Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Tue 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. Tel: 0191 237 3697. Tickets: £14.00. ‘Pie & Pea Lunch’.
Tue 21: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £29.00., £26.00., £23.00.
Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Jack Littlewood (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
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: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Friday, June 07, 2019

CD Review: Coniece Washington - Shades Of Shirley Horn


Coniece Washington (vocals); Vince Evans (piano, musical direction, engineer); Wes Biles (bass); JC Jefferson Jr. (drums); Kevin Kojo Prince (percussion); Thad Wilson (trumpet); Carl Carrington (flute); David P Cole (guitar); Seth Washington (poet).
(Review by Ann Alex)

A fine singer from Trenton NJ, whose vocal life began singing in her grandmother's church. She then joined the US army but continued performing in venues in the States and Europe. She is a trained vocalist who now performs all over Washington DC, Writes songs and produces. In 2018 Ms Washington was awarded the Montgomery County Employee's Black History Show contract.
 Her second CD comprises mainly Gasbook material, some of it unfamiliar, at least to me. The music is a tribute to the singing of Shirley Horn (1934-2005). But, dare I say it? after listening to some Shirley Horn, I decided in my wisdom that Ms Washington's voice lost nothing by comparision, though Ms Horn's was skilled too. I found our singer's tone appealing, slightly and pleasantly nasal, with what I can only describe as a 'cute' tone. (Think pop singer Cindy Lauper). I also decided to mention more about the instrumentalists in this review, as I believe that they deserve more attention than I usually give them by merely saying that they are 'competent'. To that end, track by track.

1/ Here's to Life:  This begins surprisingly with a poem explaining the CD, recited to flowing piano, and voice over keys, bass, brushes and cymbals 'I had my share, I drank my fill', a song with optimistic words sung slowly.

2/ Get Out Of Town: A skilled keys solo enlivens this amusing Cole Porter song, with the immortal lyrics 'Why wish me harm, why not retire to a farm?’

3/ The Island: A Latin number with a rippling piano, concerning a desert island love fantasy, with tapping drums, (or percussion?)

4/ How Am I To Know? Another Latin, with wooden sounding percussion, probably clave blocks, and the voice intimate. I think the technical term for this is voice 'well forward in the mix'.

5/ Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying:  A much better version than the pop song. A blues with a muted trumpet making the 'crying' sounds.
6/ Our Love Is Here To Stay: With a keys solo, as on most of the tracks.

7/ Fever: A favourite track of mine, with a low tune on the keys, and sung seductively.

8/ If You Go: A slow heartfelt ballad, using the intimate voice again.

9/ Dindi: This has to be a Latin of course, with the intimate voice and lots of good percussion on clave, congas and bongos.

10/ Once I Loved: A Latin beat with flute remarks between the vocal lines and the pleasant change of a guitar solo.

11/ A Time For Love: Our singer gives us lots of imaginative flower images, and the band does well, especially the drummer with his rhythmic brushes.

12/ I Just Found Out About Love  A great way to end the album, a fast swing with clever lyrics 'Hey look, give me a clue, What's love doin' to you?

The CD is available from www.coniecewashington.com.
Ann Alex
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