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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

17,533 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 497 of them this year alone and, so far, 75 this month (June 23).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

Sat 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Linskill Centre, North Shields. 4:00-10:30pm. Free, but ticketed (over 18s only). A multi-bill, multi-genre ‘Canny Shiels - North Shields 800’ event. Three Kings Brewery on site.
Sat 28: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 29: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 29: Bal Bruch Social Dance @ As You Like It, Sandyford, Newcastle. 12:30pm. Free. Dance event with Hot Club de Heaton performing live (2:00-3:00pm). A ‘Jar on the Bar’ event.
Sun 29: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 3:00pm. Ray McVay & co.
Sun 29: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 29: Zoë Gilby w. Ryton Choral Society @ Corbridge Middle School NE45 5HX. 5:30pm. £15.00. Gilby w jazz trio & choir. ‘An evening of jazz song for choir’.
Sun 29: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 29: John Wilson & the Sinfonia of London @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Greatest Hits’.
Sun 29: Out Front @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. JNE.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

JULY 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

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, June 02, 2019

CD/LP Review: Chet Baker - Easy to Love

Chet Baker (trumpet/vocal) w, Russ Freeman (piano); Carson Smith/Red Mitchell/Bob Whitlock/Joe Mondragon (bass); Larry Bunker/Shelly Manne/Bobby White (drums); Herb Geller (alto/tenor); Jack Montrose (tenor); Bob Gordon (baritone).
(Review by Lance).

When the avalanche of current CDs threatens to push me towards a nervous breakdown, rather than visiting a 'shrink' I find therapy by drawing from the recent batch of reissues by Dreyfus Jazz.

This particular panacea is administered by some 1950's Chet Baker tracks. Forget the darkened room or the tranquilisers - this is better than snake oil.
I hang my head in shame as I recall how I allowed myself to be brainwashed by the writings of the pundits of the day who dismissed Baker as a minor talent. Miles was their idol and, whilst he was the more futuristic looking of the two players, Chet was the more lyrical by far.

These 19 tracks have all been heard before but familiarity doesn't breed contempt, if anything, it reminds us of how wide of the mark were those critics who regarded the west coast cool school as some form of emasculated jazz.

The quartet tracks have Russ Freeman on piano giving a timely reminder for those who didn't hear him at Newcastle City Hall with JATP at just what they missed and how good a pianist he was. Freeman remains on piano for the larger ensemble with other major league players of the day such as Geller, Bob Gordon and Montrose each, in baseball terms, batting three hundred (.300) over the 3 tracks.

Lavish strings arranged by Johnny Mandel provide the cushion for the luxuriant setting of You Don't Know What Love is.

Chet sings I Fall in Love Too Easily - perhaps one of the all-time great vocals. 

An absolute gem!
Lance.
Long Ago and Far Away; Isn't it Romantic?; Easy to Love; Imagination; Happy Little Sunbeam; The Thrill is Gone; Russ Job; This Time the Dream's On Me; Carson City Stage; Moon Love; Bea's Flat; I Fall in Love Too Easily; No Ties; Moonlight Becomes You*; Bokhanal*; Ergo*; You Don't Know What Love is; All the Things you Are; The Maid in Mexico.
* Larger group. 
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1 comment :

Patti (on F/b) said...

I have mine on order - the CD, which I had to order from Amazon, as only vinyl was available on the Dreyfuss site. And it sure is easy to love a little Chet magic!

Monday, June 03, 2019 9:41:00 pm

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