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, January 06, 2021

Album review: Roseanna Vitro - Listen Here

Roseanna Vitro (vocals); Kenny Barron (piano); Buster Williams (bass); Ben Riley (drums) + Arnett Cobb (tenor sax - 3 tks); Bliss Rodriguez (piano - 1 tk); Scott Hardy (guitar - 1 tk); Duduka Da Fonseca (perc. - 2 tks). 

Amazingly, considering this was originally released in 1984, I am totally unfamiliar with Rosenna Vitro even though she has released a dozen or so more albums since. In fact her 2011 release - The Music of Randy Newman - was nominated for a Grammy. Where have I been all these years?

Listen Here was her debut album and, if I'd heard it back in '84 it would be on my shelves (and on my turntable) today.
A distinct and powerful voice that hits every note spot on. Her occasional scat chorus isn't just a novelty but an extension of the song. Like all great jazz singers, her choice of intervals both surprises and delights.

The accompanying trio are on the money with Kenny Barron reminding me just how good a pianist he was then and is now.

As an added bonus the great Arnett Cobb appears on three tracks. What a sound! He really was the toughest of the Texas Tenors. His emphatic contributions can be heard on Centerpiece, Love You Madly and It Could Happen to You. 

Buster Williams brings in Easy Street, setting it up for Vitro's salty vocal, then takes a chorus before the singer almost brings it to a conclusion - almost! That honour goes to Barron - what was that final chord? I don't know but it was a beaut!

You Took Advantage of Me: bass/voice opening, bass solo, voice cleverly restructures the melody - another winner!

Back in the day, the wannabees hadn't all got their claws into Black Coffee. Vitro had! She took the alternative route to Peggy. Going for the jugular rather than tugging at the heartstrings. In this version, Roseanna's man returning from "goin' a-lovin'" would have got the freshly percolated jug of black coffee right in his kisser!

Other numbers on this welcome reissue are: No More Blues; You Go to My Head; A Time to Love; This Happy Madness; Listen Here; Sometime Ago.
Lance

Available Feb. 12
at

1 comment :

Roseanna V said...

Hi Lance-How are you? Thank you for Reviewing "Listen Here" - Hope to see you in NYC someday soon. Warm regards, Roseanna

Saturday, March 19, 2022 11:04:00 am

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