Lindsay Hannon/ Mark Williams @ The Jazz Cafe – January 30.

Lindsay Hannon (vocal); Mark Williams (guitar)

(Review/photo by Steve H.) 

Standing room only at the Caff on Saturday night for the pairing of Hannon on vocals and Williams on guitar, although this was a very different guitar player to the one I saw with The Mark Williams trio on Thursday night at the Jazz Coop (review here). The Thursday night Williams really exploits the full range of what can be done with the Jazz guitar whereas the Saturday night one played as a very sympathetic accompanist to the great vocal talent of Lindsay Hannon.

Zoe Gilby (vocals) & Andy Champion (double bass) @ Jazz Cafe. January 23 via Sheila Jordan @ Cantina Bentivoglio, Bologna, Italy. Summer 2015

(Reviews/photo of Sheila Jordan by JC)

Scanning the internet for possible jazz gigs prior to a trip to Italy last summer I was impressed by the range and variety of concerts on offer but unfortunately either the date or location meant they were not accessible. However, on closer examination, the gig listings of a jazz club in Bologna mentioned a concert by veteran American singer Sheila Jordan on a date that could work (if you ignored the 100 km diversion and over-night stay).  At that time I knew very little about her except that I remembered Zoe Gilby mentioning once or twice during gigs with her husband Andy Champion that Jordan had been an important inspiration in encouraging them to perform as a vocal/bass duo and that she was a pioneer of this format. As a fan of the Gilby/Champion performances, I felt this gig was worth making an effort to get to.

NCRO Update

Tickets are selling well for our annual concert this Saturday, 6 February at the Caedmon Hall in Gateshead with our guests, ragtime and stride piano maestro Keith Nichols and Nick Ward on drums, also featuring the lovely Caroline on vocals.

For various technical reasons, tickets (£15) aren't available this time through the venue's box office, but can still be reserved in advance from Dave Kerr on  0191 281 4011

or at ragtimedavekerr@aol.com.  Advanced sales permitting, tickets will also be available on the door, which opens at 7 and the show starts at 7.30 pm.

For those who haven't been before, the Caedmon Hall is situated within the Central Library on Prince Consort Road, Gateshead NE8 4LN.  It's an intimate venue with excellent acoustics, bar facilities, disabled access and free parking.

We hope you can join us for another entertaining evening of ragtime, hot dance music and early swing, all tenuously tied together by the inimitable Steve Andrews!

Phil.

Debut CD from Huw V. Williams - Hon (Press release).

Huw V.Williams (bs); Laura Jurd (tpt); Alam Nathoo (ten); Elliot Galvin (bs); Pete Ibbetson (dms).
(Press release)

This February marks the release of Hon, the outstanding debut from the new five-piece led by double bassist and composer Huw V. Williams. A vibrant and arresting album, Hon sees Williams’s distinctive compositions ignited by exhilarating displays of improvisational dexterity. In addition to showcasing Williams’s own accomplished musicianship, Hon features some of the UK’s most gifted young performers, making it a compelling statement of intent from the bright future of British Jazz.

Matt Anderson’s Wildflower Sextet @ Ushaw College. January 29

Matt Anderson (tenor & soprano saxophones), Laura Jurd (trumpet), Jamil Sheriff (keyboards), Alex Munk (guitar), Sam Vicary (double bass) & Sam Gardner (drums)

(Review by Russell/photo courtesy of Pam Young)

It’s the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Durham. It’s the end of January. It’s cold and it’s dark. Let’s choose a poorly sign-posted venue on a sprawling country estate off an unlit road. Let’s put on a gig! Only a jazz promoter would think it could work.

What do you know? Fifty, perhaps sixty people, turned-up! And on a night of gale-force winds wreaking havoc across the north of England. Ushaw College, an amazing country pile – think Durham Cathedral, then some – screened from the road by mature woodland, is in the process of transforming itself from a Catholic seminary into a multi arts venue.

CD Review: Great American Music Ensemble - It's All in the Game

(Review by Lance).  

