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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Monday, January 28, 2019

CD Review: Ran Blake & Claire Ritter - Eclipse Orange

Claire Ritter, Ran Blake (pianos), Kent O’Doherty (tenor sax).
(Review by Dave Brownlow.)

A concert by pianist, composer, educator Claire Ritter, recorded live at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, given to honour Thelonious Monk’s centennial. Twenty short tracks – in nine, Ritter is joined by her mentor Ran Blake in two-piano duets and, in five, by Australian tenor saxophonist Kent O’ Doherty. The pianists also have solo outings – five for Blake and one for Ritter - making for a special album of delightful miniatures (six of which are just one & a half minutes long) played before an appreciative, receptive audience, where the players show mutual respect for, and enjoyment of, each other’s abilities.

The main problem posed by two-piano duets is how to keep out of the way of the other player so as to enhance their collaborator’s work rather than dominate it. Here, the duo manage this well despite, or probably because of, their different styles – Claire’s is lightly lyrical at times, strongly rumbustious at others, whereas Ran’s is spiky, quirky, percussive and angular. His chord voicings are different from anyone on the current scene and one can hear hints of Monk, Cecil Taylor, Joe Albany, Herbie Nichols or the ‘Legendary Hasaan’

Two pieces by Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk and I Mean You, three from the GASbook - Over The Rainbow, There’s Been A Change, Summertime, a Jobim/Barrosa medley, with the remainder being original compositions from both pianists some of which are contrafacts based on chord-sequences I recognise but can’t identify! Highlights for me are Blake’s fascinating, oblique re-harmonisation of the well-known bossa-novas in the Brazil Medley, the humorous, swinging 2-pianos on Blue Monk, Claire’s graceful, flowing solo spots on Emerald and the Breeze and Karma Waltz and Claire & Kent’s duets on High Top Sneakers and Cool Digs.

The whole CD is full of beguiling music played with imagination, empathy, wit and humour throughout and I would recommend it thoroughly. It will be available from February 15 on Zoning Recordings ZR1013 from iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Spotify and international streaming Zoning Recordings (ZR1013).
Dave B. 

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