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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Parish Hall, St Barnabas’ Church, Rowlands Gill. 7:30pm. £10.00. BYOB (tea & coffee available), raffle. Proceeds to St Barnabas’ Church. Performance feat. Shayo (vocals).
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

CD Review: James Morton - The Kid

James Morton (alt); + Fred Wesley (tmb); Pee Wee Ellis (ten); Andy Shepherd (sax); the Easy Access Horns; Alex Johansen (vcl) Simon Picton (gtr) & Others.
(Review by Steve T).
British saxophonist James Morton was influenced by James Brown, Hip Hop and Jazz it says here; but all you really need to know is he was bitten by the Godfather. At a time when most of his peers in the British funk field were bitten by people who were bitten by James, or by people who were bitten by people who were bitten by Brown, it's quite refreshing to go back to the source.

To say he wears this influence on his sleeve is something of an understatement, but he's backed it up by enlisting heavyweight assistance from alumni of his idol. Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was an important component  of the James Brown sound at its most vital time and did some gigging and tutoring in our region a few years ago, including guesting with another JB legend - Maceo Parker - at the Gala in Durham.
Trombonist Fred Wesley took over leadership of the JBs when George Clinton stole Bootsy and co. for his own fledgling funk empire and Fred and Maceo would soon follow. The last time I went to Hoochie Coochie was to see Fred and the new JBs when it was full of funkateers, trombone players and presumably Lance, who likes a bit of hoochie in his coochie. Some of the former moaned that it got too Jazzy in the middle but all of these musicians aspire to play Jazz. Fred was thrilled when he was able to record 'to someone' with 'proper Jazz musicians' but humbled that he may not be good enough. I love trombones and I love Fred Wesley.
As if Morton didn't have enough strength in the horns department, there's his mentor Andy Sheppard for good measure, as forceful and instantly recognisable as ever.
Just in case anybody didn't spot the JB connection, track two Stand Up sounds suspiciously close to James' own I got the feeling, so much so that I had to check whether it was a cover. At times later in JBs' life, his fortunes became perilous and he was strapped for cash, but I'm sure he wouldn't have succumbed to the unfortunate current trend of suing for writer credits going on in the media and law courts at the moment, not least because the song was never the thing for him. Imagine the chaos if the estates of great folk, Jazz, Blues, Soul and Reggae artists started suing each other. I believe Uptown Funk currently has about eleven writer credits (and rising) and Brown should certainly be one of them.   
Following that, Eyelets sounds like a James Brown reworking of Curtis Mayfield's Impressions anthem People get Ready and the next track introduces his very own Lynn Collins, a singer who made her name as part of the JB empire. And so it goes on but not always so blatantly. There's also some fancy, funky guitar work from Simon Picton which pricked up a pair of ears in the back of the car. 
In his heyday JB brought out records almost every week and the saturation of availability due to arch-baddies Amazon, CDs and downloads means you can access it all. But beware, it wasn't all great.
This may all sound critical but it's a fine album and if you don't already have enough James Brown type stuff - and you can't have too much James - this would be a good place to start, or should I say continue?
Steve T.
Release Date July 8 on Matusik Records.

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