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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, May 20, 2019

CD Review: Carol Sudhalter Quartet - Live at Saint Peter's Church

Carol Sudhalter (baritone sax/flute/vocal - 5); Patrick Poladian (piano); Kevin Hailey (bass); Mike Campenni (drums).
(Review by Lance)

This one had slipped off my radar until I read a DownBeat review where it was allotted a paltry 2½ stars. I decided to dig it out of the pile and check if the live recording in St. Peter's Church, NY, was really that bad. I decided it wasn't.

Sudhalter, niece* of trumpeter and Beiderbecke biographer Richard,  is somewhat leaden at times on baritone yet still manages to tame the beast and the ideas are there if not always the fluidity. As the man from DB pointed out, Sudhalter is heard at her best on flute. The acoustics do her no favours on the vocal Colin Blues although, paradoxically, her flute solo on this number is one of the high spots of the album.

Valse Hot displays her technique on baritone. It reminds me of Harry Klein who was the British bari king until Ronnie Ross arrived who was the British bari king before John Surman arrived who was the British bari king before...

I digress, apart from the leader, Poladian is in top form with bass and drums on the money. Listen to the bass solo on Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You? and you'll see where I'm coming from.

Sudhalter - flute 5 stars; bari 3 stars; vocal 2 stars; recording engineer (or maybe the architect who designed the church without knowing there would be jazz held there a couple of hundred years later - he should have checked out Hoagy's Old Music Master!) 1 star. 
Lance
On a Misty night; Park Avenue Petite; Time Remembered; Funk in Deep Freeze; Colin Blues; Valse Hot; Fun in the Alley; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You?; Luiza.
* Actually brother! See comment from Carol.

3 comments :

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the listening and for the wonderful review! Just wanted you to know that rich didn't have any nieces nor do I. He was my brother!

Carol Sudhalter said...

Hi Lance, this isn't really a comment, I just wanted to communicate with you and I don't know your email address. I agreed with a lot of what you said. Very astute! About the engineer, there wasn't one. I recorded the concert with a little Zoom H5 Gadget which I placed on the floor. Never thought that it would become a CD. So sorry about that. And the other thing I wanted to say was, did you have a chance to listen to Park Avenue petite? That to me exemplifies what I do best on baritone: the tone, the phrasing and good execution of a Melody which as you know is part of my family tradition! Best, carol
P.s. send youremail! I do play in UK from time to time.

Lance said...

Hi Carol,

Yes I did listen to Park Avenue Petite and I agree it is lovely. I should have mentioned it but space etc. Your disclosure that there wasn't an actual sound engineer paints a whole different picture on the balance. Thanks for the explanation.
You will find my email address at the foot of the left-hand column.
Lance.
PS: Do get in touch next time you are in UK.
PPS: I heard Richard playing in, I think, the early 1970's in Newcastle, UK, I think Susannah McCorkle was also on the bill.

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