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.

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: Amphitrio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £7.00. Andrei Petrache (piano); Mike Alex (double bass); Philip Goron (drums).
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 24: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. .

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.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

CD Review: Lady Sings the Blues - Laughing at Life.

Val Wiseman (vcl); Digby Fairweather (tpt); Roy Williams (tmb); Julian Marc Stringle (clt/ten); Brian Dee (pno); Len Skeat (bs); Eric Ford (dms).
(Review by Lance)
One of the highlights of 2015 was the concert by Val Wiseman and her Lady Sings the Blues entourage at Durham's Gala Theatre. I say 2015, but as the show has been on the road since 1987, it could, and probably was, a highlight of any of the years in between!
Recorded live, that same year (2015), at Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival, this is as good a Billie tribute as you're going to get. 
If you were at Durham or Birmingham or wherever this is the perfect souvenir. If you weren't at one of the live gigs then this becomes an essential!
Let's look at the evidence.
The singer: Val Wiseman,  a wise woman (sorry!) who conveys the spirit of the recordings without attempting to copy. She has her own personae, relating to Billie and the songs whilst retaining her own identity. Probably the best interpreter of the Billie Holiday songbook as anyone around today.
The band:  See above - Six of the Best!
The songs; Laughing at Life; That's Life I Guess; God Bless the Child; Miss Brown to You; Good Morning Heartache; How Could You?; Comes Love; You've Changed; Ain't Nobody's Business; Lover Man; Now Baby or Never; My Man; Fine and Mellow.
One of those CDs you put on the car stereo and find you're still listening to it, and discovering something new after six weeks, of unnoticed red (traffic) lights, a few near collisions and at least one charge of Driving Without Due Care and Attention.
"I was paying due care and attention your honour, 'cept it was to that Lady Sings the Blues CD - Laughing at Life rather than that number 27 bus that braked suddenly ....."
"Mitigating circumstances - case dismissed and, er, could I borrow the disc?."
Lance.
To be released by Big Bear Records on May 20.

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive