Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 2026)

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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

From This Moment On

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Farewell Lee Konitz (1927 - 2020)

The sad news has broken that alto sax legend Lee Konitz died yesterday (April 15) - yet another victim of Covid.

Konitz first came to prominence with Miles Davis' innovative Birth of the Cool band before taking to the road with Stan Kenton, studying with Lennie Tristano and recording in many settings.
I first saw him at Newcastle City Hall in a 1958 package - Jazz From Carnegie Hall - that, apart from Lee, included Zoot Sims, J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding. Some years later, in 1975, he played alongside fellow Tristano-ite Warne Marsh at the Corner House in Whitley Bay. This was one of those iconic sessions that is still talked about today by those old enough to remember.

Another moment to remember was in 1978 at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, with the Bill Evans Trio.

The last time I saw Lee Konitz was at Pizza Express in May, 2010, where, after a hesitant start he finally got into his stride alongside Dan Tepfer (piano), Michael Janisch (bass) and Jeff Williams (drums).
Four different sessions, all memorable. But, that night in Whitley Bay...!

Lee Konitz was 92 - may he rest in peace. 
Lance.

Syncopated Times obituary.

3 comments :

Steve T said...

Quite amazing that he played on the Birth of the Cool Sessions from 1949.
I saw him twice in his later years.
The first time was at the London Jazz Festival where he was fluid, playing brilliantly and charismatic.
The second was at the Cheltenham Festival just eighteen months later and was very different. He managed to find a chair and spent most of the time sat on it, occasionally playing his horn but mostly singing and scatting. Co-leader Dave Douglas was amazing and clearly found it all hilarious, but bass player Linda Oh, set to embark on an international tour with them (and due to play the Sage round about now),looked terrified.
Anybody tempted to write a list of the top ten greatest living jazz artists may find it quite different from just a few weeks ago.

Peter Bevan said...

Lee also appeared twice at Darlington Arts Centre.
The first occasion was Saturday 21 October 1989 as part of the Fourth Darlington Jazz & Blues Festival. On that occasion he was backed by John Taylor, Mick Hutton and Steve Arguelles. His programme included Star Eyes, Here's That Rainy Day, Chick Came Around, Moonlight in Vermont, All the Things You Are, Days of Wine and Roses and a ballad medley.

The second was on Friday 29 January 1999 a part of Kenny Wheeler's Angel Song tour organised by the Arts Council's Contemporary Music Network. The band was completed by John Abercrombie (replacing Bill Frisell) and Dave Holland.

Russell said...

Peter- do you happen to know why Frisell didn't make the gig?

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