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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. CANCELLED! 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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

Saturday, March 02, 2013

CD Review: Karen Mok: Somewhere I Belong


Karen Mok (vocals and guzheng); names of other musicians not given, instruments are: keys, guitar, sax, trombone, violin, bass, drums. (Review by Ann Alex)
This    This could well turn out to be my CD of the year.  Karen Mok, from Hong Kong, is said to be ‘one of the most successful Asian recording artists of all time’ and this is her début English-language album. The lady has already had 15 successful albums and has starred in over 40 films. 
Somewhere I Belong comprises; 7 jazz standards, 3 rock tracks 
jazzily, and 2 Chinese songs, of which 1 is self- penned.  The general feel of the album is intimate and seductive.  Ms Mok sings sweetly, enticingly and dramatically by turns, and on some tracks she plays a traditional Chinese guzheng, a large stringed instrument which has many tonal colours, sometimes sounding like an exotic sort of harpsichord.  The rest of the band are well-competent musicians, whom I guess are those worker bees of the musical world, session musicians, but I hope they’ll forgive me if they are all well known instrumentalists.  They contribute well, giving us effective short solos throughout the album.
Tracks which stood out include Stormy Weather, with brassy chords and guzheng indicating the storm, the sax representing sadness, and raindrops from the keys – such a clever arrangement.  Then there is the sheer fun of A Fine Romance, a fine Jerome Kern number, with such amusing words and period details of American daily life by lyricist Dorothy Fields. My absolute favourite was Moon Over Bourbon Street, which is a highly dramatic narrative, sung with an actor’s skill, with the sax, bass and keys creating a powerful moonlit atmosphere.  Ms Mok’s version of the rock song Wicked Game, shows off her wide vocal range.
I strongly recommend that BSH readers get on to YouTube immediately to watch the video of Karen Mok talking about the making of this album, with samples of the music.
The CD is released in the UK on March 11 on Decca Records.
Ann Alex 

1 comment :

Lance said...

Love your reference to session musicians as "The worker bees of the musical world" - priceless Ann!

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