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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18069 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 390 of them this year alone and, so far, 68 this month (May 222).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:15pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bywell Hall, Stocksfield. 1:30pm. Northumberland County Show.
Sat 24: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 24: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm.
Sat 24: Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Stockdale (piano); Tim Williams (guitar); Gavin Barras (double bass); Gaz Hughes (drums) + Mingus Sings: Sara Oschlag (vocals); Alan Barnes (reeds); Tim Lapthorn (piano); Arnie Somogyi (double bass); Clark Tracey (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sat 24: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 24: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sat 24: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 24: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 25: Northern Monkey Brass Band @ Spanish City Plaza (outdoor stage). 11:30am & 1:00pm. Free. A Whitley Bay Carnival event.
Sun 25: Zoë Gilby & Andy Champion: Bandstand Sessions @ The Sele, Hexham. 12 noon. Free. A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 1:30pm. Free.
Sun 25: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Bourne (harp), Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (double bass), Joe Bainbridge (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 25: Struggle Buggy @ The Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sun 25: Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone (vocals); Nikki Iles (piano); Mike Walker (guitar); Steve Watts (double bass). 7:00pm. Admission: see website: www.queenshall.co.uk. Steels (guitar); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Susans (double bass); John Hirst (drums). A Northumberland Jazz Festival event.
Sun 25: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 25: Xhosa Cole/Neil Charles/Mark Sanders @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A JNE promotion. Note: Xhosa Cole replaces Nicole Mitchell.

Mon 26: Catriona Bourne Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 26: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 27: Bold Big Band @ Newcastle Arts Centre, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.00. & £10.00.
Tue 27: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Front St., Rothbury NE65 7UT.7:30pm. £12.00.; £10.00. adv. from Tully’s (opp. venue).

Wed 28: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 28: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 28: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 29: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: That’s the Blues, Dad.
Thu 29: Nova.sol + Mikoudi @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 29: Front Porch Three @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, blues etc.

p>Fri 30: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 30: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 30: Rivkala @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Fri 30: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Middleton & Tonbridge Village Hall. 7:30pm.

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, September 11, 2019

CD Review: Ricardo Peixoto - Scary Beautiful

(Review by Steve T)

Back in the days of jazz-funk, I was really into acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh though - in hindsight - as a disciple of George Benson and his association with Bob James they were always going to condemn him to the scorn that would subsequently be heaped on smooth jazz.

On first hearing this, I was immediately reminded of Mr Klugh, though those who summarily dismiss smooth jazz need not be put off. Like everything else, the boundaries of what constitutes smooth jazz is not a fixed point but is fluid amongst listeners and many who generally hate the sub-genre may find lots to enjoy.

Although his native Brazil permeates everything here, he's classically trained and also studied at Berklee alongside Pat Metheny and Gary Burton and has played and recorded with Airto, Flora Purim, Dom Um Romao and others.

Circles features an acoustic guitar. soprano sax front-line.

Santos E Demonios has an acoustic guitar/ flute front-line - and the flute will play a prominent role throughout - with percussion well to the fore.

The title track features more flute and a classical string quartet.

Nereids follows and, at a little over a minute long, features fine choral vocals from Claudia Villela.

Morro da Paixao is my favourite track, featuring a prolific three piece horn section giving propulsion and a slight big band feel, a flugelhorn solo following the guitar solo, the leader comping behind it with the sax and trombone chipping in.

Simpatica is an acoustic guitar, piano duet and I've recently had my head turned to the possibilities of this line-up.

Pixinguinga returns to a classical format, heavy on woodwinds (flute, bass clarinet and oboe) and no rhythm section.

Velha Amizade returns a standard rhythm section plus under-stated percussion, flute and Peixoto switching between acoustic and electric, though firmly on the acoustic side of semi-acoustic.

The penultimate track is Noturna and is a solo acoustic guitar piece which could have been Steve Howe on an early Yes album.

Finally, it's back to some oomph with Balao De Tres, with a great catchy melody, flute coming in for the second run through.  

At forty six minutes, it's a nice length for an album and, with plenty of variety on offer, this is the best album I've reviewed in some time and by a long way.
Already available on CD and digital. 
Steve T.

Ricardo Peixoto - acoustic and electric guitars.

Ken Cook, Marcus Silva (piano); Cliff Hugo, Scott Thompson, Aaron Germain (bass); Rafael Barata, Kendrick Freeman, Mike Shapiro (drums); Bob Afifi (flute); Paul McCandless (soprano sax); Harvey Wainapel (bass clarinet); Jesse Sadoc (flugelhorn); Marcelo Martins (tenor sax); Aldivas Ayres (trombone); Paul Hanson ( bassoon); Kyle Bruchman (oboe), Rob Reich (accordion); Luiz Brasil (tenor guitar, percussion); John Santos, Brian Rice, Ricardo Guerra (percussion); Bernardo Bessler, Priscilla Platea Rato (violins); Marie Christine Bessler (viola); Marcus Ribeiro de Oliveira (cello); Claudia Villela (voice). 

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