Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: 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 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Book Reviews: Andrew Cartmel - The Run-Out Groove & Victory Disc.

I discovered The Vinyl Detective earlier this year* although Andrew Cartmel's creation had begun gumshoeing down the mean streets of London and beyond since 2016 in search of rare vinyl records.
I was so delighted with the story and the character(s) that I set off down those same mean streets myself in search of the two follow-up novels. This proved to be considerably easier than searching for a wartime V Disc or the child of a legendary rock singer who committed suicide years ago which are two of the challenges facing our musical sleuth in these latest adventures.
Yes, much easier - they were on the shelf at Waterstone's!
Those who read the first book will be pleased to know that the more endearing characters, including the cats, are retained and the action, to misquote the extract from the Crime Time review which is printed on the novel's back cover, whips along faster than the 78rpm speed of the elusive Victory Discs our hero seeks out in the third book which is the jazzier of the two.
Having said that, the detective's love of jazz, his girlfriend - Nevada - and the two cats, Fanny and Turk, are ever present making both books indispensable to anyone who likes to mix murder and music in quadrophonic sound.
Lance.
Andrew Cartmel - The Run-Out Groove. Titan Books ISBN: 9781783297696. (2017)
Andrew Cartmel - Victory Disc. Titan Books ISBN: 9781783297719. (2018).
Also, look out for Flip Back, due in 2019.

1 comment :

alf stone said...

Brilliant books which I discovered a while ago. I can't wait for the next one but I will have to I suppose.

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