Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18336 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 190 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 28), 90

From This Moment On ...

March

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Bailey Rudd (drums).

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Trumpet quartet @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free. Quartet inc. Dick Stacey (SSBB). Programme inc. Basie’s Panassié Stomp + Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho.
Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Celebrate - Commonwealth Day.
Thu 05: Flo/ra + Maya Kally @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £16.45., £13.28., £12.22., £9:04.
Thu 05: Salty Dog @ @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 06: EXHIBITION: Images of Jazz @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. Visual artist Dave Barden exhibiting works in Gallery Two (10:00am-4:00pm Mon to Sat, closing May 30).
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Market Place, Blyth NE24 1BQ. 5:00pm, 6:00pm & 7:30pm. Free. A ‘Festival of Energy’ event.
Fri 06: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 06: Brass Funkeys + support @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Fri 06: Vintage Explosion @ Whitley Bay Playhouse. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 06: Flat Moon + Spilt Milk @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00.
Fri 06: Giles Strong Quartet @ Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:45pm (7:00pm doors). £16.50.
Fri 06: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. Musicians Unlimited (in concert). £10.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 1/3.

Sat 07: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 12 noon. Open Section (all day, closing concert performance at 7:00pm). £15.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Antônio Carlos Jobim: Meditation & How Insensitive. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free. Sat 07: Hot Club du Nord @ St Mary’s Parish Hall, Barnard Castle. 7:00pm. £20.00., £8.00 under 16. Charity fundraiser.
Sat 07: Taupe + Marigolds + Mother Man @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 9:30am. School Section & Youth Section (all day). £10.00. (£20.00 weekend ticket). Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: TRIO-SKW @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Josh Savage (drums); Lucas Kelly (organ); Tim ‘Bim’ Williams (guitar).
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Trish Clowes’ My Iris @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 08: Durham University Big Band & Foot Notes @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. £10.00., £8.00., £6.00. Big band & a cappella ensemble.

Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ 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

Saturday, December 05, 2015

CD Review: Jazz at the Movies - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang

Joanna Eden (vcl); Mark Crooks (clt/ten); Chris Ingham (pno); Rev. Andrew J. Brown (bs); George Double (dms).
(Review by Lance).
Just as I'm struggling to find my CD's of the Year I thought that, at least, I'd got the Vocal CD Gong nailed down - Rebecca Kilgore's Just Imagine was leading by a country furlong - all bets were off - then, from out of left field, this one arrived! Talk about a dead heat!
Well, I guess, Becky gets the nod but, only because Joanna and her Kiss Kiss Bang Bang gang's disc isn't officially launched until January - what a benchmark for 2016 warblers!
An interpretation of some of the movies greatest songs (thankfully, The Sound of Music doesn't figure!). Apart from being a singer that I want to hear more and more of, Joanna is also teacher and mentor of the latest Bond singer - Sam Smith. On the Bond theme, the title of the album Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was in fact rejected by the Thunderball team - this recording exonerates John Barry & Leslie Bricusse! 
All the songs are magnificent. Put the Blame on Mame - Rita Hayworth miming it to Anita Ellis' vocal in Gilda. Joanna recreates the moment perfectly.
I didn't see Dick Tracy but Sondheim's Sooner or Later created such a mood I thought I had (admittedly I did read the comics!) great lyric.
Close Enough For Love - the greatest story never told - with Crooks' Getzian tenor adding the piquancy to the vocal and the lyric and Chris Ingham pitching in with some nice piano.
So much more, in fact More Than You Know including verse.
I'd Rather Have the Blues by Frank De Vol was sung behind the titles by Nat King Cole as Mickey Spillane's Kiss Me Deadly unfolded. Frank De Vol, Nat King Cole, Mickey Spillane brought together by this band!
Great songs, great films, great band, great singer.
Chris Ingham last appeared in these pages via a rave review of his acclaimed Hoagy album (with Russ Morgan on drums) and the raves continue. Crooks' claim to fame may be with the John Wilson Orchestra but he is equally at home in a small group and his tenor/clarinet playing, along with Ingham's piano, Rev. Brown's bass and Doubles's drums provide the perfect setting for one of the finest vocal albums I've heard for quite awhile!
Lance.
Jazz at the Movies - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang is to be launched at the Bull's Head Barnes on January 23, 2016. 
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1 comment :

Liz said...

This is a wonderful Cd for ( in my humble) late night listening, Joanna Eden delights us with such a diverse selection of numbers. So good to see Leslie Bricusse/Tony Newley being recognised and remembered for their fine contributions, especially "Pure Imagination" A great blend of backing musicians but for me, again a personal opinion, the sax is always King. As a Sondheim fan I adore that line from "Sooner or later" " The more you resist Babe, the more it excites me" and who couldn't be reminded of Michelle Pfeiffer draping herself across the piano in "The fabulous Baker Boys" singing " More than you know" Every time I play this CD, it brings something new to the table, and now sits amongst my favourites.

Sunday, December 06, 2015 11:35:00 am

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