Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: 2025 obituaries.
Thu 22: Ronnie Scott’s Soho Songbook @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Thu 22: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta. @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm (doors). £6.50 (inc. bf).

Fri 23: Sue Ferris Quintet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 23: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 23: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 24: An Evening with Will Todd @ Durham Cathedral. 7:30pm. Feat. Voices of Hope, Strictly Smokin’ Big Band (members of) & Alice Grace. Performance inc. Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis. £25.50., £13.50., £19.50., £10.50.

Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Gaz Hughes Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Alexia Gardner Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

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

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

CD Review: Mishka Adams & Beto Caletti - Puentes Invisibles

Mishka Adams (vocals); Beto Caletti (vocals, guitars, bass, keys, arr.); Diego Alejandro (drums); Nuria Martinez (flutes on Mil Vezes); Pedro Carneiro Silva (piano on Puso Mo).
(Review by Lance).
Given the South American music contained here I mistakingly, albeit understandably, assumed this would be a tribute to the late Tito Puentes. I was wrong, that Puentes is, indeed, invisible here.
Or is he?
Very little South American music hasn't been influenced by Tito and vice-versa. However, here, puentes translates to bridges and the bridges are invisible as the duo journey through South America - different countries, different languages, different rhythms all blending beautifully and, even though the foreign tongues sing words that I no entiendo the charming sound of the voices more than compensate for my multilingual shortcomings.
As I've said before, you don't need fluent Italian to enjoy Grand Opera or a Summa Cum Laude in scat-singing to appreciate Ella Fitzgerald and nor do you need to have been on speaking terms with that Ipanema girl to get pleasure from this album.
Debatable as to whether it should be classed as jazz. HMV would probably rack it under Easy Listening or World Music. Maybe it's World Jazz.
Mix a Cuba Libre or a Piña Colada, close your eyes and relax. You've missed the launch at Pizza Express which was a couple of days ago but there are a few London gigs in July, one in Wales and several in Germany and Slovenia if you've got a current passport.
Pete Churchill had this to say: "She, Mishka Adams, is a songwriter's dream - a great understanding of text, and, quite simply, one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard".
Coming from  Pete Churchill, himself Professor of Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music, that is praise indeed. Praise that I'll go along with and also mention that Beto Caletti is no mere second banana but fully deserving of his joint billing.
Lance.

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