Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
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: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Charlie Parker Stole my Bank Holiday Weekend!

This is not a review, but merely a few recommended links to highlight some Charlie Parker music around what was his 100th Birthday celebrations.

On Thursday, August 27, at Ronnie Scott’s, Gilad Atzmon led a quartet accompanied by strings, as a tribute to CP on what would have been his 100th Birthday (2 days early!). Many of the tunes played come from the album Charlie Parker with Strings and is a superb rendition of these, plus a few more besides.  A great performance despite the lockdown conditions. Link (music starts at  1:40)

On August 29 there was a live stream from the Ravello Festival with a great outdoor performance by some Italian peeps (sorry no info, the announcements are all in Italian) – a very much larger set-up than Gilad’s quartet + string quartet, but again based around ‘CP with Strings’.  Link.
  
The music starts at 4:40  and the first set is based on Charlie Parker with Strings.  Post interval has the quintet playing jazz & blues etc. then back into Charlie Parker with Strings. Finally, what looks like two encores - Summertime and (after further speeches) the final closer.  Quite a variety and quite a setting!   As an aside, I holidayed close to Ravello in 2005 and would recommend checking out the daytime views of this performance area on the Ravello Festival site – the backdrop is spectacular.

And there’s more … thanks to a little Google browsing I randomly found two interesting links: Firstly the studio recordings of ‘CP with Strings’. Link (for those who don’t own an LP or CD of this recording). And secondly some live sessions (half of which were recorded from the dressing room speakers – be warned!). Link in which CP plays in a large ensemble with for example Roy Haynes/Max Roach etc. Whilst the audio quality is just ‘acceptable’ it really is an interesting listen. The track lengths vary from 3½ mins  to 40+ mins.  The sound balance is pro-Parker (and pro-Harp too!) but his playing comes through in spades despite the poor audio quality.

Overall, this collection of URLs makes for an extended listening session – but it doesn’t have to take up a whole weekend – sample them at leisure!
Ken Drew
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