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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

17755 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 76 of them this year alone and, so far, 1 this month (Feb.1).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 08: Anth Purdy @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. ‘Swing Jazz Guitar’.
Sat 08: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra event. All welcome.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ 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

Saturday, November 14, 2015

CD Review: National Youth Jazz Orchestra - NYJO FIFTY

A gem! Surely the big band album of the year! Over the years (50 of them!) NYJO has spawned a host of the UK's most outstanding jazz artists - four of them guest on this half-centennial celebration and they are walking/blowing adverts for their alma mater. However, we already know the skills of Rahman, Siegel, Nightingale and Lochrane and, whilst it's always good to hear then in whatever the setting, the ace in the hole here is in spotting the stars of the future and, take my word for it, there's a whole galaxy of them!
Sam Glaser's work out on A Foggy Day singles him out as an alto man to watch although fellow altoist Jim Gold makes him go the distance in their alto joust on Matt Wates' Never the Twain.
More musicuffs on Chris Smith's Going Dutch where Healey and Ridout lock tenors. I can't give a decision as I don't know who went first suffice to say that if it had been a fist fight there'd have been plenty blood around!
Neither of the trombone soloists top Nightingale's feature on Jerome Kern's Bill but, after hearing Dunnett and Dawson, he's probably looking over his shoulder!
Then there's Jessica Radcliffe! What a discovery! Finding My Feet, composed by NYJO's first md Bill Ashton OBE is one of those beautiful songs that bring to mind Alice Faye in a '30s Hollywood musical . It has that feel, but Jessica's voice and Paul Hart's arrangement aren't at all dated.
It's a double CD and space prevents me highlighting everything so, take my word, every track's a highlight!
It was released on Friday Nov. 13 on Whirlwind Recordings WR4679. (Samples).
Lance.
Mark Armstrong - Musical Director
Rosie Stano (flute), Jim Gold, Sam Glaser (alto sax, clarinet), David Healey, Tom Ridout (tenor sax, clarinet), Jessamy Holder (bari sax, flute, clarinet), Alex Chadwick (bari sax);
James Davison, Tom Dennis, James Copus, Tom Gardner, Alistair Martin, Matthew Yardley, Jake Labazzi  (trumpet, flugelhorn); Anna Drysdale, Eddie Morgan (French horn);
Tom Dunnett, Owen Dawson, Chris Valentine, Maddie Dowdeswell, Chris Saunders, Jasper Rose (trombone); James Buckle (bass trombone); Rupert Cox (piano); Rob Luft, Nick Fitch (guitar); Joe Downard (bass); David Dyson (drums); Max Mills (percussion); Jessica Radcliffe (voice).​
GUEST ARTISTS​
Zoe Rahman - piano (Red Squirrel); Julian Siegel - tenor sax (Mama Badgers); Mark Nightingale - trombone (Bill); Gareth Lockrane - flute (Rush Hour).

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