Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

CD Review: Pigfoot - 21st Century Acid Trad.

Chris Batchelor (tpt); Liam Noble (pno); Oren Marshall (tuba); Paul Clarvis (dms).
(Review by Lance)
Acid Rock, Acid Jazz and now Acid Trad!
I can hear Jelly Roll Morten claiming, as he rolls over in his grave," Acid Trad? I sure didn't invent that. I invented most of them but I don't recall inventing that one. Maybe it was that ofay cat Ropollo who went nuts." 
Two CDs in the same vein but oh so far apart. 
The previous review of the Danish band was of a respectful and innovative take on earlier jazz. This isn't.
Four musicians who's talents should have been much better employed at doing what they do best - playing modern/contemporary - rather than this attempt to put a Formula One engine into a Model T.
In fairness, the solos are okay. Removed from the context of this CD - Noble's take on Tennessee Waltz in particular would impress anywhere - but, I'm sorry, if I'd listened to this before I heard the Danish disc I may have been more sympathetic towards it. 
Doesn't bring home the bacon so I'll settle for a bottle of beer and pass on the pigfoot..
Lance

5 comments :

Unknown said...

2/3rd of the review is devoted to chastising Pigfoot for doing something original? Is this a parody?

Lance said...

To me it is. Four great musicians whose talents I felt should have been channelled in a more contemporary groove, I'll stick with the earlier classic versions. However, if this disc brings awareness of the past to the present generation of jazz listeners then I'll rethink my views.

Anonymous said...

Hey Lance, if what these musicians are playing is what you call 'modern/contemporary' and if this involves innovation and if innovation means changing things, then aren't they doing something entirely appropriate for the kind of musicians that they are? Your analogy ('putting a Formula One engine into a Model T') suggests that what they're doing is inappropriate and it does so by way of a rather conservative idea that different types of music (like different types of cars) should be kept apart. To me, this notion that forms shouldn't be mixed and that experiments shouldn't take place is really the antithesis of jazz. I think the Pigfoot album is the most exciting one I've heard for a long while and I have to say I think you've misheard it here.

Lance said...

You could be right! I've played it a few times and I must confess to softening towards it albeit I'm still not at the "most exciting album" stage yet! I still prefer Satchmo's Basin Street Blues although I'll grant you that Pigfeet have the edge on Pee Wee Hunt when it comes to Twelfth Street Rag.

Anonymous said...

Great Lance, I'm glad it's growing on you.

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