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

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.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Thursday, August 01, 2019

Review: Claire Martin & Jim Mullen - Bumpin'

Claire Martin (vocal); Jim Mullen (guitar ); Mads Bærentzen (piano); Thomas Ovesen (bass); Kristian Leth (drums).
(Review by Lance).

Still the CDs arrive - the chances of an artist getting a review are now down to about 1% unless more reviewers come forth. I know I could just cut and paste the press releases which, to me, is the easy way out but not necessarily the ethical one.

However, because of this selectivity, when a CD does grace these pages you can guarantee that it's 5* and counting.

This is just such an album. I know the girls are on the march and I don't think the UK has ever had such a formidable distaffian army storming the jazz citadel. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Barnsley, Chesterfield, London, Canterbury and - in this case - Brighton, the jazz voice lives.
Claire Martin has it all - perfect pitching, intelligent interpretation of the lyric, the ability to convey the words in a meaningful manner. Truth is, I think Claire could make How Much is that Doggie in the Window? sound like something by Cole Porter or George Gershwin! 

Fortunately, that challenge doesn't arise here, instead the album is dedicated to Wes Montgomery and who better to assist her in this endeavour than Jim Mullen?

As with jazz singers, there is no shortage of jazz guitarists. Where the line thins out is when it comes to the Jim Mullens of this world - just as there is only one Claire - so there is only one Jim.

Put this duo on top of an ace Danish rhythm section, add the inspiration of Wes Montgomery's recordings to the mix and you have l'elisir d'amore jazzwise.

Surprisingly, most of the tracks are standards that, presumably, Wes recorded during his short but prolific (and influential) lifetime. The only  actual Wes compos are Road Song, West Coast Blues, I Could Get Used to This (Bumpin'), Back in the Room (Bock to Bock).  This latter track is actually by Wes' brother Buddy and the words are by Claire's fellow Brightonian singer/songwriter Imogen Ryall described by Claire in the August edition of Jazzwise as "A hidden diamond".

The others are exquisite interpretations of : Willow Weep For Me, 'Round Midnight, If You Could See me Now, Goin' Out of my Head, Born to be Blue, The End of a Love Affair.

It doesn't come any better than this.
Claire Martin can be heard with SSBB at Hoochie Coochie on October 20 - book now!
Lance.
Available on Stunt Records - CD or LP - release date August 23.
Try/buy.
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1 comment :

Unknown said...

Oh my! Jeff Brown played 'I could get used to this - bumpin' on Jazz FM yesterday and it made my day. I agree with your review - Claire Martin is pitch perfect
and together with Jim Mullen has made a great album. 5*

Monday, October 14, 2019 3:56:00 pm

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