Bebop Spoken There

Emma Rawicz: "In a couple of years I've gone from being a normal university student to suddenly being on international stages." DownBeat January 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

18219 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 73 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 24), 73

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 30: Pete Roth Trio @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Feat. Bill Bruford.
Fri 30: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Fri 30: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Northern Edge Coffee, Silver St., Berwick. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Dan Coulthurst Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £10.00 + £1.00. bf (www.wegottickets.com). Coulthurst (trumpet); Joel Steadman (bass clarinet, flute); Nico Widdowson (piano); Fergus Quill (double bass); Theo Goss (drums).

Sat 31: Darling Dollies @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 3:00pm. £10.00. Vocal trio.
Sat 31: Brass Fiesta @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 10:30pm. Free.

FEBRUARY 2026

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet + guest Bill Watson (trumpet, flugelhorn).
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Annie & the Caldwells @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00. adv. Gospel/soul.
Sun 01: Jive Aces @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Sun 01: Olly Styles Experience + Jenny Baker @ the Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject:Times of the Day & Trios.
Thu 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Special guest Emma Wilson.
Thu 05: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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 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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