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

19,041 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 905 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 26) 84.

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.

Tue 27: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest Julija Jacenaite.
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: Radio Pensacola Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Featuring guest Jan Spencelayh.
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.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Friday, August 12, 2016

CD Review: Euan Stevenson & Konrad Wiszniewski – New Focus On Song

(Review by Russell).
New Focus is an ongoing collaboration between pianist Euan Stevenson and fellow Scot, saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski. On Song is their second album on Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings label. The majority of the thirteen tracks were composed by Euan Stevenson, the format similar to New Focus’ first CD, incorporating jazz quartet, string quartet and harp.

Air in D Minor would suggest classical connotations. This is the opening to the album. A brace of folk-inspired numbers follow – Green Park and Destination Unknown – making it abundantly clear this isn’t a straight ahead jazz album. No one said it was. It is what it is. The strings are members of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Sophia’s Song is an amalgam of Wiszniewski blowing, the strings attempting a riff and Alyn Cosker’s superb ‘big band’ drumming.
Stevenson has sought to incorporate disparate elements; French impressionism and Celtic folk melodies, small group jazz and solo piano episodes. The jazz ear was taken by Corea Change; scorching jazz quartet (think Tubby Hayes or Johnny Griffin), Cosker in Buddy Rich mode, Stevenson’s dazzling jazz piano. The strings enter late on and give as good as they get. This is the ‘jazz’ of the album. There is more jazz on Fourths Ostinato. Cosker is once again at the centre of things with an outstanding, high-octane workout as Konrad Wiszniewski’s soprano tirade scales the heights.  
Jazz and strings, jazz with strings or music with strings. From a jazz perspective, On Song is an album for those with a penchant for a ‘jazz plus’ offering.      
New Focus On Song on Whirlwind Recordings (WR4690) is released on August 19. The album launch, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe, is at the Jazz Bar on August 20.            
Russell.

Euan Stevenson (piano), Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor & soprano saxophones, clarinet, low D whistle), Andrew Robb (double bass), Alyn Cosker (drums & percussion);  the Glasgow String Quartet: William Chandler (violin), Lorna Rough (violin), Ian Budd (viola), Betsy Taylor (cello); Nicola Wiszniewski (flute) & Alina Bzhezhinska (harp)
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive