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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00.
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.

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, March 26, 2012

Gateshead International Jazz Festival Saturday March 24th Life Is for Living: The Peggy Lee Project Gwyneth Herbert and The Buck Clayton Legacy Band

Gwyneth Herbert (vcl); Alan Barnes, Matthias Seuffert (reeds); Menno Daams, Ian Smith (tpts); Adrian Fry (tmb); Martin Litton (pno); Martin Wheatley (gtr); Alyn Shipton (bs); Bobby Worth (dms) 
Photo courtesy of Sage, Gateshead.
The three tiers of Hall 2 were full for this very entertaining event which was suitable for all Peggy Lee fans, and others who like to hear popular songs, well sung. There was even a pre-concert talk, in which Gwyneth Herbert and bassist/broadcaster  Alyn Shipton, told us about the project, including a film clip of Peggy Lee with Judy Garland. The whole event was presided over by a large projected photograph of the good-looking lady herself, sitting with a pile of her own vinyl. I suspect Ms Lee would have been amused by all this.
Gwyneth Herbert was dressed for the occasion in a neat blue dress with white spots and trimmings (not as pictured), which was in the 1940’s style, so I’m told by Lance (fashion expert). During the talk, Ms Herbert had emphasised how Peggy Lee used to sing the lyrics to truly express the meaning, and yet managed to make the song her own. I think Ms Herbert also achieved this end, by celebrating the songs, without trying to sound like Peggy Lee herself.
The Buck Clayton Legacy Band kicked off with a stirring tune - The Bowery Bunch - then came The Black Sheep Blues, with effective solos from the rhythm section. Ms Herbert entered, doing a fast-paced Ridin’ High and an amusing I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City. Other songs included What’s New, (Originally recorded in 1956) with a well played trumpet solo; Peggy Lee’s first hit from the 1940’s, Why Don’t You Do Right?, which was a chance for Alan Barnes to recreate the Benny Goodman role. 
The songs were those from the 1940’s, 50’s and early 60’s. I would have loved to hear the classics that everyone knows, such as Till There Was You, and The Folks Who Live on the Hill, but those songs perhaps wouldn’t quite fit into the project's aims. We had Blues in the Night, and of course Fever, which is a hard act to follow, after Ms Lee’s version. Ms Herbert did well on the amusingly cynical cabaret type song Is That All There Is? a good version of Life is for Living, and the performance ended with an encore of It’s Been a Long, Long Time.
The band did their stuff really well, with many short solos during the instrumentals, especially on Sir Humphrey, A tune by Buck Clayton written in tribute to "Sir" Humphrey Lyttelton. The whole event was thoroughly enjoyable, and also educational for people interested in singing jazz.
Ann Alex.
(Photo by James Pfapp.)

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