Total Pageviews

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

17945 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 266 of them this year alone and, so far, 22 this month (April 8).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 15: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

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, July 18, 2018

CD Review: Bansangu Orchestra

(Review by Lance).
Bansangu's name derives from Brazillian percussionist Airto Moreira's habit of saying "Ban san gu' when paying his musicians. Translated it means 'Band Sounds Good!'
It was back in 2014 that ace tenor player Paul Booth got together with Giorgio Serci and Kevin Robinson to formulate the idea of a traditional big band playing music from a diverse range of cultures such as African, Brazillian, Caribbean, Celtic, Cuban, Indian and Middle Eastern. This they do without losing the overall jazz feeling but, at the same time, adding a different dimension.
Over the years, Gillespie, Kenton, Don Ellis and others have explored different cultures although none have covered such a wide spectrum. There may be some obscure tribe in one of the four continents whose indigenous sounds have been overlooked but there can't have been many.
Originals by Booth, Jayasinha, Wilson, Serci Mantovani, Mires and Oli Rockberger plus Robinson's arrangement of The Doors' Light My Fire make for compelling listening and the solos by Booth, Mayne, Yarde, Quigley, Jayasinha, Fishwick, Mires, Dickinson, Wilson, Serci. Youngs, Banks, Rockberger, Mayer and Keita combine to elevate the music to a rarified level.
To sum up: Ban san gu!
Put this one on your bucket list.
Lance
Album due for release by Pathway Records (PBCD0121) on August 3. Launch at Margate Jazz Weekend on September 21.

Paul Booth (MD/tenor/soprano/etc.)*; Jason Yarde (alto/soprano); Sammy Mayne (alto/flute);  Richard Beesley (tenor/clarinet); Gemma Moore (baritone/bass clarinet). Ryan Quigley, Kevin Robinson, Andy Greenwood, Shanti Paul Jayasinha, Steve Fishwick (trumpets)**; Trevor Mires***, Barnaby Dickinson, Robbie Harvey, Martin Gladdish, Richard Henry (trombones)****; Alex Wilson (piano); Giorgio Serci (guitar/oud); Davide Mantovani (elec. bass); Satin Singh, Edwin Sanz (perc.); Rod Youngs or Tristan Banks***** (drums) + Jonathan Mayer (sitar); Oli Rockberger (piano); Seckou Keita (kora).
*etc. includes: flutes/melodica/accordion/voice/perc/keys.
**Trumpets all double on flugelhorn.
***Trevor Mires supplies the pedal effects. 
****Richard Henry plays bass trombone and tuba.
*****Banks replaces Youngs on one track only.
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive