Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

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, October 28, 2014

CD Review: New Century Ragtime Orchestra - "Singin' in the Bathtub"

Alastair Lord, Graham Hardy (tpts); Don Fairley (tmb); Ed Cross (vln); Jim McBriarty (alt/clt/vcl). Alan Marshall (alt/clt), Gavin Lee, Steve Andrews (ten/clt); Neville Hartley (pno); Phil Rutherford (sousa/tuba); Steve Doyle (dms); Keith Stephen (gtr/bjo); Dave Kerr (ldr/arr); Caroline Irwin (vcl) + Keith Nichols (pno); Nick Ward (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The NCRO are one of the treasures of the north east scene. No bebop spoken here, this music even pre-dates the Lindy Hop! Having said that, there can be few bands anywhere in the world who can recreate the period so well as this ensemble. The soloists, several of whom are frequently heard in more contemporary settings, adjust to the idiom so well you'd be excused for assuming they were wearing spats and two-tone shoes as they drove to the studio in a Studebaker Special Six automobile.
Twenty excellent numbers make it near impossible to single out any one track. I've always loved Red Allen's Patrol Wagon Blues and this version, with vocal by McBriarty and trumpet solo by Hardy, does it justice whilst Jim's megaphone style vocal on Gonna Get a Girl is another one that, in a bygone age, would have had the Flappers flapping! Keith Nichol's piano intro to Ed Cross' theme statement and the solos by McBriarty (clarinet) and Stephen (guitar) on I'll Never be the Same provide more musical imagery.
Talking of Flappers, Caroline Irwin brings the Ruth Etting/Annette Hanshaw era to life with splendid vocals on Guilty, You'd Be Surprised, I Can't Give You Anything But Love and a magnificent I'm Through With Love.
I'm not sure which tracks have Nick Ward on 'traps' but, guessing, I'd say most likely That Teasin' Rag and The Terror.
Dave Kerr is to be congratulated for not only keeping this fine band together but also for editing and adapting most of the arrangements.
The album notes are by Steve Andrews, written, of course, in his inimitable style and in a font size I can actually read (albeit with my specs on!)
For details on purchasing the New Century Ragtime Orchestra's "Singin' in the Bathtub" (Lake Records LACD336) and for information on future gigs visit http://www.ncro.co.uk/#.
Lance.

2 comments :

Lance said...

... and if this is your kind of music then why not spend the next weekend (Nov 7/8/9) at the Mike Durham Classic Jazz Party held at Village Hotel - nr. Shiremoor. Details in rh column - Pages/Mike Durham's Classic Jazz Party. Much of the music is from the same era and you will even be able to buy a copy of the CD...

Steve Doyle (on F/b) said...

Thanks Lance, traps were shared 50-50, but yes you correctly identified 2 he played on. Hope your well.

Blog Archive