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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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: 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, November 04, 2016

CD Review: Paula Santoro & Ian Faquini - Metal na Madeira (Metal on Wood)

(Review by Steve T)
In 1979, as Jazz-funk descended into elevator music - some say it always was - Sonny Rollins live at Montreux was broadcast by the BBC throwing me a welcome lifeline in Jazz.
Some followed the demise all the way to smooth Jazz but others leapt on to the acid/Jazz/dance scene, modelled on Northern Soul from whence many of the DJs had evolved, and making heroes of artists like Mark Murphy and Houston Person, while relegating Miles and Trane to one hit wonders (Milestones, Mr PC respectively) and ignoring Satch, Duke and Bird altogether.
Latin Jazz, specifically from Brazil, found favour within the higher echelons of the scene, based largely on The Girl from Ipanema by Getz/Gilberto.
It turned out that Major Lance, the King of Northern Soul, was the second most successful soul act to come out of Chicago in the sixties and similarly, Girl from Ipanema is the second most covered song in the world, ahead of Summertimethough it's unclear whether Editor Lance has asked for a recount.
In the spirit of inclusivity, any and all Brazilian music is classed as Jazz, but much of this album says to me 'folk music', and I'm fascinated to read in the notes that Paula Santoro is a 'blend of Jazz and Brazilian Popular Music' (with a background in progressive rock).
To me, it fits more snugly into another Western construct, 'World Music' which includes any music that isn't almost entirely influenced by the British and American hegemony, with no consideration of whether the music is deemed classical, folk or popular within its own culture.
The album begins in upbeat fashion with Sereia and I can imagine it a dance-floor hit in places such as Newcastle’s Hoochie Coochie. The next three tracks are slowed down, more melody led and perfectly suited to Santoro’s luminous voice, climaxing in the sublime Vasta Ilha with only her deep, expressive vocals, acoustic guitar and light brushwork.
The title track picks up the pace again with busy horns, backing vocals and short solos on soprano and trombone, before a return to the small group format of singer and guitar on one, adding accordion on another, clarinet on another and bass and drums on another.
For once I even like the accordion which seems more 'organic' in this setting and not just present for novelty value as it so often is. And I'm pleased to say the song, like all the songs on the album, is sung entirely in Portuguese.
When I saw Ed Motta and Gilberto Gil at Sage Gateshead and when I play music for my best man’s Brazilian wife, I'm always struck by how everyone knows all of this music which is largely a mystery to Western ears and can sing along to all of it, but there's also enough here to appeal to a Western audience with a penchant for Latin Jazz, World music, South American folk or Brazilian pop.
It's already available on Ridgeway Records Rising Stars.
Steve T.
Paula Santoro (vocal), Ian Faquini (acoustic guitar, vocal).
Rafael Barata (drums, percussion), Scott Thompson (bass), Vitor Gonçalves (accordion, Rhodes), Harvey Wainapel (alto sax, clarinet), Jeff Cressman (trombone), Spok (soprano, spoken word), Sergio Krakowski (pandeiro),  Vivien Monica Golcwajg, Sandy Cressman (backing vocals).  

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