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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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

Monday, May 07, 2018

CD Review: The Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra - “Without A Trace”

(Review by Dave Brownlow).
This is a good example of a large, contemporary jazz orchestra where the leader, Scott Reeves, combines all the necessary elements of the successful jazz tradition ie good material, swing, creativity, talented soloists, and excitement. Reeves has been influenced by some of the great composer/arrangers such as Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Thad Jones, and Bob Brookmeyer and has spent years honing his craft within the current scene writing for groups such as Dave Liebman’s Big Band, and the Westchester Jazz Orchestra before setting out on his own in 2008.

The opener is Kurt Weill’s classic Speak Low which starts with a nod towards Bill Evans on his ‘New Jazz Conceptions’ album and settles into a lively Afro-Cuban rhythm including lively solos from Wilson on alto and Rogers on trumpet with some closely harmonised backgrounds. Reeves own Without A Trace follows featuring singer Carolyn Leonhart. The style of this piece with its melody containing wide intervals between some of the notes is so reminiscent of the work of our own Norma Winstone in its genre. The vocal is clear, confident and graceful – I give no praise higher than that!
The standard All Or Nothing At All has drummer Vernel Fournier’s immortal groove from Ahmad Jamal’s hit Poinciana as a main rhythmic element and features the leader on slide trombone with Chiavuzzo on alto this time.
Sections here are thoughtfully orchestrated and ‘quotes’ abound.
The Reeves’ original Incandescence is languidly Impressionist in style with a beautifully apt vibes solo and a restrained contribution from Wilson on soprano extending the mood. Wayne Shorter’s JuJu has a more ‘contemporary’ feel based as it is on fewer chords. Here, the arranger includes a sax-section segment based on Shorter’s original solo. The whole piece is quite forward-thinking….
A 12-tone row is the inspiration for ShapeShifter which includes several parts throughout its eight and a half minutes. Reeves himself solos on alto flugelhorn on a ¾ section. A fast 4/4 portion with glittering piano contrasting with huge slabs of orchestral textures develops,
after chaos, into a final haunting coda – Star Trek anybody?
Finally, Reeves’ tribute to Thad Jones – Something For Thad based on I Got Rhythm changes brings the album to a cheerful, swinging, boppish, slightly more conventional, closer with Haviland and Gravish having their only solo outings.
Throughout the CD, the standard of musicianship is extremely high, there is a broad range of material carefully arranged with nods towards the history of jazz making this an altogether agreeable listen.
Available now on ORIGIN RECORDS 82752 at www.originarts.com

Dave B.
Scott Reeves: (flugel. trombone, arranger); Steve Wilson (soprano,alto,flute), Vito Chiavuzzo (alto, flute) Rob Middleton (tenor, clarinet), Tim Armacost (tenor), Terry Goss (baritone 1- 4) Jay Brandford (baritone 5 – 7 ).
Seneca Black, Nathan Ecklund, Chris Rogers, (1-4) Bill Mobley (5 – 7), Andy Gravish (trumpets).
Tim Sessions, Matt McDonald, Matt Haviland, Max Siegel (trombones).
Jim Ridl (Piano), Dave Elson (Vibes 4), Todd Coolman (Bass), Andy Watson (Drums).
 Carolyn Leonhart Vocal (2).

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