Total Pageviews

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, April 22, 2013

CD Review: Eyes of a Blue Dog - Rise.

Terje Evenson (Drums/Electronics); Rory Simmons (Trumpet/Guitar/Electronic) 
Elizabeth Nygard-Pearson (Vocals).
(Review by Steve Horowitz)
Eyes of a Blue Dog is a short story written by legendary magical mystical writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez  most famous for ‘100 Years of Solitude’ (one of the greatest novels I have ever read). The band are a Nordic British Techno/Jazz combo the Scandinavian cultural influence just keeps on giving
The album begins with Mai an ambient electronic  background is interrupted by piercing trumpet setting the scene for the rest of this dream inspired album. The title track  Rise is short  and sweet and this where we are first introduced to the fascinating  vocals of Nygard This is followed by  Marble Faces another instrumental featuring trumpet  and electronics  with  great rhythmic  percussion . Track 4 - Reject the Rhapsody - is the second vocal offering on the album set against a thumping industrial rhythm.  Another vocal, Nothing Dies With You, follows and is as haunting as the title suggests. 
Little Piece of Everything features Rory Simmons on trumpet accompanied by a repetitive droning  backbeat. The Deliverance again features the stark vocals of Nygard which begins slowly but livens up with wave like crashing electronics. The penultimate track, Knee, is another vehicle for the trumpet of  Simmons complemented by more electronic wizardry evoking the search for a station on a shortwave radio. Falling concludes the album and is  almost a summary of  what has gone before - driving techno beats supplemented with harrowing Nordic vocals.
Rise is a genuine fusion of Jazz and Electronics but if techno is something you abhor I’ll doubt you will enjoy it However, anyone open to modern improvised music will be  rewarded by giving  the new  tricks of the Blue Dog a run for it’s money.
Eyes of a Blue Dog was released on the Babel label in February this year.
Steve H

No comments :

Blog Archive