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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
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: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

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.

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.

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.

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