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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Sunday, May 05, 2019

CD Review: Kim Cypher - Love Kim x

(Review by Lance).

Yet another absolutely wonderful vocalist, the lyrics of The Nearness of You were delivered as emotionally as they have been delivered by any contemporary singer. She could have been singing to me (sigh). The next track, an original, Maybe, suggests that maybe she had someone else in mind! So what, I've loved and lost before and it's a great tune with lovely lyrics, some smoove soprano and a 100 watts of Dave Newton's keyboard make this as emotional an encounter as seeing a stranger across a crowded room during the course of an enchanted evening.
Soul Eyes has Cypher blowing tenor on Mal Waldren's signature dish. Newton adds a couple of tablespoons before our saxist brings it to a simmering conclusion - tasty.

Comes Love, is this an overdub? Kim is singing but the tenor sax wheedles its way in during the vocal and Pee-Wee isn't officially on this track., Cobbson is and does!

Breezin' has Kim blowing sop. It's all a bit easy listening, shades of Kenny G only better.

Valerie - a vocal sung emotively, telling a story, sits nicely alongside Amy.

People Get Ready - a Curtis Mayfield number done here as an instrumental. Kim blows her pants off over a full backing with Lenz putting the groove in before sanity prevails.

Highland Mike - written by Kim in memory of Mike Carter who 'Introduced me to such great music'. Pee Wee blows some earthy tenor.

Rising From the Dust - another original by Kim full of cutting lyrics about a woman learning to live again. Some shredding from Lenz plus a backing choir!

A Time to Reflect, A Time to Forget. Cobbson wrote this one and Kim takes it around the block on sop sax over a Carribean rhythm with the composer in there pitching.

Finally, Baker Street! I suppose it had to come. Over the years, the sax test pieces have evolved (or devolved) from Body and Soul to Take 5; Desifinado; Yakety Sax and Baker Street. Before you cringe, forget Gerry Rafferty (no, don't forget Gerry because Baker Street was one of the most emotive songs of the latter part of the last century) this is a totally different take. Kim plays sop and alto, the charismatic theme isn't lost but it's surrounded by so much magical, musical, mayhem that, had he still been in residence, Sherlock would have smoked a pipe of Shanghai's finest, grabbed his violin and joined in the jam - "I say Watson, I detected a D# diminished 9th in there - the game is afoot".

Afoot it is indeed!
Lance. 

Kim Cypher (vocals/flute/sop, alto, tenor sax) + (collectively) Pee Wee Ellis (tenor sax); David Newton, Alex Steele (piano); Chris Santo Cobbson, Lee Jones, B.D. Lenz (guitar); Tom Clarke-Hill, Clive Morton (bass); Mike Cypher (drums); Karl Vanden Bossche (perc.); John-Paul Gard (organ); Kentwood Show Choir).

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