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.

Sunday, April 28, 2019

CD Reviews: Dinah Washington - Blues For a Day & Sarah Vaughan - Lover Man


(Review by Lance)

Another couple from the fantastic Dreyfus Jazz catalogue by two of the most charismatic singers of the era.

Dinah Washington came up through the Lionel Hampton big band and emerged as, arguably, the greatest female blues singer since Bessie Smith. The lyrics are, in the main, raunchy and of the 'my man done gone an' done me wrong' variety and, when Dinah sings the blues, you feel blue with her! 

However, all her eggs weren't in on one basket, she also took a crack at the charts challenging a young Tony Bennett with Cold Cold Heart, helping Sinatra forget about Ava with her version of the song credited to Frank - I'm a Fool to Want You as well as throwing the gauntlet down at Kay Starr with Wheel of Fortune - fortunately, not on this album.

1945-1951: Dinah had the best - Hampton's band, Dizzy's band, soloists such as Lucky Thompson, Milt Jackson, Cootie, Quinichette and Diz himself. The first time I heard Dinah was on Blow Top Blues* - a 78rpm by Lionel Hampton that I bought in The Handy Shop in the cosmopolitan area of South Shields known as Laygate. The shop is long gone but I bought many records there in the pre-CD formats - anyone else out there who remembers the shop?
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Sarah Vaughan could also sing the blues but, unlike Dinah, her preferred genre was the GASbook and her inspirations, the bop guys such as Dizzy and Bird who are well featured on several of the tracks. Miles and JJ are also in there. In her later recordings, I found 'Sassy' to be perhaps a little over-stylised but in these tracks, she hits the perfect groove and, dare I suggest it? much as I love Ella Fitz, in this forties/fifties period I think 'The Divine One' had the edge!
Lance
* There are two versions of  Blow Top Blues on this CD.
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