Most of my contemporaries would have shied away when they noted that In the Mood was the opening track! If it had sailed under previous titles such as Tar Paper Stomp or Hot and Anxious they may have been more welcoming - such is jazz snobbery!

Not me! When, as a callow youth, I received my first pay packet, I cycled along to our local record shop and plonked down a couple of bob (shillings) for Glenn Miller's [in]famous version of the tune. As such, it still has a place in my heart and, on my 78rpm shelf.

This version bares no resemblance to the original and is none the worse for that!

Mark Williams Trio @ The Globe Jazz Bar, Newcastle – Jan 28

Mark Williams (gtr); Paul Susans (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).

(Review/photo by Steve H.)
Thursday night at the The Globe and a select audience gathered to hear the Mark Williams Trio. The band played two sets of material the style of which went from classic guitar trio to jazz rock fusion a la crème and many things in-between. All the tunes played were original compositions although they had a familiar feel to them which enabled the audience to hook into the swing of things comfortably.  

Music was their Mistress

Described as a ‘speculative drama’ by jazz trumpeter and writer Ian Smith, Blood Count is an imagined meeting of minds between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in a 1967  recording studio during which they would commit to tape Strayhorn’s Blood Count.

In Radio 4’s repeat of Drama: Blood Count this afternoon at 2:15 Clark Peters plays the part of Ellington and Don Gilet that of Strayhorn.

Russell

Paris-Sur-Tyne Photos

Ken Drew has kindly supplied a selection of photos from Jazz North East's all-day Anglo-French Extravaganza Paris-Sur-Tyne held at the Lit and Phil, Newcastle, last Sunday (Jan. 24).

These complement the reviews by Ken and Steve H of the afternoon and evening session.

Photos.
Afternoon review
Evening review
Lance

Be Bop Jazz founders the 'Club Eleven' at a 25th anniversary gig at Ronn...

CD Review: Mike Westbrook & Company The Uncommon Orchestra - A Bigger Show Live.

When Release, the first Mike Westbrook album I encountered in the late 1960s, appeared I was absolutely floored! It was my initial encounter with what was then considered rather free. Perhaps my acceptance was assisted by the incorporation of a blast on Flying Home that flew even higher than Lionel Hampton had done!

There were other early albums I acquired and enjoyed: Celebration, Marching Songs etc. then our paths began to differ.

Westbrook moved on, I moved on, but at a slower pace.

Until now!

We're together again!

CD Review: Gerard Presencer & the Danish Radio Big Band – Groove Travels

(Review by Russell)

Groove Travels is Gerard Presencer’s first big band album. The third of his three solo recording projects dates from 2001. An academic career and touring world wide with a number of Charlie Watts’ jazz ensembles has more than occupied the British trumpeter. Relocating to Copenhagen to work with the acclaimed Danish Radio Big Band opens a new chapter.

NMBB Marching to Hoochie Coochie

Northern Monkey Brass Band, are bringing the spirit of New Orleans Mardi Gras to Newcastle on 12th February at Hoochie Coochie for some unrestrained merrymaking.

As well as the fantastic originals and covers that audiences have come to love and expect from the 8 piece NMBB, the band will include some New Orleans classic tunes in the set.

It'll be a party atmosphere with throws to the crowd, a second line march (parasols welcome).

Mardi Gras can be described as a no holds barred celebration in the spirit of abandonment, so on the 12th Feb, get to Hoochie Coochie, cut loose, throw down and party 'til you drop. As an added incentive, we’ve got Sue Ferris on sax and Russ Morgan playing a mean, cotton-pickin’ snare drum.

Graham

On the player...

Listening to new Mike Westbrook double album. Intriguing, a review will follow.
Lance

CD Review: Sam Crockatt Quartet – Mells Bells

Sam Crockatt (tenor saxophone), Kit Downes (piano), Oli Hayhurst (double bass) & James Maddren (drums)

(Review by Russell).

