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Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
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: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

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

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Kansas Smitty's live stream - Moonlight in Vermont - Nov. 11

Alec Harper (tenor sax); Will Arnold-Forster (guitar); Will Cleasby (drums); Will Sach (bass).

Facebook and I are uneasy bedfellows, live streams rarely run smoothly for me even when they are working fine for others. I don't know the answers, suggestions on a 20 dollar bill please.

Tonight - a tribute to the Johnny Smith/Stan Getz collaboration from the early 1950s - was quite bizarre. When the picture froze the music was fine, even superb, however, when the picture unfroze the music froze for a beat every four bars so it was as if they were suddenly slotting in a bar of 5/4!

Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable session bringing back memories of hearing the original Smith/Getz version of Moonlight in Vermont on a Vogue 78 (which I still have). Melody Maker actually printed a transcription at the time.

I'm not going to say they outshone the originals, who could? but they did have a good crack at it, wisely choosing to plough their own furrow whilst retaining the spirit of the original.

Cleasby was heavily featured which, although sometimes at a variance with the ultra cool setting, made us realise he was a force to be reckoned with. Arnold-Forster spoke authoritatively about Johnny Smith and proved adept at using Smith's unique voicings. Harper came close to the Getz sound at times as well as moving forward to a more contemporary vein as indeed Getz himself did in his later years. Sach was dependable and occupied the Eddie Safranski role to perfection - his solos totally sympathetic to the music.

So, another fine session from Smitty's, Facebook not withstanding!

They're back again tomorrow with another line-up - is it Giuffre or is that Friday?

Lance.

Where or When; Jaguar; Moonlight in Vermont; Cherokee; I'll be Around; Nice Work if You Can Get it. 

I didn't catch the title of the opener but I suspect it may have been Tabu. The penultimate track doesn't seem to be on the album. Was it Coltrane's Village Blues?

2 comments :

Russell said...

Tomorrow (Thursday) is a Django session (watch out for the amazing Kourosh Kanani). The Giuffre 3 gig is on Saturday.

Russell said...

The penultimate number (the one Alec Harper sat out) was Vilia.

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