Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18585 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 449 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 31) 103

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

June

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: 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 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.

Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).

Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).

Saturday, March 18, 2017

CD Review: Erin Dickins - Vignettes

Back in 2011 I interviewed Erin after hearing her album Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast. I was knocked out then and I'm reeling again listening to this new one. Erin, a founder member of Man Tran, finishes her European tour tomorrow night (Sunday March 19) at London's legendary '606' Club. Talk about Blues to be There!
Track 1: Erin Girl For Rhythm//Jumping With Symphony Sid. A clever merging of the two riff tunes with Erin sounding smoky and swingy. The nightclub chanteuse/the girl next door. All but two of the tracks on Vignette has Erin accompanied by a sole multi-instrumentalist - in this case - Paul Jost, a world class singer himself who pitches in on drums, vocal bass and harmonica.
Track 2: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight: Bob Dylan is becoming a more and more frequent name on these pages. Danny Levin is Erin's companion on this one providing piano, violin, cello and keyboards - ah! the beauty of multi-tracking. Listening to Erin singing the emotive words I can tell her straight that I'd love to be her baby tonight...
Track 3: Jackie. Remember the Annie Ross take on Wardell Gray's Twisted? 'course you do. Well, Annie followed that up with this one, also based on a Wardell solo. Erin does it justice with only Bruce Hamada on bass for support. Faultless.
Track 4: O Grande Amor. A Jobim song, David Friedman on vibes and Erin singing in Portuguese. She sounds like she was born with coffee in her veins. Time for some java myself...
Track 5: Came So Far For Beauty. We've had Dylan and Jobim and, now Leonard Cohen who's another guy turning up quite regularly these days. John Lissauer on piano, sax and keyboards makes me wonder what the rate is for all these doubles, trebles etc!
Track 6: Which Way Steinway. The collaborator on this one is composer, pianist, bassist, guitarist, A.J. Croce (son of Jim and Ingrid). The tune is an out and out swinger with the pair displaying their jazz chops to the world.
Track 7: A Bicyclette: Sung in French, Erin sounds like she was born with Burgundy in her veins.
 and, on piano, Rob Mounsey provides the aperitif.
Track 8: Wonderful World. Not the Louis Armstrong hit but the earlier Sam Cooke classic. A superb song with Steely Dan guitarist Elliott Randall along with Steve Donnelly (acc. guitar); 'Level' Neville Malcolm (bass); Andy Treacey (drums) and, of course, Erin singing that catchy opening verse;
Don't know much about Geography, Don't know much about Biology, Don't know much about Science books, Or the French I took, But I do know that I love you etc.
Track 9: Black Trombone. A big band setting with the Zaremba Jazz Fellowship and trombone solos by Brian Woodbury. Leader Drew Zaremba plays piano and clarinet, Erin sings once more in French and the band have a wonderful 1930s feeling.
Track 10: We'll Be Together Again. The Frankie Laine/Catl Fischer opus has Erin and pianist Stef Scaggieri combining for a beautiful reading of one of my favourite songs.

If only I wasn't convalescing, If only I was in London tomorrow night at the '606'. But I'm not even in Newcastle for our own hot ticket gig SSBB at Hoochie Coochie which is equally unmissable.
Lance.
Samples/Purchase - release date March 31.
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2 comments :

Ann Alex said...

Hello Lance, Just to wish you the best for your convalescence, hope to see you back at the Globe soon.

Sunday, March 19, 2017 1:34:00 pm
Lance said...

Thank you Ann, you are most kind but, this posst isn't about me, it's about Erin Dickins who is a very fine singer indeed and a model for any aspiring vocalists.

Sunday, March 19, 2017 1:36:00 pm

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