Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18395 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 259 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 30 ), 69

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

March

Tue 31: Bede Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Albert Hills Wright (alto sax); Finn Carter (piano); Michael Dunlop (double bass).

April

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Musicians playing classical & orchestral music.
Thu 02: The Noel Dennis Band @ Prohibition Bar, Albert Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RU. 7:00pm (doors). £10.84. Quartet plus special guest Zoë Gilby. Over 21s only.
Thu 02: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 02: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00. adv..
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). Free. Chicago blues.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Retro album review: Alan Clare Trio - Jazz Around the Clock & The Alan Clare Trio w. Bob Burns

Alan Clare (piano); Kenny Napper (bass); Eddie Taylor/Bobby Kevin (drums) + Don Rendell (tenor sax); Ray Premru (bass trumpet); Bob Efford (tenor sax); Bob Burns (alto sax) - 1 track each.

Jazz Around the Clock features Alan Clare - surely one of the all-time British piano greats - in trio format as well as with the above guests, It's an absolute gem. How long it's been lying dormant among my CDs  I don't know but, as it was released in 2005, I guess for at least 10 years. How could I have been so negligent? I certainly intend to make up for it.

Alan Clare (piano); Lenny Bush (bass); Tony Kinsey (drums); Bob Burns (bass clarinet).

The Alan Clare Trio with Bob Burns, like JATC, originally came out on vinyl and once again demonstrates the piano mastery of Alan Clare this time with Bob Burns blowing bass clarinet. 

The CD is rounded off with 3 tracks from a concert at the Royal Festival Hall with Clare and Bush joined by Ike Isaacs on guitar and Allan Ganley on drums. All 19 tracks are from 1956/57.

Beautiful is the only word to describe the music and the musicians.

Why, you may wonder, did I choose to play it after all these years?

Good question. Well last night, being the end of BST, I dutifully put the clocks back and decided this would be an album of sufficient soporific content to gracefully send me off into the Land of Nod. 

Wrong! 

I couldn't sleep, I was enjoying the music so much it made me even more awake. Still, I had that extra hour to make up for it didn't I?

Wrong!

I had omitted to mention it to Daphne, my cat, who came bounding in and insisted I get out of bed. Hell hath no fury like a hungry cat scorned so I upped and fed her, sent her out for her matutinal  constitutional and listened to Alan Clare once more.

An album well worth losing your sleep for. 

Originally issued on Vocalion there are still copies about and, with a bit of vinyl detecting you may well come across the original LPs.

Lance

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