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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

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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