Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,066 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 930 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 31) 109.

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

November

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.
Fri 06: The Exu + Kraabel/Harrison/Birchall @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Sat 07: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 2/3.
Sat 07: Ewan Bleach’s Cable Street Ragtime Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington.
12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. Superb band.
Sat 07: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Find Your Pocket: Funk & Groove. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 07: Red Kites Jazz @ Costa Café, St James’ Retail Park, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sat 07: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 6:00pm.

Sun 08: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 3/3.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 08: Kaberry Big Band @ Forest Hall Social Club. 3:00pm. £7.00 (inc. tea & cake). Charity event for the Poppy Appeal.
Sun 08: Greg Abate w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00.; £5.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This afternoon’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet) & Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!
Mon 09: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 09: Bechet-Spanier Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Muggsy Spanier was born 125 years ago today (9 November 1901). This evening’s all-star quartet - from London, Lewis Taylor (cornet), from London, Michael McQuaid (reeds), from Paris, Félix Hunot (guitar), from London, Harry Evans (string bass) - salutes Muggsy!

Tue 10: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Becky Tuck (vocals).
Tue 10: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 11: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 11: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 11: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 11: Plague Doctors Cure All + Noonward @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 8:00pm. JNE.

Thu 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 12: JANE @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 12: MoonMot + Jack Banjo’s Snackwall @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 12: Ratio: Swingin’ Through the Decades @ The Forum, Darlington. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £10.00. A charity fundraiser.
Thu 12: Look Left @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Thu 12: Michael Woods @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Acoustic blues.

Friday, November 22, 2019

CD Review: DIVA Jazz Orchestra - DIVA + The Boys

(Review by Lance)

DIVA + The Boys sees the Pittsburgh based all girls big band lure four of their male counterparts into a live session at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild which is on 1815 Metropolitan St in Pittsburgh PA and not to be confused with any craftsmen’s guilds in Manchester UK.

If the guys thought they were in for an easy time of it they hadn’t reckoned on the DIVAS!

Ken Peplowski is, without doubt, my favourite clarinettist and what better stomping ground for him than Goodman’s Slipped Disc? DIVA Janelle Reichman obviously thought she could handle it too and, with the powerhouse band behind her she pushed Ken to a split decision – listeners, the verdict is up to you!

Jobim’s A Felicidade had Claudio Roditi on trumpet – he blows pretty good for a man - as well as some lovely tenor from Roxy Cross.

Deference to Diz was bebop with Peplowski, Roditi and trombonist Jay Ashby strutting down 52nd St. as if it were 1945. They didn’t have it all their own way though, Tomoko Ohno slotted in a piano solo that Dodo Marmoroso would have been proud of. 

Jay Ashby blew mellow on Nocturna – maybe the best tram sound around these days. Urbie Green used to get that sound. Marty Ashby allowed brother Jay the spotlight content with adding a Freddie Green like presence to the rhythm section.

The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else is meat and potatoes to Peplowski but the gravy was added by DIVA’s Jami Dauber on trumpet with Ohno making her presence felt. Peplowski returned to take it out as the pot simmered with the band goosing him along – listen to the trumpet section behind him!

Piccolo Blues and Roditi blew piccolo trumpet which didn’t sound that much different to a standard Bb trumpet – still good though. The girls threw Jennifer Krupa into the arena and her trombone playing took no prisoners. Likewise Alexis Tarantino who, apart from playing lead alto, flute and clarinet throughout the session, sizzled on sop sax on this one.

Peplowski displayed his clarinet wizardry on Estate although the beautiful picture his notes painted didn’t equate with any of the estates near me – how do you insert graffiti into a piece of music? Who needs it anyway?

Bucket of Blues. The boys had been sent home with a goodnight kiss and five red hot saxophone mamas took centre stage, spurred on by drummer/leader Sherrie Maricle who launched the Five Sisters into orbit. This was a musical cat fight with Tarantino and Scheila Gonzales on altos, Reichman and Cross on tenors and Leigh Pilzer on bari.

Great album – all my fantasies have come true!
Lance.

 Samples.

Personnel not mentioned: Tanya Darby, Rachel Therrien, Barbara Laranga (trumpet/flugel); Linda Landis, Leslie Havens (trombones); Nurika Uedda (bass)
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