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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17972 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (April 22).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington. 12 noon. Free (donations).
Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

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, June 18, 2020

Album Review: Kathleen Grace with Larry Goldings – Tie Me To You

The latest recording from this Los Angeles based singer/songwriter, whilst firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, also takes in elements of blues, folk, and pop. Ms Grace, originally from Tuscon, Arizona, has performed internationally as well as in America.
The music on Tie Me to You arose out of changes to her life when she ended her marriage, began another relationship and re-assessed her identity.

The album was recorded as simply as possible without elaborate arrangements and some songs were done in single takes. Larry Goldings has been Grammy-nominated and has worked with James Taylor and Norah Jones. The other musicians are also well experienced: Piltch has worked with KD Lang, and jazz bassist Oleszkiewicz has played with Pat Metheny.

The CD covers a wide range of music: three originals, four standards, a blues, a Beatles’ song and a cabaret type number. Ms Grace uses her voice appropriately for the material: the title track is a slow sweet-voiced song, quite a folky tune, simple and direct, with the violin adding to the mix. Where or When is sung in contrasting style, in a conversational voice, to flowing accompaniment from Goldings on, I think, the tuneful glockenspiel. Everywhere, an original, has a country feel.

My favourite track was John The Revelator, a blues sung to a light drum beat from somewhere, although no drums are listed in the information. Berceuse is cabaret, The Thrill Is Gone,  a sensitive ballad and Embarcardero,  a tango, a love song which compares a love affair to the sea. Love for Sale is low key, sad and quiet; What'll I Do? is a ballad with a skilled piano solo. The album is rounded off with a happy Beatles song, Follow the Sun, just sweet voice and piano.   

Most of the songs were done at a slow pace and I would have welcomed a bit more liveliness on some numbers. For example it would have been good to end a bit more jubilantly on the Beatles song. Enjoyable on the whole.
Ann Alex

The CD is currently available in stores and online (Monsoon Records).

Kathleen Grace (voice, guitar); Larry Goldings (piano, keyboards, organ, pocket piano, glockenspiel); David Piltch (bass, tracks 1,3,4,5,8,10); Gabe Witcher (violin, tracks 1,3,7,8); Darek Oleszkiewicz (bass track 7).

Tie Me To You; Where or When; Everywhere; John The Revelator; Berceuse (Valsa Para Uma Menininha); The Thrill Is Gone;Embarcardero; Love for Sale; What'll I Do? I'll Follow The Sun

2 comments :

Patti said...

I might even check this one out - I'm intrigued by the thought of this take on John the Revelator - the sound of this singer's voice, with a 'light drum beat' ......... when you consider the mind blowing impact of the original recordings, by Son House and Blind Willie Johnston.

Ann Alexander said...

Yes Patti, I've heard 'stronger' recordings of this song which I love. Local group the Hokum Hotshots do this rather well with Pete Mason singing.

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