Total Pageviews

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 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Forum, Billingham. 3:00pm.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Remon & Mark Williams @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Rod Oughton’s Tomorrow’s New Quartet with Ben van Helder @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Line-up inc. Deschanel Gordon.
Sun 09: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 11: Steve Summers Quintet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Jam session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 13: Student Performances @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 4:00pm. Free. Inc. Olly Styles (tenor sax).
Thu 13: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: Artist Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Hannabiell & Midnight Blue.
Thu 13: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 12:30-1:30pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
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: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ 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

Thursday, July 09, 2020

To 33 or not to 33? That is the question

The April edition of JazzTimes which I've belatedly got around to reading cover to cover rather the peripheral glance I initially gave it includes an interesting article on the pros and cons of digital v analogue/CD v LP etc. which I know some of our contributors feel strongly about.

This got me to thinking about where I stood in this debate and, to tell you the truth, I don't know!


When I first started listening to music it was via 78rpm single shellac records on a wind-up gramophone. There was lots of surface noise and, as I'd frequently bought them second hand, often much worse! But, did this deter me from the enjoyment? It didn't, I knew no different. Likewise, I'd also listen to jazz on the radio via some obscure continental station or the American Forces Network (AFN) station broadcast from Munich. Again, against all odds and despite the atmospherics, the music shone through.

I remember reading a novel, I can't remember the author - it may have been Peter de Polnay but probably wasn't. In the book, a couple are listening to a very average performance by, I'm guessing, an out of tune violinist playing a well-known concerto. The woman says, "Isn't that dreadful?" To which the man replies, "No, irrespective of the performance, I only hear what it should sound like." Those may not have been the exact words but I can relate them to the present day.

When stereo came along, I recall a salesman coming into the music shop where I worked with a demo record in which a bowling ball could be heard rolling from one side of the room to the other. We all gasped in awe although, with the odd exception, when applied to music I remained quite happy with mono recordings.

I was also quite happy with LPs until CDs came along and, suddenly, the long player with its beautiful artwork and easy to read sleeve notes became passé - file alongside piano rolls and cylinders.

The way things are going, CDs will soon be joining them as streaming and downloading become the norm. And yet, we now hear that cassette tapes are making a comeback and a recent Lockjaw and Johnny Griffin recording has been dished up on reel to reel so who knows?

Let's hear your views.
Lance

1 comment :

Ann Alex said...

I'm all for CDs for most listening as I sometimes can't manage streaming, but each mode has good points. You can pinpoint the exact place to replay something on an old fashioned cassette but you have to go to the whole track on a CD. Vinyl is somehow more 'immediate' and the artwork is appealing. I can understand people hearing music 'as it should be' on an imperfect recording. After all, how did Beethoven compose after he became deaf? He must have heard the music in his head.

Blog Archive