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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

18018 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 339 of them this year alone and, so far, 17 this month (May 7).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 12: Gregory Porter + Jo Harrop @ Newcastle City Hall. 7:30pm. Support act: Jo Harrop!

Tue 13: ???

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Recital (stage 2): Leah Kirk (voice) @ The Band Room, Music Studios, Assembly Lane, Newcastle University. 3:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 14: Jerron Paxton @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.20. Excellent country blues multi-instrumentalist.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. BACK IN BUSINESS, all welcome!

Thu 15: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Greatest in Jazz - Guitarists.
Thu 15: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 15: New Ways of Moving in the Counterworlds @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). John Garner & John Pope.

Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

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.

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, October 24, 2014

CD Review: Cat Conner – Cat House

Cat Conner (vocals, shaker); John Chiodini (guitar); Gene Cipriano (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor, bass oboe); Tom Ranier (piano); Chuck Berghofer (bass); Joe LaBarbera (drums); Ron Stout (trumpet); Dick Nash (trombone); Stephanie O’Keefe (French horn); Bob Carr (bassoon, bass clarinet, alto flute).
(Review by Ann Alex).
This is a very enjoyable CD of quality jazz singing and skilled playing, and it is a bit different from the offerings of jazz standards on other discs.  Forget the often sung Summertime and Cry Me A River – here are love songs which you don’t hear so often, such as Throw Me Away (Michael Dees), and a Cole Porter tune with words written by the singer.  A track list will be the best way to describe the CD.
1/ Everything I Love/Everything I Desire is the Cole Porter track, with a quirky verse, sung with a sultry tone and lively improvisation on the tune, and a skilled guitar solo.
2/ Handsome Man (Pretty Girl) A slow song of longing, featuring the horns, which the singer describes as being ‘cradled’ by the horns – a good illustration.
3/ Sans Souci  Lyrics by Peggy Lee, with an eastern sound on the bass oboe.
4/ Giant Steps, a Coltrane bebop tune, with an effective piano solo.
5/ Throw Me Away A clever lilting tune to a song about deceived love, featuring clarinet and a steady groove from the others.
6/ Remind Me (Dorothy Fields and Jerome Kern) Luscious horns and steady piano chords, to accompany a witty song of love gone wrong, eg ‘Although I adore you/ remind me to ignore you.’
7/ Baltimore Oriole This singer does sexy, sophisticated songs well, especially this one about a smooth talker, ‘I’d like to ruffle his plumage’, which features a yearning trumpet.
8/ Heart’s Desire A happy love song with a Latin beat
9/ Wishing On The Moon A love song about longing with drums and piano
10/ You’re Driving Me Crazy  A more usual standard, with the verse, horns, and a walking bass, and a definite 1930’s feel.
11/ Come On Strong, More saucy lyrics which this singer is well-suited to because of her sultry, ‘dry’ tonal qualities.
12/ What A Little Moonlight Can Do This opens with just voice and piano, then the whole band steams along.
13/ People Say (Song For Rob) A very surprising way to round off the CD.  Cat Conner’s own song about what it felt like to be separated from the baby she gave up for adoption.  (They’ve now been reunited).  Heartfelt singing, the story is told simply, just voice and guitar.
This singer hales from Toronto but is now based in Los Angeles, and this is her second CD. She has performed with some of Canada’s most well-known jazz musicians.  The CD is available on Cat Tales Records, catalogue number CT1011. See the website www.catconner.com.
Ann Alex.

1 comment :

Liz said...

loved this album, especially the Cole Porter number, new to me...that guitar intro is fab

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