Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

From This Moment On

May

Wed 13: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 13: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 13: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 13: Hey Remember This @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Saturday, September 07, 2013

CD Review: Ollie Howell - Sutures and Stitches.

Ollie Howell (dms); Duncan Eagles (ten); Mark Perry (tpt); Matt Robinson (pno); Max Luthert (bs).
(Review by Lance)
Recorded in London, mixed in New York, this is an absolute gem of an album. Contemporary Blue Note exactly where I want my modern jazz to be!
Howell's drumming lives up to Quincy Jones remark - "An unbelievable drummer. So creative I couldn't believe it. This kid really is a 360 degree beautiful young cat that I believe has what it takes to make a life out of music."
Jimmy Cobb said, "He's loaded with talent!"
The masters have spoken and I'm not going to disagree!
What they haven't commented on is the band he's leading. Believe you me they too deserve the above accolades. Eagles is a fine blustery tenor player who could/should have been a Jazz Messenger. As it is, Eagles' work with his trio Partikel has brought him to the attention of the aficionados - this disc should draw further attention to a player who can make a happy marriage out of lyricism and aggression.
Mark Perry - plaintive, pleading, a soul crying out to be heard just as Chet and Miles often were, can also howl (Howell?) like a bebop banshee. Blakey would have snapped him up too!
Luthert is also a member of Partikel so the rapport between Eagles and himself is no surprise.
On piano Matt Robinson, a recent graduate of RAM, is rapidly making his presence felt on the UK scene.
With the exception of Dear Old Stockholm - that traditional Swedish folk song so beloved of the '50s Swedes (and Stan Getz) - Howell wrote all the compositions on this dynamic CD. 
That Howell wrote this music whilst undergoing an incredible journey of diagnosis, neuro surgeries and recoveries, which may have suggested the title of the album, is not only incredible in itself  but perhaps makes a case for the power of music over infirmity.
Ollie Howell - Sutures and Stitches is available on Whirlwind WR4636 from Sept. 23. the CD launch is at King's Place, London  on October 10. 
An extensive tour includes a Splinter gig at The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle on Sunday November 24.
Put it in your diary - it's already in mine!
Lance.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive