Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

August

Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Saturday, June 06, 2020

Streaming Rico 'n' Denny - June 6

Enrico Tomasso (trumpet/flugel/vocals); Denny Ilett (guitar).

Well it's Saturday Night which means it's time to tune into CBC - The Chiswick Broadcasting Corporation, as Rico describes his home studio.

In many ways, these Lockdown livestreams remind me of the early days of pirate radio stations like Radio Caroline except that these are legal and operating inside the three mile limit although, just as the offshore stations were subject to weather conditions, so are the livestreams at the mercy of Facebook technology.

Fortunately, apart from a little jiggery-pokery at the start, tonight's show was virtually without hiccups - just the occasional split-second freeze but never enough to spoil our enjoyment.

When It's Sleepy Time Down South with trumpet and vocal by Rico and sympathetic chording from Denny (who was excellent throughout) got things underway. I'm in the Market For You is an absolutely beautiful tune that deserves being played more often, possibly it's the dated lyric that holds it back or maybe it's the fact that the title suggests something darker...

A slurp from a can prompted Rico to quote one of Sinatra's lines from Ol' Blue Eye's famous album Live at The Sands. The crowd were shouting for one more to which Frank replied, "I'm going to the bar and that's what I'll be saying - one more!"

A surprise number - Jobim's Dindi which everyone commenting thought was called Gigi - Patti put them right! Rico blew flugel and managed to get something out of it - Am I the only person in the world who doesn't like this tune? It was the same when I was in the RAF, I was the only one marching in step.

A gem to finish off with - Tiny's Tempo. Recorded originally by Tiny Grimes and Charlie Parker, it allowed Rico to slip in a couple of bop licks. Excommunication is imminent unless, next week, he plays/sings The Whiffenpoof Song... 

Talking of next week he's got Brian Kellock on piano for both days (Friday/Saturday).
Lance

1 comment :

Russell said...

I think Rico's can was actually his tankard. What was in it he didn't say.

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