Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18897 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 761 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 11.) 40.

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

September.

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Sun 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00-3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 13: King Bees @ Shape Patisserie, Darlington. 3:00pm. Free. Duo (Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor). A Rhythm & Blues Fringe event. Blues excellence.
Sun 13: Alligator Gumbo @ The Cluny. 5:00pm. £17.15.; £11.43; £5.72.
Sun 13: Eternal Triangle + Andy Champion @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 14: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 17: Front Porch Blues @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 17: Miles 100 @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. Jack Courtney (trumpet); Sue Ferris (tenor sax); Tom Atkinson (guitar); Alan Law (piano); Deon Krishnan (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums). A night of Miles Davis.
Thu 17: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).

Fri 18: Danny Lownes’ Hot Club @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Mark Williams Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 18: Emma Fisk’s Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00., £5.00. student.
Fri 18: Rivkala + Beccy Sloan @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

CD Review: Steve Fishwick/Osian Roberts/Frank Basile Sextet - In The Empire State.

Steve Fishwick (tpt); Osian Roberts (ten); Frank Basile (bar); Jeb Patton (pno); Mike Karn (bs); Matt Fishwick (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The CDs drop through the letterbox daily. Sometimes my eyes light up with delight but, more often than not, I groan and wonder, wtf will I make of this!
I'm pleased to say that this album is very much in the former category. In fact it epitomises what this site was primarily aimed at - bebop in the new millennium. Recorded in New York last year after the Fishwick Bros and Roberts, along with New Yorkers Basile, Patton and Karn played several gigs in the Big Apple as part of Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet. 
What a richly deserved accolade for Steve who isn't always given his due as one of the UK's finest jazz trumpet players.
Steve can blow, as can long time frontline partner Roberts. Both the Fishwicks and Roberts are able to hold their own in fast company and the company here is very fast indeed! Basile, an on-call 24 hour baritone man, displays why he is in such demand and it is to the Brits' credit that they stand tall - shades of Tubby's transatlantic forays. If the album had been released under Basile's name I'd have assumed it was an all-American line-up.
Steve provided  two of the originals as well as arranging How Deep is the Ocean. Osian chipped in with three compositions and Basile had two as well as an arrangement of My Blue Heaven that suggested that 'just honey and me, and baby makes three' now had a hip grandkid!
Lullaby For Eira and Enid are dedicated to Roberts daughters - they must be lovely to inspire such beauty.
I first heard Steve and Osian at one of the Scarborough festivals, Steve and Matt also played an early gig at Hoochie.
This is the real deal. Good enough for Dave Douglas - good enough for me!
Sample.
Lance.
They're touring next February on an Arts Council grant.
Feb. 3: Scarborough.
Feb. 4: Aberdeen.
Feb. 5: Sheffield.
Feb. 7: Southport.
Feb. 8: Ronnie Scott's
Feb. 9: Ronnie Scott's.
Feb. 10: 606- Club.
Feb. 11:Cambridge.
Feb. 12: Brighton.

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