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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Friday, April 18, 2014

CD Review: Yolanda Duke - Te Llevo Bajo La Piel

Yolanda Duke (vocal); Arturo Sandoval (piano & trumpet); Champian Fulton, Ricky Gonzalez, Sonny Bravo (piano); Ruben Rodriguez, Gerry Madera (bass); Willie-Cuch Be Wictha-Martinez (drums); Jose Madera (timbales); John Rodriguez (bongo, bell, guiro); Luis Quintero (conga, bongo, guiro, bell, timbales); George Delgado (conga); Bobby Portcelli (alto sax, flute); Pete Miranda (baritone sax); Mitch Fruhman, Pete Brainin, Todd Brashore (tenor sax, flute); John Walsh, Kevin Bryan, Pete Nater,Richard Viruet (trumpet); Lewis Kahn, Noah Bless, Reynaldo Jorge, Sam Burtis (Trombone)
(Review by Ann Alex).
Yolanda Duke grew up in New York City and she has performed in venues around the world with the Tito Puente Latin Jazz Orchestra.  She is experienced in singing Latin jazz, merengue, ballads, bossa nova, salsa and bolero, and this is her latest CD.  I’m no expert in those different styles but I know a good CD when I hear it, and this is certainly tops. 
The singing is lively and exuberant and the band is superb.  And that’s saying something as all the tracks are in Spanish, with maybe some Portuguese, and 1 track in Italian, and I don’t speak those languages, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed it all. Sub-titled The Great American Songbook Goes Latino, it helped that there were 6 standards, with the Spanish titles sounding so romantic, for example, Te Llevo Bajo La Piel (I’ve Got You Under My Skin). The other standards are  Misty, What Is This Thing Called Love, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Blue Moon, and Neil Sedaka’s The Hungry Years.  The remaining 5 tracks were songs by Spanish composers. I almost wanted to go back to school to learn the language.  
The band shows split second timing with short musical comments to match the voice, and the solos, on trumpet (a rare appearance by the legendary Sandoval), piano, sax, flute and bursts of percussion, are well executed.  Ms Duke’s voice is wistful and saucy by turns, with cheeky short comments in English at the end of some songs. For instance, I’ve Got You Under My Skin has the bass trotting along with the band, lots of percussion and our singer comments at the end ‘I got you babe.’ The Spanish tune Contigo En La Distancia is slower and quieter with the piano leading.  What Is This Thing Called Love ends with our singer giving a kiss towards the microphone!  And throughout the whole disc the irresistible Latin beat goes on.  Buy this disc for your next party.
The CD was released on April 15 on the Amigos Music Co. Label.  Listen to the lady herself on her website www.yolandaduke.com 
Ann Alex.

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