Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

From This Moment On

June

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 24: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 25: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 25: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Forgotten Ones & Any Quintets.
Thu 25: Edgar Ho Trio @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free. Brilliant alto sax, piano & double bass trio. Unmissable!
Thu 25: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 26: Finn-Keeble Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9:00.
Fri 26: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 26: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 26: Clark Tracey @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. £26.00. Day 1/2.

Sat 27: OUTRI @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £13.01. 1:00-1:45pm. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Richardson & Westgarth Sport & Social Club, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. Note change of venue.
Sat 27: House of the Black Gardenia + Magpies of Swing @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 27: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 2:15-3:15pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 3:45-4:45pm. £13.01. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2.
Sat 27: Rory Ingham @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 5:30-6:30pm. £19.51. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Ingham w. Dean Stockdale, Ian Paterson, Dave McKeague.
Sat 27: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 27: Laura Jurd @ Live Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £26.00. Newcastle Jazz Festival. Day 2/2. Sat 27: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Thursday, December 04, 2014

CD Review: Darrell Katz and the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra – Why Do You Ride?

(Review by Russell).
A press release accompanying Why Do You Ride? proclaims:
‘Darrell Katz and the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra play music about Albert Einstein, the Zen of riding bicycles, and a six-toed cat.’
The CD cover art features a sepia-tinted photograph of Einstein riding a bicycle. Question: Will listening to this recording make your brain hurt?
The opening bars threaten cinematic horror. Fears quickly dissipate as Ellingtonian muted horns growl reassuringly, then just as quickly a menacing flute asserts, finally ceding to a  swinging (sixties tv theme) tune swirling around Rebecca Shrimpton’s soaring vocals. An accomplished raft of soloists step up; Phil Scarff (tenor), Hiroaki Honshuku (flute, EWI), Joe Doubleday (vibraphone), Mike Peipman (trumpet), Dan Zupan (baritone), bandleader Darrell Katz (guitar), all marshalled  by the superb big band drumming of Luther Gray.
So, who are these guys? Think Boston, Mass. Think Berklee. The band has a three-decades pedigree of writing and performing challenging, hugely entertaining charts. The premise for this recording is flawed. Darrell Katz concedes his love of bicycles and a lazy approach to research (all things Google) resulted in his compositions being inspired by largely inaccurate (and in some cases wholly non-attributable) quotes attributable to   Einstein. No matter, the music is fantastic! From Ellington to Carla Bley to Loose Tubes’ irreverence. The orchestra is a band of soloists. On Sticks and Stones David Harris’ solo gives Gary Valente a run for his money (Shrimpton intoning Sticks and Stones is utterly commanding), The Mysterious is torn to shreds by Jim Hobbs’ lacerating alto, the entire album is peppered by outstanding soloists, as are the sections. The ensemble is a treat to listen to. A UK concert appearance seems unlikely. Boston, here I come.                        
(Russell).
Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra: Rebecca Shrimpton (voice), Hiroaki Honshuku (flute, EWI), Allan Chase (alto saxophone), Jim Hobbs (alto saxophone), Phil Scarff (tenor, soprano & sopranino saxophones & clarinet), Dan Zupan (baritone saxophone & bass clarinet), Mike Peipman (trumpet), Gary Bohan (trumpet), Forbes Graham (trumpet), Bob Pilkington (trombone), David Harris (trombone), Jim Mosher (French horn), Bill Lowe (tuba), Luther Gray (drums), Norm Zocher (guitar), John Funkhouser (bass), Joe Doubleday (vibraphone), Mina Cho (piano), Ryan Edwards (percussion) & Darrell Katz (guitar.)
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JCA Sax Quartet: Jeff Hudgkins (alto saxophone), Daniel Ian Smith (alto saxophone), Phil Scarff (tenor saxophone) & Dan Bosshardt (baritone saxophone).
The JCAO is preparing to celebrate the band’s thirtieth birthday. This new CD (out now) is a present to the band, and to you, the listener. Darrell Katz and the JCA Orchestra – Why Do You Ride? is available on Leo Records CD LR 711. Recommended.  
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