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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. 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

Friday, June 03, 2016

CD Review: Ben Crosland Quintet - The Ray Davies Songbook

Dave O'Higgins (ten/sop); John Etheridge (gtr); Steve Lodder (pno/keys); Ben Crosland (bs); Sebastiaan De Krom (dms).
(Review by Lance).
The Kinks were one of my favourite sixties pop bands and the singles, Sunny Afternoon and Dedicated Follower of Fashion, two of my all-time faves from those heady days of Radio Caroline, the rising mini-skirt, MM and NME.
The songs were great, they still are, but how do they stand up after being given the jazz treatment and without the clever and often witty lyrics?
The answer is simple - Cole Porter's did and so does Ray Davies'!
Ben Crosland, who penned the arrangements, successfully captures the spirit of the originals without losing his own identity.
All Day and All of the Night: funky Etheridge, sensitive keys.
Waterloo Sunset; deeply reflective as the title implies with O'Higgins as cool as tomorrow's cucumbers and Etheridge reflecting the sunset in his playing. Crosland adding gentle melodic interpretation of the theme.
You Really Got me: funky soul. O'Higgins again emerging from the freezer - this time on soprano. Etheridge wails, Lodder hits B3 mode and De Krom blows away the cobwebs - I almost said Kinks!
See My Friend: I'm not familiar with the original so I can't compare but Crosland's 6/8 arrangement has some great piano, soprano, guitar and the leader's bass underpinning everything.
Everybody's Gonna be Happy: And everybody was!
Sunny Afternoon: The test piece! Can they make it without that great lyric: 
My girlfriend's run off with my car, And gone back to her ma and pa, Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty. Now I'm sitting here, Sipping at my ice cold beer, Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
From O'Higgins first blast followed by Crosland's bass you know they can. The lyric's great but so is the tune and this arrangement.
Dedicated Follower of Fashion: Once again O'Higgins takes us downstreet - but it's not Carnaby, more like Gerrard or Frith.
Tired of Waiting for You: Bass feature over a floating rhythm.
Dead End Street: Soprano to the fore, Street lives again!
I Need You: Nice shuffle, tenor, piano, guitar trade 4's.
Set me Free: A gentle bossa - elevator music? Maybe, but only in Harrod's!
A Well Respected Man: A swinger! Etheridge puts down the benchmark for O'Higgins who  moves it up a notch.
The project was specially commissioned for the 2015 Marsden Jazz Festival and the concert sold out well in advance.
This is probably the longest CD review I've ever done so draw your own conclusions!
Lance.
Release date:  July 8, 2016. Jazz Cat - JCCD116.

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