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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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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, August 19, 2016

CD Review: Fred Hersch Trio - Sunday Night at The Village Vanguard

Fred Hersch (piano); John Hébert (bass); Eric McPherson (drums).
Review by Dave Brownlow.
Hersch, rightfully acknowledged as one of today’s jazz masters is, like good wine, maturing with age! His choice of challenging material inspires himself and his cohorts to enthusiastically respond with vitality and sensitivity – especially, here, in the freer atmosphere of  this March 2016 session at The Village Vanguard NYC, scene of so many classic recordings.

Rogers and Hammerstein’s A Cock-eyed Optimist (an unusual vehicle for a jazz group), after an ‘impressionist’ intro, bounces cheerfully along, yes, even optimistically, with Fred spinning long lines in the upper registers of the piano.
Serpentine, the first of four originals, is a minor-keyed piece in an out-of-tempo ‘free’ style where all three contribute equally.
The Optimum Thing based on the chord changes of Irving Berlin’s The Best Thing For You opens at a brisk tempo then accelerates to a gallop. (On other nights, I’m informed, it decelerates!) This contrafact is a similar idea to Lee Konitz’ SubconsciousLee which uses Cole Porter’s What Is This Thing Called Love for its chordal base.
Calligram - an avant-garde piece dedicated to French pianist Benoit Delbecq who writes his scores in graphics. Clusters of atonal notes á la Cecil Taylor, and seemingly unconnected, lines of music abounding. McPherson’s drums clatter away in the background in the Elvin Jones style - Make of it what you will!  Blackwing Palomino (the name of a brand of pencil) is Hersch’s fourth original. A cleverly-chorded bluesy piece which swings along with a logically developed piano solo and great support from bass and drums. Again, McPherson is prominent throughout with a constant commentary of stylish rhythm.
Lennon and McCartney’s For No One is given a slow rendition far removed from the Beatles’ own take. Hersch knows the sad lyrics about a breakup and delivers a performance which draws a sympathetic response from the audience.
Kenny Wheeler’s Everybody’s Song But My Own is a wonderful tribute to the trumpeter who died last year. This is a song which everyone seems to know because it is based on a musical device known as ‘The Circle Of  Fifths’ which has been used by composers from time immemorial. Kenny Wheeler’s title ironically points this out !
Jimmy Rowles’ The Peacocks is a ballad the melody of which uses many chromatic intervals and is difficult to play – that’s why it’s not often heard. The trio gives a masterly performance with some shimmering interplay between the keyboard and percussion – one of the highlights of the album.
Fred Hersch always closes a set with a Monk piece – this time it’s We See which bounds along with impish humour. His own chordal choices show respect for the original, amply enhancing the performance to great audience reaction.
Valentine is the unaccompanied encore. This is quite an exquisite melody (to which Norma Winstone added some powerful lyrics on a previous duo setting) given a simple but emotional performance by the pianist to round off another great CD.
Overall then, a fine album with nods to the past, present and future
Available now from Palmetto-Records.com or Amazon or download it from itunes.
Dave Brownlow

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