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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

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

Thursday, May 23, 2019

CD Review: Count Basie - Swinging the Blues

(Review by Lance)

Reviewing this gem is like Friday afternoon at the office -  'dress down day' - wear what you like, late back from lunch, finish early, snog the new girl... Ah, the memories!

Yes, the memories, several of the tracks on this release/reissue from Dreyfus Jazz were also on the first ever Basie LP I bought (and which I still proudly possess) - Jive At Five; Blue and Sentimental; One O'Clock Jump; Swinging the Blues and, as if that weren't enough, several of the other tracks were on the second Basie album I bought which, inexplicably, I either sold or exchanged - Jumping at the Woodside; Louisiana; Fiesta in Blue; Tickle Toe - welcome home!

No need to go into detail, nor to list the personnel (for those who need to know, follow the link). If you know Basie - you know all this! Herschel Evans' tenor on Blue and Sentimental, Lester's clarinet on the same number as well as his solo on Tickle Toe. Buck Clayton's feature - Fiesta in Blue. Harry Edison, as exciting as any trumpet player back then, his fire contrasting with Buck's more controlled playing.

The equally exciting trombone solos by Dickie Wells and Vic Dickenson and of course Basie's piano and the 'All-American' rhythm section completed by Freddie Greene, Walter Page and Jo Jones. Much has been made of Ellington's 1940's 'Famous Orchestra' but, whilst they may have been harmonically stronger thanks to Duke and Strayhorn, Basie's soloists were more adventurous whilst Ellington, even with Blanton on bass, could never outswing Basie's boys.

I saw the modern Basie band many times in Newcastle although I was never at any of the, now legendary, sessions where they sat in at a local jazz club. If everyone who said they were there is telling the truth it must have a mega-sized club! But, nevertheless, I'd have swapped all of those concerts to hear the original band live in Kansas City - if I'd only been born back then!

Probably none of my readers were around then either so this is the perfect opportunity to make up for it without the risk of getting taken out by a Saturday Night Special!
Stars? How about a galaxy?
Lance.
Jumping at the Woodside; Louisiana; Fiesta in Blue; Tickle Toe; Jive At Five; Blue and Sentimental; One O'Clock Jump; Swinging the Blues; Katy; Broadway; It's Sand Man; 9:20 Special; South; Doggin' Around; Sent For You Yesterday; Avenue C; Harvard Blues; Every Tub; Rambo; The King.
at

1 comment :

Patti said...

I've ordered this - who could resist! But from Amazon UK, not from Amazon Francais, which the link takes us to! Probably don't mean a thing, in the current situation ......

Friday, May 24, 2019 9:37:00 pm

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