Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: 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 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

CD Review: Martin Wheatley - All Day Breakfast.

Hula Bluebirds: Martin Wheatley (gtrs/uke/bjo/vcl); Jake Rodriguez (gtr); Dave Croft (uke); 
Arcadians: Martin Wheatley (gtr/uke/vcl); Mike Piggott (vln/gtr); Tom Langham (gtr/vcl/uke); Roger Graham (bs);.
(Review by Lance.)
A lovely souvenir of last night's gig at the Customs House plus some gems by Wheatley's Arcadians.
A superb selection of songs familiar and otherwise. For anyone who loves that period between the wars when small group swing took over from the traditional New Orleans line-up and reigned supreme until  it was swamped by the big bands. Paradoxically, the big bands themselves often featured small group bands within a bad thus keeping the genre alive!
This is early Hot Club, Stuff Smith, Carl Kress, Teddy Bunn, Spirits of Rhythm, pre bop 52nd St. - this is the personification of swing!
Wheatley is a master of his craft, his acoustic playing a lesson in subtlety as well as demonstrating how to get the most out of a tune without pyrotechnics. Piggott too delivers the spirit of Grappelli but with the soul of Piggott..
Fascinating Rhythm has Wheatley on Hawaiian, Piggott on rhythm guitar and Langham on Uke - fascinating! Martin plays solo tenor guitar on Oh!  Varmeland, So Beautiful; banjo on Skylark; Stella By Starlight (on uke) and a mandolin based object - the Octaphone on Lullaby in Rhythm.
A gem of an album who like their jazz to be accessible, I'll be playing this very often.
Lance.
Martin Wheatley - All Day Breakfast is available here.

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