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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 2025).

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

17873 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 194 of them this year alone and, so far, 41 this month (March 14).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: The Great Deceivers @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Tom Atkinson & co play King Crimson (1969-1974). Atkinson (guitar); Josh Bentham (alto sax); Stu Dawson (bass); Jeff Armstrong (drums).

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Fred Wesley & the New JB’s @ The Cluny. 7:30pm (doors). £27.50. POSTPONED! New date Wednesday 26 November.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Sunday, May 01, 2016

CD Review: Tony Lustig Quintet - Taking Flight.


Tony Lustig (bar/bs.clt); Mike Dease (tmb); Samora Pinderhughes (pno); Ben Williams (bs); Ulysses Owens (dms).
(Review by Lance).
A cracking session - what else can I say? Great baritone sax playing (endorsed by Joe Temperley in the blurb), compatible trombone alongside him in the frontline and a sympathetic rhythm section. What's not to like?
Wherein lies the problem.
So many good musicians are rolling off the conveyer belts of the music schools, here, in Europe and the States. Each and everyone, sooner, rather than later, has an album on the digital shelves of a cyber record store near you. Some even make it on to the racks of a 'bricks and mortar' music store, but, at the end of the day, there are just too many fish swimming in a small pool.
As I began, Lustig blows fine bari but so did Gerry Mulligan and Cecil Payne. John Surman still does and all of the grandmasters of jazz are even now readily available in a jazz specialist store or online.
So why buy this one? I don't know! If you've heard the band at a gig you're going to put down the dough there and then. But, if you're 6000 miles away, are you going to fork out your hard earned bucks on what you've read here or even in Down Beat?
I have my doubts! However, if you do decide to splash the cash, then you won't be disappointed - I'd swap two of my Mulligan's for this and throw in a Lars Gullin for good measure!
Samples.
Lance.

1 comment :

Steven Tulip said...

Know what you mean Lance. We attended a Masterclass at Leeds Uni a while back and, while he acknowledges it's great that kids have such vast access to such a huge amount of music, it makes it more difficult for them to maintain focus on one thing. I wonder how many people know an Amazon basket only stretches to 600 items so I have maybe another hundred on scraps of paper, including Soul, Blues, Reggae, Rock and whatever takes my fancy, some DVDs and books. I also like to buy CDs from any good live bands at gigs cos I know some depend on it.
I love the baritone sax and may well buy this album but it just gets impossible to keep up.

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