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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

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

Monday, September 23, 2019

CD Review: Mark Kavuma - The Banger Factory

Mark Kavuma (trumpet/composer); 
Mussinghi Brian Edwards, Kaidi Akinnibi (tenor sax); Artie Zaitz (guitar); David Mrakpor (vibes); Reuben James (piano/organ); Dechanel Gordon (piano); Michael Shrimpling (double bass); William Cleasby (drums). 

(Review by Lance).


Back in the mists of time when I was at school, one of the teacher's idea of punishment for failing to submit homework on time was to sentence the offender to write procrastination 100 times. By the time I left school I knew the meaning of procrastination!

It took no less than the lead article in the October edition of DownBeat for me to realise that I still hadn't learnt my lesson. I had once again been guilty of procrastinating. However, this time it wasn't my inability to explain Boyle's Law (The pressure of a given mass of an ideal gas is inversely proportional to its volume at a constant temperature) but my failure to review this excellent album by Mark Kavuma which has been hovering around the top of the heap since July.

Sometimes it happens that way, sir, I sit down with the best of intentions then another CD arrives and then another and so on - well that's my excuse except, in this case, there's no excuse - this banger is a cracker!
Kavuma, 26, composed all 7 tracks and blows fiery trumpet throughout. 

Dear KD isn't dedicated to Ms Lang but to trumpet legend Kenny Dorham. On a visit to New York, Kavuma listened to a lot of KD's recordings which, along with the Big Apple ambience, inspired the tune.

The Bangor Factory, says the leader, is what the band is all about - good times and dance music, a celebration of joy. Spot on!

Mussinghi, written with his inspirational musical 'father' in mind, is tender and langrous with the subject laying down some gorgeous tenor sax lines,

Lullaby to a Fading Star reveals the anguish Kavuma felt at losing his first girlfriend - emotions everyone can share on or off the record.

Big Willie relates to the moment at Trinity when Kavuma first heard Cleasby leading to the start of an ongoing musical relationship. It's a quartet track with Zaitz and Mrakpor adding the icing.

The Songbird isn't a vocal but the lyricism of MBE on tenor suggests it could be.

Mrakpor - no prizes for guessing - is a tribute to the vibist and, as he does on most of the tracks, ticks all the boxes as well as adding a few of his own.

According to the DB article they're back in the studio in October so, I promise there will be no procrastination on that one.

A gem!
Lance

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