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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

18043 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 364 of them this year alone and, so far, 42 this month (May 15).

From This Moment On ...

MAY 2025

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: Sophie Speed with the Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ Longframlington Memorial Hall. 7:00pm (doors). Tickets: £12.00. from 01665 570984.
Fri 16: Hot Club du Nord @ St Cuthbert’s Centre, Crook. 7:30pm. £10.00.
Fri 16: Peter Donegan & Anthony Donegan @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. ‘Lonnie Donegan - The Stories’.

Sat 17: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 17: The Society Quartet @ Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Tel: 0191 500 9494. £26.00 (inc. two course meal). Line-up: Jason Holcomb, Hannah Taylor, Alix Shepherd & Abbie Finn.
Sat 17: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Archie Brown & the Young Bucks @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Rhythm & blues, Americana etc.
Sat 17: Bellavana @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30-10:00pm. Free. A Late Shows event.
Sat 17: Rockin’ Turner Brothers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Rockabilly, Western swing etc.

Sun 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Ruth Lambert & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 18: Steve Summers Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 19: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 19: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 20: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Bailey Rudd.
Tue 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Pleased to Meet You, Bridge St., Morpeth NE61 1ND. 8:00pm.

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). b Wed 21: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 22: Nuevo Castillo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £5.00.
Thu 22: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:30-9:15pm. Free.
Thu 22: Pedal Point Trio @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Thursday, February 13, 2020

CD Review: Noemi Nuti - Venus Eye

Noemi Nuti (vocals/Paraguayan harp/classical harp); Chris Eldred (keys); Tom Herbert (bass); Emiliano Caroselli (drums); Gareth Lochrane (flute) + Quentin Collins (trumpet).
(Review by Lance).

Music, and jazz in particular, is strange. Preconceptions of an album or a gig go out the window once the music starts.

With gigs you don't get a second chance, you judge them on your first impression. Recorded music is different, if it doesn't grab you the first time round you maybe pick up on it the second or third time. It isn't always love at first sight although, occasionally it is and this is just such an occasion.


The moment I heard the first line of the first track - "It's a sunny perfect Sunday" I knew I was going to like this even though it was a rainy Thursday. This was a jazz voice and although I didn't detect any obvious influences which, these days is rare, her roots are laid out and it's good to hear an original voice that has something to say. On the slower numbers I could feel the distant presence of the jazzier side of Janis Ian or Joni Mitchell hovering on the periphery. Certainly, by Nuti's own admission, the latter lady shows in her own lyrics (Nuti provided both words and music to 6 of the 11 tracks 3 of the remaining 5 are collaborations with Andrew McCormack, and 2 are covers - Tori Amos and Billy Joel).

Joel along with Paul Simon and Mitchell were cited when referring to her compositional inspirations.

Nuti also has moments on harp and Gareth Lochrane does some fine flute playing over a solid rhythm section.

Although born in NYC, her Italian descent comes to the fore in Italian Lullaby, sung in that language, with a superb Lochrane flute solo. Her out and out jazz chops are ably demonstrated on Amos' Cornflake Girl. This is straight out of the "How to do Scat Properly" book that someone, someday, somewhere, may write.

Crazy Dance is totally wordless and it moves! Nuti sails through the bouncy jaunt, her voice a virtuosic performance with Lochrane in there too.

Joel's She's Always a Woman to me has some tasty trumpet from Quentin Collins although you might need a magnifying glass to know it was he (if you didn't recognise his distinctive sound). As ever, the album notes are pastel shades on pastel shades - whatever happened to black and white? Still you buy a CD for the music not to have a good read - Ah those wonderful old vinyl days...

Lance.

Available on Ubuntu Music from March 6.

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