Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

LP Review: Steve Fishwick/Alex Garnett Quartet - Marshian Time Slip

Steve Fishwick (trumpet/flugelhorn); Alex Garnett (alto sax); Michael Karn (bass); Matt Fishwick (drums).
(Review by Lance).

There's something about 21st-century vinyl that, somehow, feels like a piece of precious porcelain, even before you've actually heard the content you know you are holding a treasure. Fortunately, it's not fragile - no one's going to make a lampshade out of today's "long players"! Nor will the sleeves end up torn and disheveled after a night out on the Dansette! 

Unlike those historic albums that we still love and treasure, where we used to devour the sleeve notes as if they were the new New Testament and which, nowadays,  when reproduced on CD booklets, are unreadable - unless you live in Cape Canaveral that is,  the sleeve notes here provide us with only the bare insight to the background. However, this is one of those albums where the music speaks for itself. Like Fats, or was it Louis?, apocryphally said: "If you have to ask, don't mess with it".

The music is contemporary hard bop but, don't be deterred by the word contemporary, I use it in the best tradition of modern jazz as played by four of the top guys on the London scene (which means anywhere in the world east or west of New York).

I've always thought of Garnett as one of the best tenor players around but here, he throws his hat into the alto ring. 'Bird lives!' in the manner of which he would have lived had he lived.

The brothers Fishwick have kept the faith for a few years now and it hasn't diminished. Steve is more fluent, less restrained than he once was, and very much a voice to be reckoned with. Matt does the business, handling the backing, the driving, the breaks, pushing, holding back, unleashing the power - not just for himself - forcing the frontline to respond to his impetus.

Karn's a new name to me but, on this form, he will soon be on every bass player's threat list!

Steve and Alex shared the composing chores (chores? pleasure's a better word!)
It's a gem and available next month on Hard Bop Records HBR33011.
Lance
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive