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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

CD Review: Lauren White - Life in the Modern World

Lauren White (vocals); Quinn Johnson (piano); Kevin Axt (bass); Marvin "Smitty" Smith/Chris Wabich/Kevin Winard (drums/perc); Grant Geissman (guitar); Alex Budman (horns); Tatum Greenblatt/Michael Stever (trumpet/flugel); Francisco Torres (trombone); David Mann (flute) + Mark Winkler (vocal 2 tks/ producer.)
(Review by Lance.)

"You just have to whistle. You know how to whistle don't you? You just put your lips together and blow". Lauren Bacall famously delivered that line to Bogie in the noir film To Have and Have Not. Bacall also 'sang' How Little We Know in the film although Andy Williams was rumoured to have ghosted Lauren's voice! This Lauren doesn't need no ghosts to sing the Hoagy/Mercer song and if she did it certainly wouldn't be Andy Williams! 

I first heard Lauren [White] some 3 years back when I reviewed her previous album - Out of the Past, Jazz & Noir - the standard hasn't dipped and White continues painting pictures of a world we inhabit in movies, paperbacks and late-night bars. The voice brings a sense of theatre to the lyrics yet still retains the jazz feel. Each song tells a story - they stand up with or without the music but, with the music and the voice they stand tall, yes, very tall. 

A superb group of instrumental A-listers drop in to provide 'tell me more' solos as well as supplying the cushion to ensure a safe landing if she falls.

The girl doesn't fall!
Lance
Buy/listen.

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