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

18413 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 277 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 7 ) 11,

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

Tue 14: Pete Tanton’s Cuban Heels @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 14: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 15: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 15: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 15: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 16: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Jewish Musicians/Composers/Vocalists.
Thu 16: Sleep Suppressor + Silk Road + So Anne So @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £10.00., £8.00., £6.00.
Thu 16: Fourpenny Rabbits @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Ben Crosland Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £12.96 (inc. bf) online; £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.

Sat 18: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Bishop Auckland Town Hall. 11:00am-4:00pm. A Food Festival event.
Sat 18: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Swing dance sessions + Bright Street Big Band 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm.
Sat 18: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm. £27.00 (inc. bf).

Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Lara Hopper.
Sun 19: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 19: Straight to Tape @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Edd Carr, Jonathan Proud, John Hirst. Blues trio.
Sun 19: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Monday, October 14, 2019

RIP Turk Mauro

Belatedly discovered the sad news in the November issue of DownBeat that Turk Mauro died on August 15.

It brought back wonderful memories of, back in 1980,  hearing Turk blowing some of the best bari sax I'd ever heard at the Bull's Head in Barnes - or anywhere. With Tommy Whittle on tenor and the Tony Lee Trio behind them they blew up such a storm that, had it not been a musical one, they'd have battened down all the hatches.

For whatever reason, I never heard him play again but, that session alone was enough to mark him down as my baritone saxophone hero. This is not to lesson his tenor playing - Tommy Whittle knew he'd been in a fight - but it was his baritone playing that stayed with me to the extent that on the journey back to our hotel my travelling companion had to nudge me and say "Remember me?"

May he rest in peace, truly one of the all-time greats on his instrument.
Listen to him playing tenor, baritone and singing on this YouTube clip.*

Turk Mauro was 75.
Lance
* Listen to his bari blast on Happy Birthday  towards the end (about 45mins in)
Obituary.

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Turk is my dad. Happy birthday was recorded for his grandson, my son Zach, born in 1991.

Mike Farmer said...

Saw Turk Mauro in NYC at the Half Note in 1973 (interval act for the Max Roach quintet) He was very good and I still have his LP the Underdog. Used to play a tune of his called Turquoise which was based on Tangerine chords. R.I.P

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