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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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

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.

January 2025

Wed 01: ???

Thu 02: ???

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

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

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

CD Review: Resonance - Introductions

Stephen McQuarry (pno/ldr/comp); Georgianna Kreiger (saxes); Ted Burik (bs); Greg German (dms); Laura Austin Wiley (vcl/fl/picc); Nancy Bien (cello); Michelle Mastin (vla); Michelle Walther (vln).
(Review by Lance).
An intriguing disc! Not quite sure how to categorise it - lift music it ain't! It's contemporary for sure. It straddles a lot of borders - jazz, classical, popular and maybe others.
The strength of the album lies in the compositions and arrangements of pianist McQuarry. The instrumentation combines a jazz quartet with a string trio plus flautist/vocalist Wiley.. With all these permutations at hand no wonder McQuarry came up with a near unique sound. If these three guys and five gals had been bigger names reviewers may have compared them to Miles' 1949 Nonet. I won't go that far 'cept to say that McQuarry has a future in both composition and arranging. He plays fine piano too!
Kreiger blows some lovely baritone on Sentimental Mood and Wiley's fluting is up there. Nice voice too and I don't use 'nice' in a condescending manner - it is nice, a cool drink on a hot day.  Walther fiddles frantically on So What where Kreiger has another great blast (Cantaloupe Island was in there somewhere)..
Eleanor Rigby has hints of the Beatles in the string writing. and the horns play an almost fugue-like take on the melody with McQuarry's solo the icing.
But how's about this - Gustav Holst's Jupiter from the Planets Suite is also in there! This just happened to be the school hymn of my seat of learning - Jarrow Central School - it brought a tear to my eye (no it didn't ) I really wanted them to kick the tune around like the teachers kicked around my inability to absorb Pythagoras' theory - pies weren't square they were round in our household. They didn't kick it around they showed respect which is what, maybe, I should have done!
The music grows on you like a first meeting. Should you see him/her again. You see him/her again and think, hey this is ok and somewhere down the line you're married.
I'm not suggesting this CD will take you to the musical altar but you will enjoy the dalliance.
Resonance - Introductions hits the streets on August 6 on Mandala Records.
Lance.
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