Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Thursday, December 29, 2016

CD Review: Camilla George - Isang

Camilla George (alto); Sarah Tandy (piano); Daniel Casimer (bass); Femi Koleoso (drums); Zara McFarlane (vocal - 1 track).
(Review by Lance).
Ubuntu Music, is a newly formed recorded music label committed to bringing quality, accessible jazz and related music genres to increasingly wider audiences.
So reads the blurb and, if this release is typical they're in with a shot. All they need is the airplay and the media coverage. Well, they've got BSH's thumbs up for starters.
Trinity graduate George, her mentors include Toussaint, Kofi, Siegel and Speake, is one of the most delightful alto players to emerge in recent years. Lyrical, melodic, never a note out of place.
Neither too many, nor too little, the MOBO nominated Nigerian saxophonist sails through the changes. There's a modern-day bop feel to the opener Mami Wata whilst Lunacity, not surprisingly, is based on It's Only a Paper Moon. There's also a quote or two from Rollins' Don't Stop the Carnival.
Sarah Tandy also strikes a blow for Women Make Music, her playing is an absolute delight. Restrained but so effective. Bill Evans and Ellis Larkins spring to mind although, quite possibly, the next time I listen to those two it will be Sarah Tandy that springs to mind. Casimer we know well from appearances at The Globe this past year and, although Zara McFarlane only enhances one track it's enough to remind us of her appearances at Sage Gateshead.
Like George, McFarlane came through the ranks of Tomorrow's Warriors - what a finishing school that must have been!
Drummer Koleoso is also an ex-Warrior and it shows. He lays it all down, solos, lurks in the shadows, his presence felt rather than heard but, when the chips are down - he's heard!
The band's doing a CD launch tour that begins at Pizza Express, Soho, on January 11, takes a breather to (hopefully) have more CDs pressed then heads north in February.
Sheffield; Manchester; Ambleside; Leeds then, just as you think Newcastle is going to be on the itinerary they shoot off down to Kenilworth; Wrexham and Swansea!
So, we're not going to catch this great band live but the CD will go someway towards making up for it.
Lance.
PS: If I get around to making out anymore Best of 2016 lists this one will be riding high even though the release date isn't until January 2017.

1 comment :

Martin Hummel said...

Thanks, Lance. Much appreciated.

Best wishes, Martin Hummel

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