Recorded and mixed in London during 2014 and mastered in New York in autumn 2015,  Sam Crockatt’s Mells Bells is about to hit the racks. Eight tracks composed by tenor man Crockatt, this new recording features the London Loop Collective man and three first call new generation musicians. The CD is a Whirlwind Recordings project and the label name is invariably a guarantee of quality.

Alice Grace Quintet @ Jazz Café - Jan. 26.

Alice Grace (vcl); Paul Gowland (ten/alt/sop); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).

(Review by Lance/photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).

Second gig in nine days for the quintet - I'd have been even happier if it had been the second gig in two days!

Like the Hoochie Coochie session a week gone Sunday this was another memorable occasion both visually and aurally. I say visually, not only because of the killer heels and the traffic stopping dress that Ms Grace had had painted on but also the changed appearance of drummer Morgan. Amazing what wonders a tonsorial artist can perform.

Aurally, there was also much musical artistry going on.

PARIS-SUR-TYNE @ The Lit & Phil January 24 (Afternoon Session)

(Review by Ken Drew/photos to follow)

In Love With –  Théo Ceccaldi (Violin); Valentin Ceccaldi (Cello; Sylvain Darrifourcq (Drums).

Straight in with a repetitive driving rhythm from Valentin leading to multiple crescendos interspersed with freestyle playing.  With very thoughtful and explosive passages – and such dynamic interplay!!  There were long spans of repetitive but intriguing rhythms, like a well-tempered whirring clock unwinding, always precise and developing with a slowly increasing intensity. At various points sounds were almost frozen in time – certainly they were hanging in the air.  It was like listening to music concrète performed live, and many sections wouldn’t be out of place as a film soundtrack.   

PARIS-SUR-TYNE @ The Lit and Phil January 24 (Evening Session)

Théo Ceccaldi (violin); Valentin Ceccaldi (cello); Guillaume Aknine (guitar); Corey Mwamba (vibes); Roberto Negro (piano); Xavier Camarasa (piano); Andy Champion (bass); Sylvain Darrifourcq (drums)

(Review by Steve H - photos to follow) 

The evening got off to a great start with the duet Babies featuring Roberto Negro on piano and Théo Ceccaldi on violin. A riveting piece of almost contemporary classical music which reminded me very much of Bela Bartok. Negro almost attacked the inside of the piano as much as the conventional method of striking the keys.

Jazz Café Cancellation

Just received a news flash from Dave Clarke that Stuart Davies' New Standard Band have had to pull out of their forthcoming gig at the Jazz Café on Feb. 5. At present, none of the usual suspects are being sought.

Lance.

Between the Devil and the Deep South Blues

Crime writer Ace Atkins has taken over from the late Robert B.Parker, with the approval of Parker's estate, of continuing the Spenser private eye novels. He does it well, keeping the feel of the original whilst adding his own Chandleresque take - the best of two worlds. The hero, in between drinking whisky, beer and coffee and solving cases, invariably has a jazz record playing ('cept when he's in bed with Susan). Great stuff.

Folk @ The Globe: What Interested Jazz Fans Can Expect

(Preview by Ann Alex)

I know that many jazz people like all kinds of music, so here is a run-down of the Folk music events which are coming to the Globe.  The first of our series of folk gigs was last night, Jan 23 but I don’t think Blogmaster will let me do a full review so I didn’t take notes.  Suffice to say it was a smashing performance of Irish jigs and reels, Breton music and original compositions from Freya Rae (whistle, flute, clarinet) and Louis Bingham (guitar, mandolin).

Alice in Jazz Café Land

(Preview by Russell)

In less than nine months Alice Grace has made a considerable impact on the north east jazz scene. The 2015 Gateshead International Jazz Festival late night jam sessions held across the River Tyne at the Jazz Co-op’s Globe headquarters and the Jazz Café were a success, as they always are. Those fortunate to be present were knocked out by a voice new to the scene. Alice Grace announced her arrival in no uncertain terms.

