Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Sunday, February 12, 2017

CD Review: Mark Masters Ensemble - Blue Skylight

Mark Masters (arranger); Gary Foster (alto); Jerry Pinter (tenor/soprano); Gene Cipriano (tenor); Adam Schroeder (baritone); Ed Czach (piano); Putter Smith (bass); Kendall Kay (drums). On some tracks, Ron Stout (trumpet); and Les Benedict (trombone) replace Cipriano and Schroeder on the Mingus pieces.
(Review by Lance).
An album devoted to the music of Mingus and Mulligan had my mouth watering and my ears in listening mode. With the added attraction of an Edward Hopper painting on the cover, I knew this one couldn't be bad.
It wasn't, it was seriously good!
Masters has captured the mood of both jazz legends without plagiarism and, with the help of some superb soloists, created a masterpiece - no pun intended.
Putter Smith's cv includes Blakey, Monk and Ellington. Cipriano's credits range from Henry Mancini to Frank Zappa with Miles and Gil in between. He also ghosted Tony Curtis' sax playing in the film Some Like it Hot! Gary Foster graduated via the big bands of Toshiko, Tabackin, Clare Fischer and Louis Bellson. Jerry Pinter played tenor with Woody Herman which is, in jazz terms, equivalent to wearing the Newcastle United number 9 shirt back in the day... 
The others may not have as many paper credits but, when it comes to putting up they aren't found wanting. Benedict's trombone is beautiful - Jimmy Knepper with the edges smoothed off except on Eclipse where he plays like 'Tricky Sam' Nanton. Schroeder provides Mulliganesque baritone and Stout is more Jon Eardley than Chet and even more himself! Czach and Kay combine with Smith for a solid rhythm section totally au fait with the leader's intent.
I know it's only February but, come December 31, this has got to be in the shake-up and the good news is that the release date on Capri Records is February 17 only 5 days away.
Listen here.
Lance.
Programme:
Mingus: Monk, Bunk and Vice Versa; So Long Eric; Peggy's Blue Skylight; Duke Ellington's Sound of Love; Eclipse. 
Mulligan: Out Back of the Barn; Wallflower; Strayhorn 2; Apple Core; Birds of a Feather; Motel

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