Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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.

Thu 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 01: Rivkala @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 01: Hot Club de Heaton @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 01: The Scenic Route @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Alison Gill + Markrokosmos @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music (NFOJAIM).SOLD OUT!
Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Gilby & Hunter + Andy Champion @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 6:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. The Abbie Finn Trio augmented by Dean Stockdale (piano).
Fri 02: Alexia Gardner Trio @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.
Fri 02: Zoe Rahman Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 8:00pm. NFOJAIM. SOLD OUT!

Sat 03: New Orleans Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Gavin Lee & co.
Sat 03: Anemone Quartet + Jeepe Zeeburg @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Caravan. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Free. Excellent blues band.
Sat 03: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.50 (inc. bf). Two sets: 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. ‘Swing Band Dance Night’.
Sat 03: Olie Brice Quartet + Alexander Hawkins + Harper Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:00pm. NFOJAIM.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

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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