Opus 4's 2016 season off to a flying start

Southern correspondent Tony Eales reports a successful start to Opus 4 Jazz Club’s new season at the Traveller’s Rest, Cockerton, Darlington. Scottish tenor man Graeme Wilson reunited with friends Noel Dennis, Paul Edis, Mick Shoulder and Adam Sinclair to play a well-received set to a large turn out at the West Auckland Road hostelry.

February’s concert should draw an equally healthy crowd. Pianist Dean Stockdale makes a welcome return to Opus 4 on Friday 19 February to play a gig with Dave Newton. Yes, two top class pianists, two pianos. In effect, this is a two for the price of one special offer.  

Doors open at eight o’clock for an eight thirty start. Arrive early to secure a seat. In fact, arrive early to make sure you get in!

Russell.     

Stuart MacCallum @ The Jazz Cafe January 22

The last time Stuart MacCallum graced this room was 18 months ago as a duet with fellow guitarist Mike Walker. On Friday night MacCallum played in an even smaller unit giving a thoroughly entertaining solo performance on guitar and electronics. The style he plays in is not classical jazz guitar even though there is plenty of improvisation going on. The music is a folksy cinematic kind of an affair. Numbers build up with wave upon wave of layers creating ambient, hypnotic, dreamy, haunting soundscapes. Original compositions such as Vital Space, inspired by an estate agent and Ewe Field, a song about a vegetarian guest house in The Lake District where coincidentally both Stuart and his parents went to for their honeymoons (although not at the same I imagine), were interspersed with classic favourites Alfie, When I fall in Love and that well known jazz standard Amazing Grace. Not an evening for the jazz purists but an entertaining one nevertheless.

Steve H

Bob Wilber, Pug Horton & Colin Aitchison "on the air"

Colin Aitchison, our man in Hong Kong, sent this link to a radio interview with Bob Wilber and Pug Horton on RTHK. Bob recently played at Ned Kelly's with Colin's China Coast Jazzmen. Needless to say Colin too has his say on the program.

Very interesting with some nice, albeit brief, musical interludes.

In the photo, Bob Wilber is on the left of the picture, Pug is next to him and Colin is on the right with Franco Valussi in between - Satchmo and Duke observe!

Thank you Colin.
Lance.

Jamie Mackay @ St Nicholas Cathedral. Newcastle. Jan 22

Jamie Mackay (guitar)

(Review by Russell)

Sage Gateshead BMus student Jamie Mackay brought along his Telecaster to sit in front of the altar to play a few improvisations. Billing the recital as ‘fusion guitar’ could have deterred some with visions/nightmares of searing seventies pyrotechnics. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything of the sort.

Citing the quiet simplicity of Jeff Buckley and the harmonic intricacies of Bill Evans and Charlie Hunter as influences, Mackay played five pieces during a half hour set. Titles not important (some pieces probably didn’t have one), the performance focused upon the feel generated in St Nicholas’ imposing space. 

Rudimentary, Ms Evans

(Review by Russell).

Gateshead Jazz Appreciation Society’s most recent meeting at Gateshead Central Library heard Jenny Evans explain the rudiments of Western musical composition with reference to jazz and other genres. Newcastle College lecturer Evans made the argument that Elvis, Mozart and jazz artists were, essentially, using the same building blocks to compose, and with specific reference to jazz, improvise.  Three chords and the pentatonic scale were an essential prerequisite to understanding, and creating, a musical masterpiece.

Jazz Co-op @ The Globe: The Safe Sextet - January 21

Don Forbes (trumpet); John Rowland (ten sax); Paul Gowland (alto sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Paul Wight (drums).

(Review by Ann Alex)

The band gave another of their stellar performances to a small but appreciative audience.  Enough said? No, Blogmaster Lance and the reputation of BSH demands much more of a review. Here goes.

Even the warm up cum sound check was fun, at least for the listener.  Much discussion about how many times to play the head for The Bridge, then a quick play through of an eastern-sounding tune, which I don’t think was played during the set, but I could be mistaken about that.

CD Review: Allison Au - Forest Groove.

