Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thursday, August 06, 2015

CD Review: Mason Razavi/Bennett Roth-Newell - After You

Mason Razavi (gtr); Bennett Roth-Newell (pno).
(Review by Lance).
The saying is that everything comes in threes so, if that is the case, then the next piano/guitar pairing is going to have to be something very special indeed.
Yesterday (the final track, as it happens, on this album!), I told myself, that nothing could top the Bruno Heinen/Kristian Borring - A Postcard to Bill Evans, and yet here today I find another duo batting in the same exclusive league!
You ever felt privileged?
Twice in two days!
I'm not going to pit one against the other - they are both beautiful albums. The Heinen/Borring is perhaps more ethereal (after all it is Bill Evans!) whilst Razavi/Roth-Newell hit a funkier groove. But man they are both great - one for listening to with that early morning Java/Earl Gray/bottle of broon the other for that late night cappuccino/g & t/ bottle of broon. - whatever, the music will make the liqueur obsolete! The tea or the coffee won't stand much of a chance either.
Razavi, currently residing in the Bay Area of San Francisco, studied at Berklee and is equally at home in the differing worlds of Rock/Pop/Classical Guitar and, as this album proves, Jazz. Roth-Newell also hangs out in the Bay Area and, like his co-pilot, is a cross genre musician - his cv includes a hip-hop album!
Roth-Newell composed 3 of the originals and Razavi 2. The others are Joyspring; Mercy, Mercy, Mercy and Yesterday.
Oh yes, I waffled on about threes so, perm any two from Paul Edis/Pete Gilligan.Dean Stockdale/James Harrison/Stu Collingwood/Alan Law/Jeremy McMurray and James Birkett/Roly Veitch/Bradley Johnston/Mark Williams/Giles Strong/Steve Glendinning/John Hedley and we will have the full circle of threes.
In the meantime, this disc will do very nicely thank you.
Lance.

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