Bebop Spoken There

Jools Holland (on his 2026 spring/summer tour): ''With the mighty [R&B] Orchestra, our wonderful boogie woogie singers, and the brilliant Joe Webb opening the shows [including Darlington Hippodrome, June 19], we're in for some very special evenings of music.'' The Northern Echo February 5, 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

18263 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 117 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 6), 17

From This Moment On ...

February

Sat 07: The Big Easy @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 07: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30-3:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. St Thomas & Bésame Mucho. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Side Cafe Oᴙkestar @ Café Under the Spire, Gateshead. 6:30pm. Table reservations: 0191 477 3970.
Sat 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 08: Swing Tyne @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12 noon (doors). Donations. Swing dance taster class (12:30pm) + Hot Club de Heaton (live performance). Non dancers welcome.
Sun 08: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 08: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm.
Mon 09: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington.. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 12: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 13: Noel Dennis Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm . £9.00. Dennis (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 13: Joe Steels @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 13: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 13: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 13: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm.
Fri 13: Tom Remon & John Moriarty @ The Ship Isis, Silksworth Row, Sunderland SR1 3QJ. 7:00pm. £10.00 + £1.00 bf.

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

Friday, October 25, 2019

CD Review: Carmen Souza - The Silver Messengers


Carmen Souza (guitar/piano/vocals); Benjamin Burrell (piano); Theo Pascal (bass/bass guitar); Elias Kacomanolis (drums/perc) + Zoe Pascal (drums); Jonathan Idiagbonya (piano); Sebastian Sheriff  (perc).
(Review by Lance).

A perky tribute to Horace Silver by a London based Cape Verdean singer. Although it is anything but reverential in approach, the end product is  probably worth the somewhat different take on Silver's music that Souza embarks on.

Silver also had a Cape Verdean heritage so perhaps he would approve of this fusion of jazz and Cape Verdean rhythms and influences. It's quite hypnotic with a kind of Latinish disco feel and certainly danceable as well as being ok on the ear too.

Souza's vocals have a whimsical edge to them, a laid back sound over a pulsating rhythm, that sort of grabs you the way, in a different context, that Chet Baker, Blossom Dearie and Shirley Horn did.

You're not going to hear the Jazz Messengers, despite the title, but don't let that put you off. The pianists and the rhythm section convey their own message and, of course, Carmen delivers it.

Señor Blues is sultry, the way she rolls her 'rs' -  senorrrritas fall for him - is particularly sensuous. Methinks a cold shower is called for! 

Many of the lyrics are in Portuguese which only adds to the mystique.

The music is great (including a couple of originals by Souza and Theo Pascal alongside the nine Silver standards) as long as you aren't expecting a trumpet/tenor hard bop blast. It's billed as jazz/world music which more or less pigeon holes it. It remains for you, the listener, to define where you think it belongs.

Jazz? World? - I'll settle for Music!
Lance.

Soul Searching; The Jody Grind; Señor Blues; Nutville; Lady Musika; St. Vitus Dance; Pretty Eyes; Kathy; Song For my Father; Cape Verdean Blues; Silver Blues.
Available today October 25 - usual suspects.

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