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HOWAY THE LADS!

Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sat 15: Hot Teapots @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm.
Sat 15: Lagos to Longbenton + Belladonna @ Whitley Bay Big Social, Whitley Road, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Afrobeat/jazz fusion + soul/funk/R&B
Sat 15: Creakin’ Bones @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: Is This Jazz? @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Performances by Mu Quintet, Jinjé, A Brief Utopia, John Pope & Co + André Marmot (author of Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion) in conversation + DJ sets ‘til 3:00am. ‘A Festival of New Jazz’.
Sat 15: Vintage Explosion @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 15: Alligator Gumbo @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Sat 15: One Night Standards @ The White Room, Stanley. 8:00pm. £8.67 (inc. bf). Note - previously advertised Salty Dogs cancelled.
Sat 15: Howlin’ Mat @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Blues guitar.

Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: Pearl Blossoms @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Ragtime.
Sun 16: Hot 8 Brass Band @ Wylam Brewery. 7:30pm. ‘Big Tuba Tour’.
Sun 16: ARQ @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 16: Air4ce @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:30pm (8:00pm doors). £12.00.; £10.00. Tom Atkinson’s all-star band (line-up inc. Lindsay Hannon & Sue Ferris).
Sun 16: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Jamie Toms Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Laurence Harrison, Paul Grainger, Tim Johnston.
Tue 18: Phil Bancroft’s Beautiful Storm @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20 & £11.00.. A JNE-Gem Arts co-promotion.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Nicknames.
Thu 20: Terri Green Experience @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £15.90.
Thu 20: Lindsay Hannon Trio @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Hannon’s ‘Tom Waits for No Man’ set.
Thu 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 21: Paul Skerritt @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Giles Strong Quartet @ 1719, Hendon, Sunderland. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Fri 21: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Featuring special guest Martin Litton (piano).

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 13, 2013

CD Review: Tom Kennedy – Just Play

Tom Kennedy (bs); George Garzone (ten); Renee Rosnes (pno); Dave Weckl (dms) + Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour (gtr); John Allred (tmb); Steve Witts (ten).
(Review by Dave Brownlow.)
This album “Just Play” is an unashamedly swinging session led by bassist-extraordinaire Tom Kennedy where he and several friends, accomplished players all, enjoy work-outs on classic material.
The core group is a quartet comprising George Garzone on tenor, Renee Rosnes on piano, Dave Weckl, drums and the leader on acoustic bass, supplemented on separate tracks by Mike Stern on guitar, Tim Hagans on trumpet, Lee Ritenour on guitar, John Allred trombone, and Steve Wirts, tenor.
Sonny Rollins’ Airegin starts us off at a furious tempo with an unpredictable solo from Garzone and a horn-like one from Kennedy himself. Lee Ritenour is next featured on Bobby Timmons’ Moanin with soulful work from the whole quintet. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes follows, featuring Hagans, Allred and Wirts augmenting the quartet into  a nicely arranged performance in which Weckl’s drums “sparkle”. The tempo slows next for a Garzone rendition of Lee Morgan’s Ceora also featuring Rosnes airy, tasteful and flowing piano solo.
On his own One Liners, Mike Stern joins the group for this high energy swinger. Mike uses a distinctive, slightly distorted guitar tone which is reminiscent of Hiram Bullock’s work in Gil Evans’ freewheeling ensemble at The Sweet Basil .This cranks up the excitement level leading into a Rosnes solo which takes one in and out of “Tyner Country” with fleet-fingered right hand work over those memorable tri-tone left hand chords. Duke Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood follows next at a lively tempo featuring the whole quartet.
Kennedy himself begins Bolivia with Cedar Walton’s familiar opening bass line and continues with a formidable solo showcasing his “monster chops. Renee Rosnes is herself featured next in a beautifully re-harmonised trio version of Brubeck’s In Your Own Sweet Way. Renee’s playing reminds one of Al Haig’s style, with graceful melodic ideas and well spaced-out phrases, combining with a lovely touch at the keyboard making the piano “sing”. Dave would have liked this track…..The album closes with a Rollins Trio-style (tenor/bass/drums) version of What Is This Thing Called Love which allows Garzone great freedom without any chordal support from piano or guitar. Here he goes “inside and outside” on these well-known changes, challenging drummer Weckl to some fiery exchanges en route.
As a bassist Tom Kennedy has the lot. A remarkable technique enables him to hold the rhythm section together whatever the tempo, and take solos which are horn-like in their construction. His tone is full and compelling, even cello-like when he ascends into the higher registers where his intonation is spot-on unlike some other famous players who have found it difficult to achieve ! I’ve not heard the bass played as fast since Scott La Faro’s days – in fact at times you would think Tom’s playing bass-guitar.
Overall, a most spirited and enjoyable CD where Tom’s exhortations to “Just Play” were fully realised by all concerned !
Tom Kennedy – Just Play is available on CAPRI RECORDS  #74122-2
Dave Brownlow

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