Allison Au (alt); Todd Pentney (pno/keys/B3); John Maharaj (bs); Fabio Ragnelli (dms); Felicity Williams (vcl - 3 tracks).

(Review by Lance).

Apart from Oscar Peterson, I've never thought of Canada as anything other than a poor relation of the USA in jazz terms - a big brother in many other ways I hasten to add! However, back in 2014 I heard the Allison Au Quartet's first album The Sky Was Pale Blue Then Grey  and I was impressed. That impressiveness remains with this new album.

Band wanted, Jazz Caff, Newcastle Feb. 26

The Jazz Café finds itself short of a trio or quartet to play at the Pink Lane, Newcastle, venue on Friday February 26. Two x 45 minute sets beginning at 9pm.

If interested and available please send name and style of band plus names and instruments of members to Dave Clarke at  clarkedave55@gmail.com.

Judd or Jurd? That is the Question!

One of our site visitors has queried our review of the recent gig at Sage Gateshead by Laura Jurd, pointing out that there are numerous references to her as Judd on Google (that infinite font of wisdom) conceding that, at the same time, Jurd is also well represented in the cyberspace crystal ball.

CD Review: Peter Jones - Utopia.

Peter Jones (vcl); Henry Lowther (tpt/flug); Nigel Price (gtr); Neil Angilley (pno/keys); Misha Mullov-Abbado (bs); Davide Giovannini (dms).

(Review by Lance).

I usually take the publicist's blurb with a pinch of salt - useful for background info - otherwise to be filed alongside a snake oil salesman's manifesto.

However, there are exceptions and, with this disc, the snake oil people at Howlin' Wolf have got it just right!

I listened to the CD - knocked out - and found my response pretty close to what the snake oil dispenser had come up with!

New Rebecca Kilgore album to be released later this month.

Check out this video preview of Rebecca Kilgore's forthcoming album Moonshadow Dance  - to be reviewed shortly.
Lance

Laura Jurd’s Dinosaur + The Early Bird Band @ Sage Gateshead. Jan 19

(Review by Russell).

Trumpeter Laura Jurd returned to Tyneside to play a gig at Sage Gateshead. The girl was impressed with the place. It’s really nice Newcastle…have I got that wrong? enquired an embarrassed bandleader. Stop digging she told herself. Jurd couldn’t claim geography as a strong suit, but, with sincerity, praised Sage Gateshead’s unparallelled facilities.

The trumpeter’s core working band – Elliot Galvin (keyboards), Conor Chaplin (bass) and drummer Corrie Dick – was in the groove from the off. 

Jazz Café Jam Session - January 19.

(Review by Lance).

Once again the faithful turned out in their hordes for the Jazz Café Jam Session. The house trio set the ball rolling in 3/4 time - didn't recognise the tune although it did sound vaguely familiar. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most, Scarborough Fair and More Than You Know followed before the first re-shuffle.

Stu Finden - the best bass playing saxophonist I know - took over from Grainger and Mrs Finden sang Bernie's Tune and Lester Leaps In before leaping out.

Nick Gould came down from Edinburgh hoping for warmer weather - as if! However, it didn't effect his tenor playing - straight down the middle renditions of  On Green Dolphin St., Out of Nowhere and My Foolish Heart - good swinging stuff.

A New Generation of Dinosaur – Tonight at Sage Gateshead.

(Preview by Russell)

Kids can be obsessive about dinosaurs. They find them in breakfast cereal packets. They find them in comics. They watch them on screen. They cuddle them…the soft toy variety that is. This evening a New Generation of dinosaur will be roaming the south bank of the River Tyne.

The walking-talking-breathing musical beast that is Dinosaur will take centre stage in the intimate confines of Sage Two. See up close the workings of a four-part musical creation; Laura Jurd, trumpet, Elliot Galvin, keyboards, Conor Chaplin, bass and drummer Corrie Dick are Dinosaur. 

