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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Monday, November 21, 2011

CD Review - Charles Mingus - Warner's Original Album Series.

Five classic albums in one package is something else indeed. The five discs from the Atlantic label are Pithecanthropus Erectus, Tonight At Noon, The Clown, Blues and Roots and Oh Yeah - Oh yeah this is verily a magnificent collection of some of the best work by a great band, composer and bassist (and pianist) - Charles Mingus.
How can you rate these other than 10 star plus? Each album, each track, each chorus, each bar is there to savour - these should be in every collection. I even love the cool narration by Jean Shepherd on The Clown. It brings back memories of drinking beer in The Kelly on a Wednesday afternoon with Bill Shaw, Charlie Carmichael and whichever musicians were footloose and thirsty at that time of day. Invariably we would troop back to our place and listen to LPs (Mingus was frequently on the turntable) whilst my long-suffering wife would serve us sobering coffee when she came home from work.
Oh Yeah is unique inasmuch as it is Mingus on piano and vocal (Doug Watkins on bass - how frightening must that have been for him?) Roland Kirk plays everything - usually all at once!
Blues and Roots - the churchy Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting with Booker Ervin and John Handy playing out of their skulls. My Jelly Roll Soul full of affectionate humour and respect for Jelly Roll Morton. Horace Parlan's piano, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Knepper...
Pithecanthropus Erectus - More McLean plus J.R.Montrose on tenor. A Foggy Day - complete with foghorns, police whistles, sirens, taxicab horns and, more importantly an atmospheric Jackie McLean solo.
Tonight at Noon - has some melodic Jimmy Knepper, as well as fiery Shafi Hadi and is a worthy member of this quintology of albums.Knepper, incidentally, was a tower of strength throughout as was drummer Danny Richmond and the leader himself. whose bass playing is still a yardstick today.
The 5 cd set - Charles Mingus Original Album Series - is available from Nov 28.
Lance.

1 comment :

Frances said...

Thank you for this review! I reaaly like the works of Charles Mingus! Doubtfully he is very talented.

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