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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

CD Review: Felipe Salles - Ugandan Suite

(Review by Steve H).
One of the main reasons I can’t cope with wildlife programmes on TV is the ridiculous corny music that they use to accompany the various shots of a kangaroo feeding its young or a crocodile swallowing a man whole etc..  Well if they were to use a soundtrack like the music found on this album I might begin to reappraise my viewing habits.
The Brazilian Saxophone player Felipe Salles’s Ugandan Suite comprises of five movements each named after an African animal. 
The first movement The Buffalo begins with a flute introduction symbolising the birds encircling overhead the roaming cattle.  Once the horns join in we get the imagery of the rumbling beasts. This track reminded me of the McCoy Tyner Fly With the Wind album of the late 70’s. The next movement to cross our paths is one you are unlikely to forget The Elephant. Here the Baritone Sax represents this enormous creature but the  highlight of this track is the percussion apparently inspired by Ugandan circumcision dance music. We leap into movement three with The Leopard, the start of which is reminiscent of South African Jazz giant Abdullah Ibrahim before finishing in  Rollins' inspired calypso style. The Rhinoceros follows not surprisingly this is the heaviest track on the album; the percussion excels again but the twin tenor playing of Salles and Liebman is quite inspiring. The final movement The Lion does not so much roar in but the sound of rhythmic African drums leads us majestically to the core of the track where the whole ensemble produces a fairly straight ahead jazz track  before the album is drawn to a close with a delicate gentle piano finale.
This album is a magnificent fusion of Jazz, African and -South American styles. If only ‘Life on Earth’ was really like this.  Are you listening David Attenborough  this is Animal Magic? 
For more info and samples check out this Capri release here.
Steve H.
Felipe Salles; Tenor and Baritone Saxophones, Flutes, Bass Clarinet, Handclaps; David Liebman: Wooden Flute, Soprano and Tenor Saxophones; Damascus Kafumbe: (O)Mugalabe, (E) Ngom'enene, (E) Nduumi, Kadodi, Inemba, Indonyi, Mbuutu, Mpuunyi, Atin Bull, Min Bull, Ngalabi Drums, Ndingidi Tube-Fiddle, Adungu Bow-Harp, Nsaasi Gord Shakers, Madinda Xylophone; Rogerio Boccato: All Other Percussion, (E) Nduumi Drums, Handclaps; Nando Michelin: Piano, Handclaps; Keala Kaumeheiwa: Bass, Handclaps; Bertram Lehmann: Drumset, Atin Bull Drums, Handclaps; Lucas Apostoleris: Handclaps.

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