Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18191 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 45 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 14), 45

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

Sun 18: Louis Louis Louis @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 2:00pm (doors). £15.00. Swing, jump jive, rhythm & blues. Fundraiser for St Oswald’s Hospice.
Sun 18: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Rod Sinclair.
Sun 18: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Herdman-Strong Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence, Paul Grainger, Joe Deans.

Wed 21: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 21: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Friday, January 24, 2020

EP Review: Mette Juul: New York - Copenhagen

Mette Juul (vocal); Mike Moreno (guitar tracks 1, 2 & 5), Ulf Wakenius (guitar track 3); Per Mallehøj (guitar track 4); Lars Danielsson (bass tracks 3 & 4).
(Review by Lance)

Mette's fifth album and the third to be reviewed by BSH*. It may be her best yet - the voice is beguiling, captivating, the person you feel you've waited all your life to meet despite the fact that, in my case, she wasn't born for most of it!

The Copenhagen based Danish singer's aim is to try and capture the difference between the pulsating, vibrant energy of New York and the Nordic simplicity and warmth of her youth.

Whether she succeeds or not is a matter for the listener to decide. However, where she most certainly does succeed is in her interpretations of these five songs not least by the sympathetic accompaniment from the three guitarists.

Some Other Time: voice and guitar (Moreno), laid back and sensuous vocal drifting on top of the chords, guitar solo as cool as a Scandinavian evening in late autumn.

Skylark: Moreno stays on board for the classic Carmichael/Mercer collaboration. Mette does some unison scatting with guitar, takes a few liberty's with the tune but doesn't do any harm.

For Jan (Part two): A Kenny Wheeler/Norma Winstone composition. This time it's Ulf Wakenius on guitar and Danielsson on bass. Probing, with an eerie feel that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!

You Must Believe in Spring: Mallehøj on guitar and more musical blending between voice and guitar.

The Peacocks: Moreno returns for this adaptation of the Jimmy Rowles/Norma Winstone classic. Beautiful...

At 25.33 minutes it classifies itself as an EP and, as such, this is the ideal length for the material leaving the listener totally satisfied without wanting more - at least not immediately...

I realise it's not released until March 6 but I couldn't wait that long! I'll beam it up again nearer the release date.
Lance
* Change (2019).
   There is a Song (2015).

Available on March 6 on Universal Music.

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