Bebop Spoken There

John Donegan: ''What you take in through your ears can come out through your fingers.'' (Notes to Which Direction October, 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

19,030 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 894 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 22) 73.

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

October.

Mon 26: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 26: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest Ruth Lambert.
Tue 27: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 29: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 29: Simon Taylor Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. £8.00.
Thu 29: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio : The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Monday, March 28, 2016

CD Review: Eileen Howard - Big City Love

Eileen Howard (vcl); Michael Raye (keys); Nat Janoff (gtr); Eddy Khairnovich (bs); Darrell Smith (dms); Daniel Bennett (saxes); Matthew Owens (tpt).
(Review by Lance).
The love in the album title is New York, the songs are a mix of Howard originals, songs related to the most famous city in the world (sorry London, Paris, Newcastle) and other numbers where the connection may be tenuous but the Broadway/42nd St./downtown/uptown feeling is always there.
Howard, is a gal working in an overpopulated field but, with Ella, Billie, Anita, Peggy and so many others out of the race, her discs are going to show.
A voice that is bluesy, occasionally theatrical (in the nicest sense of the term) and always totally immersed in the lyric. 
Manhattan is simply fantastic. One minute it's in English, well no, it's  actually American (girl/goil) then it's in French - brilliant! 
This lady is a singer, composer, arranger and one who makes you believe the words she is singing.
Behind her are some of New Yorks finest all contributing to this rather special bite of the Big Apple.
The final track sums it up - But Beautiful!
Eileen's version of Sunday in New York should be adopted by the city's tourist board!
Big City Love is released on March 31 and the launch party is at West End Avenue (West End & West 107th at Broadway).
Details.
Lance.

2 comments :

Mlyn said...

Your rendition of Sunday In New York. representing NYC. Well! Can't wait to hear the rest of your love songs to the Big City . . .

Unknown said...

Thanks so much, Lance! Thanks for spreading the gospel of Jazz and I hope to meet you in person one day.

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