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

18585 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 449 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 31) 103

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

Tue 02: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 02: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 03: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 03: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 04: Postmodern Jukebox @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Thu 04: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Witham, Barnard Castle. 7:30pm. £17.00. Trio from Texas, USA.
Thu 04: King Bees @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Chicago blues excellence!
Thu 04: 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 04: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 05: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 05: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05-Thu 11: FILM: Köln 75 @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. Dir. Ido Fluk. Drama based on the true story of Keith Jarrett’s 1975 concert in Cologne. Screenings TBC.
Fri 05: Pete Tanton & Alan Law @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 05: House of the Black Gardenia: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). House of the Black Gardenia evening performance. Day 1/3.
Fri 05: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band + IKS Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £24.00. Big band double bill. IKS Big Band (Germany).
Fri 05: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00

Sat 06: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 3:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Teresa Watson Band @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 06: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Dry Water Arts, Amble. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). £15.00.
Sat 06: IKS Big Band: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). IKS Big Band evening performance. Day 2/3.
Sat 06: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Northumbrian Revival, West Benridge Farm, nr. Morpeth NE61 3RZ. 7:30-9:30pm. £21.47 (£2.77. child). 82nd D-Day anniversary event.
Sat 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 06: FILM: The Magic City: Birmingham According to Sun Ra @ The Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle. 9:30pm. £7.00., £5.00. Dir. Guillaume Maupin & Pablo Guarise.

Sun 07: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 07: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Steve Walker (trumpet).
Sun 07: Joe Steels: Celebrating Wes @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Trio: Joe Steels, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Sun 07: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Sun 07: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 07: Eddie Gripper Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Gripper (piano); Clem Saynor (double bass); Patrick Barrett-Donlon (drums). Americana album tour.
Sun 07: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 07: Magpies of Swing: Summer Tyne Swing Festival @ Northumbria University Students’ Union, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £130.00; £95.00; £70.00; £50.00. Note: all day dance event (classes & socials). Magpies of Swing afternoon performance. Day 3/3.
Sun 07: Webster’s Ragtime Trio @ The Ship Inn, Low Newton. 7:00pm. £12.50. Trio from Texas, USA.
Sun 07: Salty Dog @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm. £5.00. Performance in the Studio venue.
Sun 07: Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer @ Riding Mill Village Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Sun 07: Swing Manouche @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Feat. Steve McGarvie (clarinet).

Mon 08: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 08: Dave Bristow Quintet @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £22.00., £11.00., £5.50. Bristow (piano); Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet); Félix Hardouin (alto sax); Gabriel Pierre (double bass); Guillaume Prévost (drums).

Sunday, August 09, 2020

Adrian Cox Quartet Live - August 9

Adrian Cox (clarinet/vocal); Denny Ilett (guitar/vocal); Dave Newton (piano); Ferg Ireland (bass).

As Groucho Marx famously said, “Either this woman is dead or my watch has stopped!”
When it got to ten past three it occurred to me that maybe Adrian or I needed a new watch or one of us was dead!

By the time they eventually turned up I was elsewhere listening to Mainly Two who did get there at the time announced. But, as they are predominately a classical duo, it would seem, I guess, that jazz time is somewhat more flexible than classical time. Three o’clock? Nah the punters will still be in the bar…

About 3:18 the word was out that they were on air – BT the ones accused for the delay.

When I arrived, Cox was working out on Oh Lady be Good! and, I must admit he did the lady proud. Sugar Blues was a hit way back for Clyde McCoy who gave what was probably the most tasteless use of a trumpet mute ever. Cox didn’t need any gimmicks, instead, he chose to sing. I can almost certainly say that Adrian is probably the best clarinet playing singer I’ve heard. This puts him ahead of Benny Goodman in that classification. Wisely, to the best of my knowledge, Artie Shaw never chose to go down that road.

Lull at Dawn brought to mind, as intended, Barney Bigard.  You’re Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You had Denny Ilett deciding that he too wanted to sing before making way for Adrian and Dave Newton to come up with as a good a version of Stardust as I’ve heard since maybe now and possibly for many years to come.

China Boy and Poor Butterfly showed the gamut of Cox’ emotions. China Boy, which was close to breaking the sound barrier and Butterfly which broke through the tear barrier.

To finish, Jump For Joy, had me too jumping for joy – despite the delayed start. Still that’s jazz and the crazy world we’re living in.
Lance

PS: Some great (though not enough) piano from Newton and solid support from Ireland.
at

1 comment :

Russell said...

A real time, live gig! Clarinetist Adrian Cox just happens to know the people who run Gun Hill Studios in Sussex and they kindly offered the facility to Adrian's quartet to play a live YouTube set. A near fifteen minutes' delay thanks to internet connections going down in the local area didn't spoil matters, on the contrary it simply served to further whet the appetite.

Ten tunes in an hour and a quarter with each member of the band afforded solo space, Adrian Cox, at the age of 37, is at the top of his game as an engaging personality and a stupendous clarinetist. From the opening Tea for Two (as hot as you like) through to a joyous Jump for Joy, this afternoon set was as good as anything heard during lockdown. Aiding and abetting Cox were three of the very best around; multi award-winning Dave Newton at Gun Hill's Yamaha upright; swinging guitarist Denny Ilett (heard recently as accompanist to Rico Tomasso) and, from the coming generation, bassist Ferg Ireland.

Cox counted in Oh, Lady Be Good! and off they went at a ferocious tempo - tremendous! Ellington's A Lull at Dawn (a one time feature for Barney Bigard) took it down, Ilett kept it there singing You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You paving the way for Cox to play his favourite number - Stardust - as a duo with Newton. Marvellous.

Time to up the tempo, then some, on China Boy. Newton's stonking solo couldn't be bettered, or could it? Well, first Ilett, then Cox himself, did their level best to match the quartet's pianist. The virtual audience must have been applauding long and hard! As and when the 'new normal' makes way for 'old school normal' be sure to catch Cox in action, he's the business!

Sunday, August 09, 2020 6:32:00 pm

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