Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 14: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 14: Big Joe Louis + Michael Littlefield @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00. Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Sat 14: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 15: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Jason Holcomb. Free.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Wild Women of Wylam @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 15: Yorkshire Gypsy Swing Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 16: Jasper Lo + Daniel Chandler Trio @ Little Buildings, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00. + bf.
Mon 16: Joe Steels Group @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. A Blue Patch album tour.

Tue 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £9.50. Tickets: 0191 237 3697. ‘Jazz ‘n’ Pancakes’.
Tue 17: John Pope & John Garner @ The Great Hall, Sutherland Building, Northumbria University. 1:15pm. Free. Double bass & violin.
Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Hirst (drums).

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: George Shearing Jazz Moments.

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

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

Thursday, April 10, 2014

CD Review: Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra - Strength in Numbers

Pete McGuinness (tmb/vcl/md/arr/comp); Jon Owens, Tony Kadlek, Bill Mobley, Chris Rogers (tpts); Bruce Eidem, Mark Patterson, Matt Haviland, Jeff Nelson (tmbs); Dave Pietro (alt/sop/fl), Marc Phaneuf (alt/fl); Tom Christensen (ten/fl); Jason Rigby (ten/sop/clt); Dave Reikenberg (bar/bs clt); Mike Holober (pno); Andy Eulau (bs); Scott Neumann (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Yet another fine big band from The States led by vocalist and trombonist McGuinness. With remarkable restraint, McGuinness restricts himself to only two vocal features - What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? and You Don't Know What Love is which makes one wonder what the lady's response was to the initial question! 
On trombone Trixie's Little Girl demonstrates the leader's gorgeous sound (Urbie Green or Carl Fontana spring to mind here) and Bittersweet is self explanatory. McGuinness also composed most and arranged all of the tracks including a samba version of Beautiful Dreamer - Stephen Foster would never have believed his song was still doing the rounds 150 years on! 
Apart from McGuinness, Reikenberg's baritone puts him in the TDWR category and Jeff Nelson's bass trombone solo on The Swagger reminds us that the leader isn't the only slideman in the band. Another trombone player, Bruce Eidem, manipulates the plunger a la Tricky Sam after the vocal on You Don't Know etc. inspiring McGuinness to a scat chorus. Saxes Pietro, Phaneuf and Rigby and trumpets Rogers and Mobley also make their mark. Mobley goes for it on Nasty Blues making "Nasty" very "Tasty" indeed!
Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra - Strength in Numbers now available on Summit Records.
Lance.
PS:  Lately it's been a good time for big bands. The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra CD reviewed yesterday, The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and the Norrbotten Big Band at GIJF and recent gigs by the local Customs House Big Band and the Strictly Smokin' Big Band, not to mention the Teesside big bands of which there appears to be one on every corner whilst way out west,  Hexham way...
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