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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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 23: Dean Stockdale Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. ‘Celebrating Oscar’.
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 23: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Joe Steels Group @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.55. bf. A Northumberland Jazz Festival fringe event.
Fri 23: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 23: Gaz Hughes Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.
Fri 23: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 8:00pm. £19.00.; £17.00. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

Mon 26: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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

Thursday, July 23, 2015

DVD/CD Review: Jazz on a Summer's Day

(Review by Hugh).
This reissue contains both a DVD of the film and a soundtrack CD featuring the music in the film.
The Newport Jazz Festival of 1958 was a four day event, filming conducted primarily over the final two days (Saturday and Sunday).   The film takes the form of a documentary, but with sparse voiceover and the sounds are those recorded at the festival, including announcements.  The DVD features both the stage acts and shots of the audience, local life and ocean going yachts, trialling for the Americas Cup Race.
This makes for a great atmosphere.  The film is in colour – apparently a first for a jazz film, “bringing jazz out of the dingy basement into the sunshine”.  Premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1959,  In 1999 it received its greatest accolade in being selected for preservation in the United States Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
The musical items featured are as follows:
Jimmy Guiffre Trio – The Train and The River
Thelonius Monk – Blue Monk
Sonny Stitt and Sal Salvador – Loose Walk
Anita O'Day – Sweet Georgia Brown; Tea for Two
Dinah Washington – All of Me
Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band – As Catch Can
Big Maybelle – I Ain't Mad at You
Chuck Berry – Sweet Little Sixteen
The Chico Hamilton Quartet – Blue Sands
Louis Armstrong – Up a Lazy River; Tiger Rag; Rockin' Chair; When the Saints Go Marching In
Mahalia Jackson – Walk All Over God's Heaven; Didn't It Rain; The Lord's Prayer
The above are also featured on the CD.  The film also features a short segment of Rondo by the George Shearing Quartet and a travelling (they play on various forms of open topped transport during the film) Dixieland band from Yale University, Eli's Chosen Six.
The film is a gem.  Edited down from a total of 130,000 feet of film to 8,000 feet, it runs for 77 minutes (before the credits).  It is both a record of these great artists performing and a historical snapshot of late '50s United States of America.  The crowd shots are particularly interesting – rows of empty seats (still familiar today) but a cross section of festival goers of all ages (unlike most UK jazz festivals today!).  My particular favourite moments were Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden duetting on Rockin' Chair and a shot of the cellist from the Chico Hamilton Quartet, Fred Katz playing Bach with his shirt off, alone in a darkened room and pausing to light himself a cigarette, before picking up his bow and starting where he left off.
The DVD also features an interview with the director, Bert Stern, full biographical details of the performers featured and a documentary providing an insight into the making of the film and the Newport Jazz Festival.
The CD and DVD come attractively packaged together in a folding cardboard case.  The centre pages have detailed (but not too detailed!) historical notes about the film and the festival, together with notes about the performers.  To an extent these replicate the notes found on the DVD itself and are more immediately accessible.
The CD and DVD are to be released in August by Charly (Charly X 686).
Hugh

1 comment :

Lance said...

Thanks Hugh what a memorable film that was. As a youth just discovering the joys of jazz I think I saw it it six times during the week it was released - cinemas didn't open on Sundays then otherwise it would have been seven. However, the most memorable moments for me were the two numbers by Anita O'Day. Not only did she sound good but she looked sensational in that outfit!

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