New facility for National Jazz Archive

 

PRESS RELEASE

19 January 2016

National Jazz Archive opens new department in Southend on 6 February

The National Jazz Archive is opening a new facility at the Beecroft Gallery in Southend’s emerging cultural quarter on Saturday 6 February.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and the National Jazz Archive – which boasts the UK’s finest collection of written, printed and visual material on jazz, blues and related music – have signed a 10-year service level agreement which will see a new department of the Archive operate on the lower floor of the Beecroft Gallery in Southend, Essex.

Vinyl review: King Bee - Money Gone

Dave Wilde (ten/bar/fl/vcl); Richard Burns (tpt); Chris Jelly (vbs); Mark Hand (keys); Steve Glendinning (gtr); Dan Brady (bs gtr); Jonathon Marriott (dms).

Anything involving our local funk merchants King Bee is always worthy of a mention. And if you've been to a recent gig you'll surely have heard Money Gone. Well it's now out on a 7" vinyl single - takes me back to my middle age.

The song reflects a Saturday morning after a Friday night out on the toon/town/tiles - sentiments I'm sure many will relate to!

The band chant the lyric and  Steve and Dave blow some funky guitar and tenor respectively with Chris and the other drones making their presence felt.

A word of warning, only 200 copies have been pressed - don't delay, imagine what it will be worth in years come!

Get in on the ground floor!
Lance.
Check out here.

Book Review: 30-Second Jazz - Lead editor: Dave Gelly.

My first thought upon reading the blurb attached to this 150pp tome was the oft-misquoted, apocryphal, anecdote variously attributed to Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong, "Lady, if you've gotta ask, don't mess with it!" This may have been a reasonable reply back in the swing era of the 1930s when jazz, or swing, was relatively straight forward foot-tapping stuff, albeit often at odds with what classical concertgoers had been brought up on.

The position today is more complex. Many older jazz fans often struggle to cope with this ever developing form of music and the younger, pop orientated, musician/listener encountering our music for the first time must be even more confused. After all, the mainstream media gives little or no coverage to jazz and some schools don't even have a music dept. and if they do..! What is sure is that, in the future, Jazz ain't going to have many 'Working Class Heroes".

Alice Grace Quintet @ Hoochie Coochie - Jan. 17

Alice Grace (vcl); Paul Gowland (ten/alt/sop); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).

(Review by Lance).

The outstanding moment for me in the Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby remake of Holiday Inn - White Christmas - wasn't Bingo singing the title song, or even the delightful and amusing Sisters sung by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney. No, for me, it was George's auntie's heartfelt crooning of the Irving Berlin number Love You Didn't Do Right By Me.
The years rolled by and I never heard the song again - apart from every Boxing Day or thereabouts!

Until tonight!

Tonight, Alice raised Auntie Rose's seemingly unpassable bar up to an even higher level!

This was 'the biz'!

Help JNE celebrate their half century.

The Gateshead International Jazz Festival is some way off (15-17 April) but Jazz North East is preparing its stall already!   To help celebrate our 50^th year we’re putting on a display of photographs and programme materials which JNE have promoted since its inception in 1966.   Do you have any old JNE programmes or photos from the early years?    If you have then we’d love to see them. We’d scan your originals and then return them so we’re just after a ‘loan’ of anything related to JNE.   

CD Review: Laura Perlman - Precious Moments

Laura Perlman (vcl); Bill Cunliffe (pno); Mark Sherman (vbs); Chris Colangelo (bs); Joe La Barbero (dms).

(Review by Lance).

Ms Perlman grew up in a jazz loving family, subjected, if that's the right word, to the music of Bird; Trane; Miles; Sassy and Ella from an early age. With this enviable upbringing it's not surprising she has produced an outstanding album in a field where outstanding lady vocalists are the norm.

Ten classic song book items, a sympathetic A-list accompaniment and a voice that conveys the emotion of the lyric, phrased and rephrased to suit her own interpretation. These are the ingredients that go to make this rather special.

Listen to the Epic (Hype?)

