Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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, August 26, 2017

And now - Mingus: The Movie! BBC 4 Prom 2017


(Review by Lance).
We'd heard it live on Radio 3 the previous night and knew what was coming - or did we? The audio experience was fantastic - the audio/video presentation simply out of this world. I doubt if the Royal Albert Hall has ever experienced a Prom quite like this one. At the back of the stage, the bust of Sir Henry Wood who founded the Proms back in 1895 looked slightly bemused although, it may be my imagination, but I swear that, come the finale, he had a twinkle in his eye.
How could he not? We all did. This was jazz, nay, music of the very highest order played by a precision orchestra under the baton of Jules Buckley. The soloists were less precise. They played with a wild, reckless abandon that belied their august surrounds.

Shabaka Hutchings took the bass clarinet into waters where few have dared to swim and emerged triumphantChristian Scott blew his Dizzy style horn, with the upturned bell, like the grandmaster that he is. The tone, big and round and fat. The ideas, fast and furious. Bart van Lier played trombone with verve and enthusiasm - an octave higher than most trombonists. He also blew bass trumpet and wasn't averse to some dancing steps as he played.
However, when it came to dancing, van Lier was a statue of stone compared to the pink-haired, pink -suited, baritone player Leo Pellegrino who strutted his stuff in a way that suggested he had some Dervish blood in his veins.
Although it was, absurd, camp, show-off stuff it didn't detract from his mastery of his instrument. He swung his ass off and brought the house down - wowee!
Kandace Springs added some glamour and a voice that, occasionally, reflected that of Cleo Laine at her peak.
The Metropole Orkest led by Buckley provided the perfect cushion for the soloists as well as having some big hitters of their own.
My pulse is still racing 12 hours later!
Lance.
Jules Buckley (MD); Christian Scott (trumpet); Bart van Lier (trombone/bass trumpet); Shabaka Hutchings (bass clarinet); Leo Pellegrini (baritone); Kandace Springs (vocal) + Paul van der Feeo, Marc Scholten (sax/clarinet); Rik Mol (trumpet); Peter Tiehuis (guitar); Aram Kersbergen (bass); Hans Vrooman (piano); Martijn Vink (drums).

Programme.
Boogie Stop Shuffle.
Celia ?
OP.
I X Love
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.
11 BSWeird Nightmare.
Gunslinging Bird.
Fables of Faubus.
Sound of Love.
Hora de Cubitos.
God Must be a Boogie Man.
Dry Cleaner From Des Moines.
Moanin'.
Better Git it in Your Soul.

1 comment :

Jude Murphy (on F/b) said...

Wasn't it amazing? Two fabulous alto soloists in that orchestra too

Blog Archive