Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Sat 22: Durham Alumni Big Band + Durham Alumni All Stars + Swing Manouche @ Darlington Market Place. From 1:00pm. Free. The All Stars (1:00pm); The Alumni (2:00-4:00pm); Swing Manouche (4:15pm).

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

CD Review: Scott Morgan - Songs of Life

Scott Morgan (vcl); Fred Hersch (pno); Matt Aronoff (bs); Ross Pederson (dms) + Joel Frahm (ten); Janis Siegel (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
In a world, seemingly, populated by Divas it's quite refreshing to have a male entry on the starting line - does that make him a Giva? Not sure as the word probably doesn't exist!
Whatever, of late there hasn't been that many out and out male jazz singers. Lots of Sinatra clones, plenty blues guys, but few who move in the area that was once the property of Tormé, Murphy, Hendricks, Lambert and co.

Scott Morgan isn't quite that man although he makes a damn good fist of it!
It's You Or No One swings nicely with some vocalese (on a Chet Baker solo) reminiscent of Jon Hendricks - maybe James Moody too. Hersch, Morgan's partner on and off stage, plays the kind of swinging piano we associate with him.
Little Prayer, a tune by AIDS victim Dave Catney, segues into Wouldn't it be Loverly whilst Song of Life has some good blowing from Frahm - I wanted more Frahm Joel and got it later.
Hersch's Lazin' Around could have been written by Carmichael or Mercer - that's how good it is!
It's fantastic when you discover a GASbook song you've missed. I Just Found About Love by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson is just such a tune. Chances are I have heard it before but maybe never as good as this - Frahm blows his top on this one too!
There's more: James Taylor provides Secret O'Life and Don't Let me be Lonely Tonight. The Bergmans' kick in with Like a Lover; Duke gives us Just a Lucky So and So and Frahm once more chips in; Kurt Weill is Lost in the Stars; a Morgan/Hersch composition - I'll Follow - has ex Man Tran's Janis Seigel adding her vocal chords - Janis returns on The Beatles I Will. 
This Heart of Mine - from an old Astaire movie benefits from the swingier tempo.
So, why haven't we heard of Scott Morgan until now?
We don't live in NYC.
It's a fine record of original interpretations of the familiar and an individual take on the unexpected.
Well worth checking out.
Lance.
Available  on Miranda Music  Sept. 12
at

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