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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

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.
Sun 19: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

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.

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.
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: 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.

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

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

CD Review: Mad Love – Ish

Kathleen Hollingsworth (vocals, keys); Brent Follis (drums); Dave Captien (bass); Will Blades (organ 5); Dominic Castillo (guitar 4); Ross Garlow (bass 4).
(Review by Ann Alex)

Kathleen Hollingsworth, leader of this band Mad Love, is based in Portland USA, and she has been performing and writing songs for most of her life. As a child she sang and later went on to study piano and composition. 

Now a choral educator and adjudicator, Hollingsworth and Follis first developed their music working as a duo in an Italian restaurant.

Ish is enjoyable and interesting, but actually a bit odd, though in a good way. Tracks 1, 3, 4,7  were composed by Ms Hollingsworth but there is an abrupt change of style at track 4, which is in a country vein, whereas the previous songs have been jazz, so the album is more like 2 albums which have been fused together.

Track 6, a sort of lament, has music by Brent Follis, set to Hollingsworth's lyrics. Track 2 is an arrangement of Benny Golson's Whisper Not: Track 5 is an arrangement of Easy Rider and the CD ends with a blues, Candy Man by the British team of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, arranged by Hollingsworth. So the whole album has a somewhat disjointed feel, though not enough to spoil the listening experience. Maybe if a sheet with the lyrics had been included, that would have helped.

Yes, there is a definite jazz feel to Wave the Sun Goodbye, sung in a sweetish voice, with some very tuneful vocalese and a repeated groove of piano and drums to end the song. Track 3, Beneath An Evening Sky, has a suitable ethereal feel, high notes from the piano and continually rumbling bass and drums; Hey There Rider has the drums playing a riding rhythm and Easy Rider has the organ playing a rather rock-style solo. With the final blues we return to a jazz feel from the organ.

The Cd is available, on the Gladitude Records label. Listen to samples on Soundcloud under Kathleen-Hollingsworth/tracks

1/ Wave The Sun Goodbye 2/ Whisper Not  3/Beneath An Evening Sky 4/ Hey There, Rider 5/ Easy Rider;6/ Passing Of The General 7/ Weightless 8/ Candy Man.
Ann Alex

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