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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

Fri 21: JazzMain @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. TBC.
Fri 21: Emma Rawicz w. Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

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, July 30, 2020

Album Review: Diane Schuur – Running On Faith

Diane Schuur (vocals, piano); Ernie Watts (tenor and sop sax); Kye Palmer (trumpet, flugelhorn); Thom Rotella (guitar); Bruce Lett (bass); Kendall Kay (drums)

I don't ever remember reviewing a CD where the singer's personality came across so well. Ms Schuur sings as if she really means it, occasionally speaking lines, adding a chuckle here and there, and indulging in short fun scats and wordless singing. The notes tell us that she has been blind from birth and the track There Is Always One More Time refers to blindness, with lyrics saying that it's better to be blind than not to use your eyes to see the good parts of life. I guess that she has learned her craft by ear and memory, but I did get to wonder if the real books are printed in Braille*. But I digress.

Ms Schuur, a multi-Grammy-Award winning vocalist who hails from Tacoma, near Washington USA, grew up steeped in jazz by listening to her parent’s record collection. 'Discovered' by Stan Getz at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival, she later collaborated with artists such as B.B. King, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as well as an award-winning album with the Count Basie Orchestra.

For her first release in six years, the songs chosen were based on the work of some of her heroes such as Miles Davis, Carole King, Paul Simon, and Percy Mayfield.  Ms Schuur comments ' I've been focusing on the condition of our world, about what is, about what can be.'

The whole CD made very good listening and the stand-out tracks for me were  Let It Be which starts quietly with voice and piano then builds to a  soulful sound from the whole band with a stirring coda of  'go anywhere we want.'  Everybody Looks Good At The Starting Line is a humorous take on the course of life's journey; The Chicken is an instrumental with wordless singing where everyone, including drums, solos.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot is the final track, with swinging piano and voice, and the only track where our singer allows herself a piano solo. She generously lets her instrumentalists have long solos on many of the other tracks, notably on All Blues, with its trumpet solo then trumpet and guitar in harmony. then more impressive solos with the legendary Ernie Watts outstanding.

The rest of the tracks are: Walking On A Tightrope; The Danger Zone; Something So Right (Paul Simon); The Sun Will Shine On You; This Bitter Earth; Running On Faith; Way Over Yonder (Carole King).

 Highly recommended. The album was released in May on the Jazzheads label and is available everywhere. 
Ann Alex

* Diane Schuur, who has perfect pitch, did begin to learn from braille-written music but discarded it as it restricted her to having only one hand to play the piano with - Lance

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