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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17733 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 53 of them this year alone and, so far, 53 this month (Jan. 20).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

Thu 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free. Fortnightly.
Thu 23: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Obituaries 2024.
Thu 23: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:30-6:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Thu 23: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 24: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. 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: Creakin’ Bones & the Sunday Dinners @ Lindisfarne Social Club, Wallsend. 9:00pm. Admission: TBC. Jazz, blues , jump jive, rock ‘n’ roll.

Sat 25: Boys of Brass @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free.
Sat 25: New '58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson's Wharf, Hartlepool. 6:30pm (doors). Free. A Burns' Night event. Jazz, swing, funk, soul, blues etc.
Sat 25: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 25: Jack & Jay’s Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Graham Hardy Eclectic Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 26: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:30pm. Free.
Sun 26: Gratkowski, Tramontana, Beresford, Affifi @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.
Sun 26: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 27: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 28: ???

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 30: Matters Unknown (aka Jonathan Enser, Nubiyan Twist) + support TBA @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £12.22 (gig & food); £9:04 (gig only).
Thu 30: Soznak @ The Mill Tavern, Hebburn. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 30: Struggle Buggy @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues.

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

Sunday, November 03, 2019

CD Review: Kyle Eastwood – Cinematic


Kyle Eastwood (bass); Andrew McCormack (piano); Quentin Collins (trumpet); Brandon Allen (tenor sax); Chris Higginbottom (drums) + Stefano di Batista  (saxes); Camille Bertault, Hugh Coltman (vocals).
(Review by Hugh C)

Kyle Eastwood (yes, cinematic relation) brings together his two great passions, cinema and music, with his new album Cinematic.  He performs with his regular bandmates and singers Camille Bertault and Hugh Coltman.  In this album both well-known and lesser known film scores are revisited and reinterpreted in a jazz style.

CD player loaded, remote cocked and ready, GO! The CD fires off with Bullitt.  Piano and trumpet open with a discordant blast, followed by a funky rendition of the familiar tune.  Short bass and drum solos punctuate the confident delivery by these capable musicians. A brief pause, the tyre smoke clears and Taxi Driver – Theme, follows on at a more leisurely pace.  Atmospheric   saxophony sets the scene followed by muted trumpet over a slow groove generated by the rhythm section.  

Les Moulins de Mon Coeur features chantoose (as they say over there) Camille Bertault with a smoky-voiced delivery of the iconic song.  The guys get a look in too, with saxophone and trumpet solos alternating with Bertault’s vocals and scat singing.  The Eiger Sanction is a high speed romp featuring piano, saxophone and trumpet driven at speed by the rhythm section.  Gran Torino, composed by father and son Eastwood, Michael Stevens and Jamie Cullum features Hugh Coltman on vocals. 

Pink Panther – Theme, beloved of amateur bands everywhere, is given a classy outing by the guys who give it their own twist.  Per le Antiche Scale  features expressive, melodic slow piano, bass and drums and at just over 3 minutes is the shortest track on the album.  Charade sets off with militaristic style drumming to be joined by saxophone and trumpet delivering the melody with chordal piano in the background. Trumpet, saxophone and bass solos follow, with subtle support from the rhythm section.  Unforgiven - Claudia’s Theme features guitar (not credited), but possibly Eastwood on upper registers of electric bass.  Collins delivers an atmospheric trumpet line over piano and bass, to finish with solo guitar.  

Skyfall brings the entire ensemble back together for a jazzy rendition of the theme - all the band members get a look in, with short solos from each in turn.  In the final minute Higginbottom is allowed to stretch out a bit on drums.  Gran Torino is a reprise without the vocals and to my mind probably the better version (not to diss the original of course!).  Eastwood takes the melody line on double bass, ably supported by unobtrusive piano and subtle brushwork on drums.  The melody is then taken by saxophone and brought to a conclusion by a saxophone and bass duet.

The potential problem with a release of this type is that it will fall between two stools, film music and jazz.  The Jazz Police will be all over this and will apprehend the “perp” for questioning.  A shame, because the musically open listener will find this a delight.  The musicianship is exemplary and the product is musically interesting, even though I did not recognise many of the tunes (I am no film buff).  The love that has been put into this project by Eastwood is palpable.

Cinematic is released on November 8 on Jazz Village and is available for pre-order from several online retailers.
Hugh C

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