Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: 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 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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