Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Scarborough Jazz Festival Day Three - Afternoon

Allison Neale Quartet. Allison Neale (alt/flt), Dave Cliff (gtr), Simon Thorpe (bs), Steve Brown (dms).
Another feminine triumph as the pretty and petite alto player opens up with East of the Sun. This was cool, Pepper/Desmond sax playing - West Coast (L.A.) meets East Coast (Scarborough). Imaginative, flowing lines it was as if Allison and the sax were as one. Spring is Here was another that tugged at the emotions. Throughout Dave Cliff supported and soloed effectively - those days hanging out at Blaydon and other north-east jazz joints certainly paid off!
A gem of a set.
The Magic Hat Ensemble. Steve Chadwick (tpt/cor), Andrjej Baranek (pno), Nick Blacka (bs), Tony Ormesher (bs), Rob Turner (dms).
After taking a break to have coffee with BSH regular Liz and husband Denys I returned to the fray for one of the highlights of the weekend (in truth just about every set was a highlight!) I could write reams on this one but I'll content myself with just Darn That Dream.
A wistful, ethereal almost distant opening as the cornet searches for the meaning of the dream. Beneath him the accompanying players float - they too are searching. Gradually it builds up like a train pulling away from the station. The intensity increases the whistle blows and the dream is blown apart. This is the dream to end all dreams but it's no nightmare its a journey to the Land of Oo-bla-dee and back again then suddenly it stops and we're into the lyricism we associate with this tune. Before long though we are back on board the Superchief. Pianist and guitar trade 16's - so much more effective than 4's - until they're spent and drained. Steve Chad takes it once more into wistful world before yet another crazy ride-out.
Phew! Pass the brandy.
By way of an encore they did the fastest, wildest, shortest Misty ever!
Anita Wardell Quartet. Anita Wardell (vcl), Robin Aspland (pno), Ryan Trebilcock (bs), Steve Brown (dms).
A good straight down the middle set from a fine singer. Great standards such as - What's New?, Learnin' The Blues, It's Love, Stairway To The Stars, Willow Weep For Me, You're My Thrill, The Meaning of the Blues and finally East of the Sun. Robin Aspland is an amazing pianist in a weekend that has been full of amazing pianists some of his runs and fills behind Anita surely spurred her on to her most inspired scatting.
Need some sustenance after this afternoon's fireworks.
Lance.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive