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Bebop Spoken There

George Colligan: ''I think to be a successful musician, you must be versatile to make a living — until you find your niche''. (DownBeat, July 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

17,635 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 599 of them this year alone and, so far, 77 this month (July 25).

From This Moment On ...

JULY 2025

Thu 31: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm. £5.00.

AUGUST 2025

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: High St, North Bus Loop. 6:30-8:45pm. Free.
Fri 01: Matt Anderson & Friends @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £14.79.
Fri 01: Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: Town Hall & Fountain Area. 8:45-9:30pm. Free.

Sat 02: Met Office @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). £10.00.
Sat 02: Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: High St, North Bus Loop. 1:15-1:45pm & 4:15-5:00pm. Free.
Sat 02: Brass, Eye? @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: High St, North Bus Loop. 5:45-6:30pm. Free.
Sat 02: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm.
Sat 02: Brass, Eye? + Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: Town Hall & Fountain Area. 8:45-9:30pm. Free.

Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 03: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: King Bees @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. From 1:00pm. £5.00. A Gosforth Beer Festival event. Multi-bill (1:00-5:00pm). Chicago blues band.
Sun 03: The Revolutionaires @ Seaham Food Festival (North Road Amphitheatre). 1:15pm. Free. Rhythm & blues feat. Fast Eddie.
Sun 03: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ Seaham Food Festival (North Road Amphitheatre). 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 03: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: High St (Walkabout). 7:30-8:15pm. Free.
Sun 03: Redwell @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 03: Tongues of Fire @ Stockton International Riverside Festival: Trinity Green. 9:00-9:30pm. Free.

Mon 04: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 04: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel, Saltburn. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Public rehearsal session.

Tue 05: Olly Styles: Undergraduate Recital @ Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 2:00-2:40pm. Free, open to the public.
Tue 05: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 06: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 06: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Sunday, October 19, 2014

CD Review: Allison Au Quartet - The Sky Was Pale Blue Then Grey.

Allison Au (alt); Todd Pentney (pno/Rhodes/B3); Jon Maharaj (bs); Fabio Ragnelli (dms); Felicity Williams (voice tk 1).
(Review by Lance).
A Toronto based alto saxist/composer, Au plays in a quite delightful manner. Contemporary and fresh with an airy lilt to her playing the sound hints at such grandmasters of the instrument as Lee Konitz, Art Pepper or Paul Desmond. Yet Au is very much her own person. The individuality shines forth in her choice of notes, in particular the unusual intervals in her phrasing both as a player and a composer.
With a rhythm section perfectly attuned to her chosen direction the blend is assured. Pentney adds his compositional skills to that of Au with the explorative ballad Tired Face. Elsewhere he is tower of strength on piano as well as the good old Hammond B3 on the title track...
The Sky Was Pale Blue, Then Grey is, I quote, "a comprehensive experiment of mixed mediums. Combining textures of the human voice with ambient sound effects ... breathes a freshness into the ensemble that instantly sounds open and free." Don't let this frighten you into thinking the track is a journey into some alien territory! Far from it. The spoken word by an unidentified gentleman is pleasing and logical with the alto blowing attractive lines alongside and, of course, the aforementioned B3 adding the funk.
Maharaj and Ragnelli are pivotal figures providing the foundation as well as propelling the music forward both solowise and in support.
Well worth checking out and, if you live in Western Canada, go here for tour dates and sample tracks.
Allison and band talk.
Lance.

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