming documentary on Scott by his son, Stan Warnow, who introduced the concert. The clips faded and the stage lights came up to reveal the Stu Brown Sextet who then went into some of Scott's original scores playing it absolutely authentically.
There were more clips this time of Looney Tunes cartoons of which Raymond Scott provided the background music plus a slide compilation of drawings by schoolchildren who had drawn them as a reaction to the music played.
The Stu Brown Sextet played their contemporary versions of Scott classics and, as Scott was a pioneering force in developing musical electronics so the sextet did likewise.
One doomy theme played on a 'Wind Synthesiser' was commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council - why wasn't I surprised?
Still it was an enjoyable couple of hours of escapism that drew attention to the memory of a largely forgotten figure.
Lance.
Artistry in Pastels
RIP Diz Disley & Kenny Baldock.

LondonJazz reports the deaths on the same day, March 22nd, of two stalwarts of the British jazz scene, both of whom were born in 1931.
Abdullah Ibrahim's Ekaya @ The Gateshead Jazz Festival
Afternoon Delights @ The Gateshead Jazz Festival

Picture bottom left of Brass Jaw is by official Sage photographer Mark Savage and is not for use in events unrelated to The Sage.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
VOTNJO with Jason Yarde at the Sage Gateshead Jazz Festival.
Unprogrammed Jazz Festival Event This Morning.
Friday, March 26, 2010
DAMMING JERRY - and THE SPATIAL AKA ORCHESTRA
The evening started with the best of intentions. Rather than go to see the Stan Tracey Octet with all the serious jazz fans I know, I took my family to see Jerry Dammers and the Spatial AKA Orchestra. The five star review in The Guardian had promised an accessible mixture of jazz, ska and reggae, ideal for the jazz resistant men in my life.
Pictures above are by official Sage photographer Mark Savage and are not for use in events unrelated to The Sage.
Gateshead International Jazz Festival Stan Tracey Octet
Both were superb works showing the soloists off to perfection. All 3 saxes played their butt off but Mark Nightingale was slightly under-miked in the first set. He made up for it in the second.
Guy Barker played some nice things whilst Andy Cleyndert was a tower of strength on bass. On drums, Tracey fils drove things along without being over-bearing as well as soloing with his usual dexterity.
As for his dad, Stan played very little solowise but what he did came across as meaningful whilst his comping gave the soloists a cushion to blow on
The Amandia Suite was a rather strange idea being commissioned by NALGO to celebrate the union merging with UNISON. I'm led to believe NALGO Gruppenfuhrer at the time, Paul Bream, was behind the decision to approach Stan Tracey and it certainly paid off with some exciting ensembles, riveting solos and interesting themes.
The crowd demanded more and they got it in the form of a quick blast and a couple of choruses all round on Blue Monk
They won't come much better than this.
Earlier, Alyn Shipton had interviewed Stan on his life in jazz which included a long stint as the house pianist at Ronnie Scott's backing a wide range of visiting Americans. He also revealed that he had a lot of time and admiration for Acker Bilk which probably surprised a few people.
The Festival opened with a percussion ensemble - Principle 3 - doing some lively latin things.
They were popular and gave off good vibes for what was to follow.
Lance.
Click here for weekend programme in full.
Ray Chester Big Band @ Mill View Social Club, Fulwell, Sunderland. March 25th.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Maine Street Jazzmen @ Rosie's (Rosie Malone's, South Shields.)
Lance.
PS: A well known local guitarist bought me a drink. GG, as I will refer to him as, has a Hagstrom D'Aquisto. arch-topped oval holed guitar that is looking to enhance some suitable ensemble...
Vieux Carre Jazzmen @ The Newton Park, Benton. March 24th.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Customs House Big Band with Ruth Lambert @ Customs House, South Shields. March 24
Stardust didn't bother me and I applaud the attempt to present it differently Artie Shaw still rules on that one though.
What did knock me out was the rich and lush arrangement of Warm Feeling - it had just that!
Customs House Big Band with Ruth Lambert @ Customs House, South Shields. March 23.
Tonight at the Customs House - Customs House Big Band with Ruth Lambert
Tom Sawyer in Tenerife

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Gateshead International Jazz Festival Preview - Abdullah Ibrahim
A symbol of South Africa’s rich musical heritage and its political struggles, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim has created a distinctive sound, combining the rich harmonies and traditions of South Africa’s township music with the openness and creativity of jazz. From luminous, gospel-like anthems to hypnotic rhythmic vamps, his music is melodic, approachable and absolutely compelling. In this one-off performance, the great pianist brings his seven-piece band Ekaya to the UK for the first time in many years, playing material from landmark albums such as African River and Capetown Flowers.
“People don't like Abdullah Ibrahim, they adore him, bestowing on him the devotion normally reserved for Nina Simone. When he plays, melodies tumble out effortlessly, as he slides from theme to theme like a laid-back South African reincarnation of Thelonious Monk.” The Guardian