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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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 04, 2019

CD Review: Jean Toussaint Allstar 6tet - Live at the Jazz Cafe 091218

Jean Toussaint (tenor sax); Byron Wallen (trumpet); Dennis Rollins (trombone); Andrew McCormack (piano); Daniel Casimir (bass); Shaney Forbes (drums); Williams Cumberbache Perez (percussion)
(Review by Lance).

No, not our Jazz Café but the other one down Camden Town way - this is one gig I'd love to have been at. However, all is not lost, we've got over an hour and a half of it on this double CD due to be released on October 11 - the centenary of Art Blakey's birth. There'll be no shortage of centennials but, this one may be unique as not many of them, unless Courtney jumps on the bandwagon, will contain an actual Jazz Messenger in the personnel. Jean Toussaint's been there, done it and got the shades to prove it.

Blakey laid down the template for hard bop just as Bird and Diz did for the bebop revolution some years previous. The Messengers' young lions emerged from Blakey's guidance to become the most influential names in modern jazz and it's true to say that Toussaint's crew could have easily slotted into their places having themselves learnt from the past masters before finding their own voices.

The music was recorded at the end of a long tour promoting the band's previous CD Brother Raymond, an album currently nominated for an APPJAG award and one of my choices for Album of the Year in 2018. Some of the compositions are on the original album but, being from a live gig, are given extended treatment.

Toussaint, truly a 'Tenor Titan' - to use an expression the late Chris Yates
was fond of - is perhaps the most underrated tenor saxist around. A tone to die for and a technique that doesn't need 1000 notes to put the message over. 

Rollins plays the field - everything from Kid Ory to Roswell Rudd via Trummy Young plus a whole lot of himself. 

If Art Blakey was still around, the trumpet lineage would most probably read: Morgan, Dorham, Hubbard, Mitchell, Blanchard, Marsalis, Wallen. Yes Wallen is in that league.

Andrew McCormack is world class as is the rhythm section - even Shaney Forbes who probably, as drummer, has the hardest job of all. He does good.

The official launch is at Cadogan Hall as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival on November 23.
Lance
Available on LYTE Records.

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