Total Pageviews

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

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.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 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

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

CDs of 2014

I receive so many CDs for review picking out one above all the rest is impossible so next year I hope to pick out a CD and a gig of the month which will narrow the field somewhat. Readers are, of course, invited to make their submissions although I won’t be holding my breath!
Anyhow, here we go (Alphabetical):
·       Annie Ross To Lady with Love. A CD and DVD featuring Annie Ross in tribute to Billie Holiday. The voice may be but a shadow of itself but the emotional content is unbeatable. With John and Bucky Pizzarelli.
·        Basin Street Brawlers It’s Tight Like That. A party style Dixieland band full of fun popular in and around London. Worth hearing them further north.
·   Big ChiefBlues in Twos. Previously unissued tracks by legendary blues band featuring Dick Heckstall-Smith.
·       Chris Ingham Quartet Hoagy. Pianist/vocalist Ingham pays tribute to Hoagy Carmichael with some Bixian overtones from Paul Higgs and recent North east arrival Russ Morgan on drums.
·       Count Basie and his Orchestra Original Album Series. A 5 CD set of classic Basie albums make this the reissue of the year.
·       Hank Marvin Django’s Castle. An unlikely entry but Marvin proves he’s no mere “shadow” of the legendary Django.
      Hansu-Tori - An Improvised Escape. A late arrival but well worth waiting for.
·        Johanna Graham Quartet Don’t Let Me Be Lonely. Debut album by a new singer (to me that is). Received rave reviews from her launch at Pizza Express.
·      New Century Ragtime Orchestra Singin’ in the Bathtub. Tyneside’s unique take on 1920s/30s big band music.
·        Paul Edis SextetMr Hipster. I  haven’t actually heard the CD but I’ve heard the sextet live enough times and read other reviews to know that it will justify inclusion.
·       Scottish National Jazz Orchestra Culloden Moor Suite. Bobby Wellins composed and is featured on this stand out disc.
·      Scottish National Jazz Orchestra American Adventure. SNJO in America with guests such as Kurt Elling, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern and many others.
·   The Lindsay Hannon PlusThe Spy. Imaginative interpretations of standards, originals and contemporary classics.
·        Tim Kliphuis TrioThe Grappelli Album. Kliphuis pays homage to the other driving force of The Hot Club.
·     Tommaso Starace Quartet Italian Short Stories. An exciting and at times evocative musical portrait of an Italian photographer.
·       Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock Whispering of the Stars. Tremendous duo album by two superb players.
     Vance Thompson's Five Plus Six - Such Sweet Thunder. An offbeat, yet still swinging tribute To Duke, Monk and Dolly Parton!
·      Vasilis Xenopoulos The Wind Machine. “Vasi” has impressed us live on many occasions and this re-working of some big band classics is a classic in its own right.
Apologies to those artists whose discs I haven't included many of which are also deserved of mention.
Lance.

1 comment :

Lindsay said...

Delighted to have our two most recent SNJO CDs listed as well as Tommy Smith / Brian Kellock album - wonderful!! Now here's to 2015 and our 20th anniversary celebrations with some special concerts

Blog Archive