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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

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

CD Review: Rebecca Nash – Peaceful King


Nicholas Malcolm (trumpet); Thomas Seminar Ford (guitar, electronics), Rebecca Nash (piano, keyboards); Chris Mapp (bass, electronics); Matt Fisher (drums); Sara Colman (vocals); Nick Walters (electronics)
(Review by Hugh C)

Peaceful King is Rebecca Nash’s first release as leader, along with her band, Atlas.  She is joined in her long-time collaboration with Malcolm, Ford, Mapp and Fisher by vocalist Sara Colman.  

Peaceful King slowly appears out of the ether with atmospheric electronics by Nick Walters.  A groove is established on drums and bass and Nicholas Malcolm’s rich trumpet sound adds icing to the cake. The track has a positivity which is stated to be “a reaction to the current state of the world” - we certainly need some of that!  

Tumbleweed features an opening drum ‘n’ bass style riff (Nash hails from Bristol – purportedly the drum ‘’n’ bass capital of the world). The groove continues apace (this tumbleweed is moving fast!) with extensive keyboard contributions by Nash. 

Hot Wired features the vocals of Sara Colman with lyrics about a “sassy, feisty female”, keys, bass and drums supporting the melodic line, with extensive keyboard solos.  The song fades to electronic effects and after a brief track break Grace appears after electronic intro.  Colman here tells a story, after the manner of Joni Mitchell.  Dreamer apparently references the cyclic patterns of the late John Taylor, vocals again by Colman with extensive piano solos.

We now return to the purely instrumental.  Lokma features Seminar Ford on guitar, with long stretches of bass/piano interplay driven by Fisher’s drumming.  Little Light slows things right down,  Malcolm’s trumpet stretches over tinkling piano evoking a vast, prairie-like expanse, before drum, bass and guitar restore some confines of rhythm, preparing us for the driving, rocky feel of  Inishbofin inspired by a turbulent boat crossing to the Irish island of the same name.

Peaceful King,  pleasant listen and well executed  album, is available now on Whirlwind Recordings (WR4748).  Atlas can be experienced on tour as far west as Bristol (30 October), as far north as Birmingham (31 October), and also somewhere called London (20 November) where the album launch will be held at the Sebright Arms. 
Full details available on https://www.rebeccanashmusic.com/shows/
Hugh C

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