Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18573 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 437 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 28) 91

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

May

Fri 29: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 29: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 29: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.

Sat 30: Giles Strong Quartet @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £1.50 bf.

Sun 31: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 31: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 31: Sinfonia of London: Tea Dance @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. Free. John Wilson ensemble performing on the concourse. Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin & more.
Sun 31: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 31: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 31: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 31: Ben Haskins Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00.

June

Mon 01: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 01: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Mon 01: CW Stoneking @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Blues, Americana.

Tue 02: Mark Williams Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

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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