Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 21: Jazz Classics with Rivkala @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Rivkala (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Thu 21: 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 22: Paul Skerritt @ Market Place, Durham. From 12 noon. Free. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.
Fri 22: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 22: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 22: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 22: Paul Edis Trio @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £TBC. Edis, Andy Champion, Steve Hanley.

Monday, February 16, 2015

CD review: Ant Law – Zero Sum World

Ant Law (guitar), Michael Chillingworth (alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet), Tom Farmer (double bass), James Maddren (drums) & Ivo Neame (piano)
(Review by Russell)
Ant Law studied physics at Edinburgh University. The ‘Zero Sum Game,’ familiar to those with an understanding of mathematics, was the inspiration for the title of Law’s new CD Zero Sum World. Guitarist Law is a published author – 3rd Millennium Guitar: An Introduction to Perfect 4th Tuning. If all this sounds a bit high brow, well, it is, but don’t be deterred, the music is great!
Ant Law sits down to play. So what? Law isn’t a poseur craving front man status. He plays guitar. He plays guitar as well as anyone you’re likely to hear. Zero Sum World features four friends (three of them from Law’s debut CD Entanglement) who possess talent the equal of the bandleader. All are busy on the contemporary jazz scene, touring and recording a variety of projects, and this new album underscores their togetherness.
Law writes for the unit; on occasion guitar and reeds (Michael Chillingworth) appear to be as one, drummer James Maddren’s musicality and invention elevate him beyond any notion of being employed as a timekeeper, similarly bassist Tom Farmer, a creative force in his own right alongside pianist Ivo Neame.
Prelude and companion piece Waltz are right out of the Jim Hall/Joe Pass book of guitar playing. If Law, Hall and Pass sat together with a beer the conversation would have been ‘out there’. Best to leave them to it! Monument (Ant Law’s homage to fellow guitarist Ben Monder) covers a lot of ground; Neame’s pensive probing, Maddren’s lazily, tight drumming, Chillingworth’s brooding clarinet and a burst of collective free playing. The closing Blues is a melodic, contemporary slow blues featuring Tom Farmer’s alternate tuning solo. Neame takes it on, late-night swing, alto and guitar take it home.
Note for guitar heads/musos – each of the eleven tracks features Law’s guitar tuned in perfect fourths.
Ant Law’s Zero Sum World is released today – February 16 – on Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings label (catalogue number WR4663). The album was recorded by Troy Miller at Sand House Studios (as was Law’s debut CD Entanglement).
Zero Sum World has an album launch at London’s Soho Pizza Express Jazz Club on 16th and 17th February. For tour dates visit: www.antlaw.co.uk Tyneside readers may wish to know that Ant Law appears with Tim Garland at Sage Gateshead on Monday 4th May.  
Russell           
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