Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

From This Moment On

June

Sun 28: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 28: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 28: Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler. 3:00pm. £18.00., £6.00. A Wooler Arts Summer Concerts event. Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (double bass).
Sun 28: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 28: An Evening of Jazz @ St James’ Church, Copper Chare, Morpeth. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 from 01670 788869 or 01670 519923. Mid Northumberland Chorus (MD Robin Forbes, Emma Straughan, piano) w. jazz trio featuring Edgar Ho, Oscar Ho & Dave McKeague & special guest Emily Masser. Performance inc. Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass + George Shearing’s Songs & Sonnets.
Sun 28: Led Bib @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.00., £12.00. JNE.

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Saturday, August 11, 2018

CD Review: Wayne Shorter - Emanon

Wayne Shorter (sop/ten); Danilo Pérez (pno);  John Patitucci (bs); Brian Blade (dms) + (second set) BBC Concert Orchestra.
This 3 CD set from Blue Note seemed somewhat familiar before I realised the reason for the feeling of Deja-vu
Back in 2013, I attended an EFG concert at the Barbican by the Wayne Shorter Quartet and, as 2 of the 3 discs were recorded live in London in 2013, I'm guessing that these were from the same concert. The 3rd disc features the quartet in a studio session with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Substitute the Orpheus boys and girls for the BBC Concert gang and you have, virtually, the whole concert reproduced on disc so, I'm going to take the easy way out and repost my original review.
----- 
Another crowded Barbican, another legend, another triumph? Well maybe, maybe not.
The first set was very much along the lines of his Blue Note CD Without a Net. The same line-up and a lot of the fire represented in the exciting album that brought the 80-year-old back into the front-line of contemporary jazz was re-created here. Already I know several authoritative figures see this as their album of the year (2013) and on this performance, I can understand them. It is a good album and this first set reinforced their opinion.
If only it had ended there!.
Enter the BBC Concert Orchestra (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra).
A wonderful orchestra, but not a jazz orchestra - contrast this with Guy Barker and his classical players. Nevertheless, they did a good job given the material but, and I'm sure I'm going to be hung, drawn and quartered next time I'm in town, to me this was on a par with Bix and Paul Whiteman. After hearing a cracking first set then to have all this quasi-jazz thrust upon me diluted the content (I kept nodding off to sleep). There are times when Serious can be too serious! Although in fairness it has to be said they have produced one of the world's great jazz festivals - and they're producing another one at Sage Gateshead next April (2014).
Lance.
PS: The standard edition comes with a graphic novel which wasn't included with my promotional 3 CD pack. The deluxe edition also includes 3 vinyl LPs along with the 3 CDs and the novel.
More details including a description of graphic novel of which I've now received a download. It is quite thought-provoking and contains some stunning artwork.
Available from August 24.
Listen/buy.

2 comments :

Peter from DE said...

According to this site:
http://www.pressreader.com/france/jazz-magazine/20180831/282729112768294

The Barbican concert material is from November 2016. Of course, maybe you are right (and the other website is wrong) and it's actually 2013.

It's strange that the dates are not listed in the official release or on Blue Note's website. The website does say that the recordings with Chamber Orchestra date from 2013.

Lance said...

I'm sure you're right but, it all seemed to hang together so I probably got it wrong, I usually do! Many thanks for your observations.

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