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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 14: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington. 10:00am-5:00pm. Free. At intervals during the day.
Sat 14: Spanish City Rollers @ The Brae, Cullercoats. 11:00am & 1:00pm. Free. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Front Porch Three + Hoodoo Blues swing dance workshop @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 3:30pm. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 4:15-5:30pm.
Sat 14: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 14: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 14: Eva Fox & Steve Chambers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’..
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. .
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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

Monday, November 07, 2016

CD Review: Keith Jarrett – A Multitude of Angels

Keith Jarrett – Piano
(Review by Hugh C).
This neatly packaged 4CD set was recorded at solo concert performances by Keith Jarrett at Modena, Ferrara, Torino and Genova in October 1996.  These represent the last four concerts he played having no breaks in each set.  The four CDs are presented in individual slip cases with the titles and timings printed on the back.  A set of notes written by Jarrett himself are included, together with a full discography.
Jarrett regards his playing at these concerts as a pinnacle of his career.  After these concerts were over he couldn't play again for two years due to (what is now known as) chronic fatigue syndrome.  The title of the set – A Multitude of Angels – is a reference to the people, circumstances, equipment and events that contributed to Jarrett's ability to play through these concerts and record them flawlessly (Jarrett acted as both player and engineer, recording on his personal DAT recorder at the back of the stage) despite his illness.

Jarrett revisited these recordings after 20 years and was taken back to “the memory of who I was in 1966, what my thoughts were about, what galvanised my life into a struggle for exactly the consciousness that we can so easily lose”.  As he listened he felt the angels took their places beside him and urged him gently to go on – A Multitude of Angels is the result.
The four discs are:
MODENA
October 23, 1996
Part I – Part II – Danny Boy
FERRARA
October 25, 1996
Part I – Part II – Encore
TORINO
October 28, 1996
Part I – Part II
GENOVA
October 30, 1996
Part I – Part II - Encore – Over The Rainbow

Each Part represents a continuous set of between 30 and 43 minutes.  This is vintage Jarrett - driving rhythm interspersed by more extended reflective improvisation, both with full vocals (grunts, sighs, exclamations and scat piano) and percussive foot tapping. 
Each disc is exquisitely recorded (full technical details of the strategy and equipment used are in Jarrett's comprehensive sleeve notes) and a beautiful record of the event - not one single audience cough did I hear on any of these CDs, and no clapping over the dying embers of the final piano chord.  This set is likely to appeal to the enthusiast.  I'm not sure your general jazz head would sit through more than 4 hours of solo piano.  This is undoubtedly a classic, but perhaps with a limited market.
Hugh C.

A Multitude of Angels is currently available on ECM, catalogue No. ECM2503

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