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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Lewis Watson Quartet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Latin jazz/top-rated dance bands.
Thu 06: Rose Room @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 06: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Helen Barber (vocals) & Alex Moon (piano).
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. Guests: Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Donna Hewitt (alto sax); Kevin Eland (trumpet); Graham Thompson (keys); Ron Smith (bass). 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session is now monthly, first Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Fri 07: Stuart Turner Trio @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Jazz, blues, Americana etc.
Fri 07: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 07: Rose Room @ Wylam Institute. 8:00pm. £19.67.
Fri 07: John Rowland Quartet @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. 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

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

CD Review: FRED FRIED and CORE - Core Bacharach

Fred Fried (acoustic guitar), Michael Lavoie (double bass) & Miki Matsuki (drums)
(Review by Russell).
Guitarist Fred Fried resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Gigging musician, teacher, Fried is a busy man with a substantial back catalogue documenting his craft. At school he played clarinet. It wasn't until he went to college that he first picked up a guitar and made the journey from playing six strings to seven to his present nylon eight string model made for him by luthier Steve Connor.
Core Bacharach is his tenth release as a leader. Bacharach. Yes, Burt Bacharach. Fried rightly states Bacharach’s tunes ‘are, by any definition, standards and as such hold up to varying interpretations.’ The tunes are so familiar that on first hearing them as instrumentals it proves difficult to free the mind (if indeed one should attempt to do so) of the originals and their sing-a-long lyrics. Fried cites Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery as early influences but it was, perhaps, a six month stint studying with George Van Eps that shaped his ‘conception’.
Van Eps’ pupil got to thinking ‘pianistically’ and with the addition of a low ‘A’ string below the low ‘E’ and a high ‘A’ string above the high ‘E’ expanding the range, he interchanges chords and single line improvisations with masterful sleight of hand. Bacharach’s melodies are made for the improviser. In the company of bassist Michael Lavoie and drummer Miki Matsuki  Fried respects the composer’s work but isn’t afraid to lose himself in his improvisations, secure in the knowledge that bass and drums – the trio is a previously recorded, working unit – will offer sympathetic contributions throughout. I Say a Little Prayer opens the eleven track CD with Fried’s guitar recalling the elegance of Charlie Byrd, bassist Lavoie exhibits a tasteful light touch on the first of several solos and Matsuki’s unobtrusive use of mallets is exemplary.
The Look of Love and Walk on By are given a stately treatment.  An additional chord sequence of Fried’s added to Wives and Lovers showcases the trio’s collective swing feel (tight, fizzing work from Matsuki) and on What’s New Pussycat? Lavoie’s funk vibe launches Fried on a soaring solo flight and the man from Cape Cod disappears into the distance over the Atlantic (the studio engineer’s fade out!).
Lavoie’s warm, resonant sound and Matsuki’s lush brush work on A House is Not a Home complement the leader’s introspective invention but it isn't long before the swing feel returns on Bacharach’s joyful message This Guy’s in Love With You. The set closes with a solo piece from Fried.
On first listening to the CD the thought occurred – is there an unaccompanied track by the leader? Alfie is the track. Excellent guitar playing from Fried. Excellent playing from all three musicians. A fine new CD (Fried’s back catalogue should be worth checking out), Core Bacharach by Fred Fried and CORE is available on Ballet Tree Jazz Productions. Visit www.fredfried.com
Russell.

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