BBC Music Jazz, the digital pop-up radio station on air during last year’s London Jazz Festival, featured a live broadcast of Kamasi Washington’s much anticipated concert. Today (Saturday) Julian Joseph replays the event on Jazz Line-Up (Radio 3, 5:00pm). Tune in and judge for yourself – real deal or no deal? At midnight the ‘real deal’ Wes Montgomery is the subject of Geoffrey Smith’s Jazz, also on Radio 3.

Dave and Judith O’Higgins are guests of Clare Teal at 9:00pm, Sunday over on Radio 2. Retune to Jazz on 3 Radio 3 at 11:00pm on Monday to hear more from the London Jazz Festival as Jez Nelson introduces American trumpeter Christian Scott.            

Russell.

Havana Style Cuban Jam Session @ The Jazz Café. January 14

(Review by Russell/photo courtesy of Mike Tilley)

Advertised as a ‘Havana-style Cuban jam session’ this new twice monthly session is in need of a snappier moniker. The first cold blast of winter didn’t auger well. Early signs were that few if any would show up. Havana is more likely than not basking in glorious sunshine, whilst here in Newcastle the thermometer dipped below zero. Three fifths of Tyneside’s Havana Club 5 ignored the chill wind and set about dispelling winter’s worst.

Dinosaurs and Birds point to the future

(Preview by George MacKellar)

Following several visits up north from her London base (including a performance in November 2015 at the Lit and Phil), Laura Jurd is bringing her innovative brand of contemporary Jazz to the Sage 2 Gateshead on 19^th January at 20:00. Laura and her four piece band “Dinosaur” were well received on their previous visit to town, with each musician demonstrating considerable virtuosity through music which seemed to move through all the different musical genres – classical, funk, free jazz, bebop and back again. Jurd’s use of electronics with the trumpet were recorded to be “marvellously innovative”.

CD Review: Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia – The Last Fandango

Barbara Thompson – saxophone; Jon Hiseman – drums; Peter Lemer – keyboards; Billy Thompson – violin; Dave “Taif” Ball – Bass. + Shona Brown – Flute; Apollo Saxophone Quartet and Rachel Calaminus – violin and viola.

(Review by Hugh C.)

As regular listeners to Jazz Record Requests on BBC Radio 3 may have heard, one of my first introductions to jazz in my student years was Barbara Thompson and Paraphernalia.  I was delighted to find, then, that a new album has just been released.

Jazz lovers may be aware that Barbara Thompson was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1997.  She announced the first of several “farewell” tours in 2001.  Every three years or so as her condition deteriorated she thought she would not be able to go on, but with the continuing help of new medications and her dedicated team of carers she somehow continued writing and playing. 

CD Review: Stan Sulzman/Nikki Iles - Stardust.

Stan Sulzman (ten); Nikki Iles (pno)
(Review by Lance).

The jazz duo, a tradition began, I believe, with Earl Hines and Louis Armstrong and continued with, among others, Coleman Hawkins and Freddy Johnson, Ruby Braff and Ellis Larkins until this present day when it has become the staple fare of Newcastle Jazz Café's Saturday program. Whether this is for artistic or economic reasons is immaterial - 9 times out of 10 it works and we've had some classic pairings.

This coupling between Sulzman and Iles bares comparison with any pairing from past or present!

APPJAG Voting begins

The All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards are with us once more and the polls are open. You don't have to nominate in every category but once you've submitted your nomination that's it.

It's simple, just go to the Jazz UK website and enter your choices. For example, should you wish to nominate Bebop Spoken Here for the Jazz Media Award simply type in Bebop Spoken Here in the appropriate space. The categories are:

Paris Sur Tyne - JNE à Cinquante

A French invasion is imminent! See below . Bravo JNE!

Ronnie’s Bar – Jan. 6

 (Review by Peter Ninnim)

 I only recently discovered that there was a separate bar above the Ronnie Scott club in Soho and we made our second visit last week. The venue features resident band the Andy Davies quartet; it costs £6.00 entry and food and drinks are available from 6.30 but the music starts at 9.30. It only operates on Wednesday under Andy.