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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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: 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

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

CD Review: Andrea Wood - Kaleidoscope

(Review by Ann Alex).
Andrea Wood hails from Washington DC where she attended the Duke Ellington School of Arts.  Claiming influences that range from classical composers, soul, R & B singers, through to Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and hip-hop. As well as straight jazz, Ms Wood also sings in other styles such as gypsy jazz and rock regularly performing in and around New York and has released at least one other CD. On this album her voice is full-toned and appealing.  Nine of the 13 tracks are her own original material: the other 4 tracks are You And I (Stevie Wonder); Nature Boy; Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen); and Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds.
The musicians are well up to their game, especially Donny McCaslin’s tenor sax and the guitar solos, and the keys do well on You And I.  The bass is noticeably effective playing unaccompanied intros to many of the tracks.  Wood's original compositions are songs of love and loss, with titles such as Intuition; Take A Chance; Parting Ways.  
Having said all that, I’m afraid that the CD as a whole left me feeling dissatisfied.  The original songs needed more of a ‘hook’ to draw me in.  Perhaps too many of the singer’s various influences have been involved in the arrangements – more straight jazz numbers would perhaps have made for a better general ‘feel’. For instance Nature Boy was one of the better tracks.  Or perhaps another style of singing could have been used on all the tracks: for example Call Me Maybe was pleasantly catchy, and the hip-hop of the track Doowop was interesting. There were 2 tracks entitled Interlude which consisted of the stop/start and tearing sounds used by DJs, which seemed out of place on this CD.
The CD is available on the Biophilia Records Label and it was released on July 14. 
See www.andreawoodmusic.com.
Ann Alex.
Andrea Wood (vocals, arrangements); Angelo Di Loreto (piano, fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3); Ollie Hirvonen (guitars); Ethan O’Reilly (elec and acc bass, vocals); Phillipe Lemm (drums, perc, vocals); also Donny McCaslin (tenor sax); Nick Wood (production on some tracks, vocals); Andrew Sheron (vocals, elec bass, post-production)
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