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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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Thu 16: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. 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: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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.

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

Monday, November 18, 2019

CD Review: Ronny Whyte - Whyte Witchcraft

(Review by Lance)

Cy Coleman ranks alongside the big hitters such as Kern, Porter, the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hammerstein/Hart. and, of course, Irving Berlin, However, whereas the aristocracy of the GASbook's great compositions needed some redefining for the jazz world, Coleman's music needed no tweaking they were there for the taking by any musician or singer who had the chops to handle them. Ronnie Whyte is just such a singer, not least because he was a buddy and often got the songs first hand.

With words, in the main, by Caroline Leigh the material is first rate and with a belter of a big band behind him this must surely rate as one of the all-time classic vocal records.

File it alongside your albums by Sinatra, Bennett, Tormé and Ella albums and, not necessarily in that order.

Let's take a closer look...

Too Good to Talk About: The voice swings - ring-a-ding-ding - with  a Daniel Claude alto solo and a John Eckert trumpet blast to boot it along. 

It Amazes Me; Listen to the verse - My height.... just average, my weight.... just average, and my IQ is what you'd estimate, just average. But evidently she does not agree, consequentially, if I seem at sea .... It amazes me.

The Best is yet to Come: Most of the saloon/cabaret singers have done this one and Whyte's version stands proudly alongside them with the bonus of some vocalese by Eddie Monteiro.

I'm Watching You: Another bouncy ballad with some Whyte piano thrown into the mix.

Sometime When You're Lonely: One of those romantic ballads that you wonder why you haven't heard it more often. Justin Wood slots in a few bars of tasty flute.

Witchcraft: Sinatra put his stamp on this one - or did he? Frank forgot to sing the verse and it's a cracker!

Shades of Old Lucretia Borgia, There's a devil in you tonight
And although my heart says I adore you, my head says this ain't right
Right to have you make advances, oh no
Under normal circumstances I'd go - but oh...

No, I guess Frank didn't forget, more likely some morality group stepped in. It's rather like the fuss they're making - after all of these years - over Baby its Cold Outside!

Sweet Talk: Floyd Huddleston wrote the lyric on this trio number.

On Second Thought: Regrets on breaking up - more nice piano.

Why Try to Change me Now?: Lyric by Joseph A. McCarthy. Sinatra owns this one although Whyte makes a decent fist of it. Surprisingly, after Old Blue Eyes, the best version I've heard of this tune which will probably never be recorded is by local lass Lindsay Hannon and pianist Alan Law! Request it on a gig.

I've Got Your NumberI'm Not in Love Again; Rules of the Road; I Walk a Little Faster; You Fascinate Me So; Don't Ask a Lady; Here I Go Again; All Right, I Love You. These finish up the album. I haven't detailed them individually as the superlatives would make War and Peace seem like Mills & Boon.

To sum up - I like it! - not least, with all due respect to Ronny, because it helps to remind the world that Coleman/Leigh were a team to rate alongside any of the Broadway hotshots.
Lance

Currently available on Audiophile.
Sample, personnel details.

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