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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17641 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 915 of them this year alone and, so far, 60 this month (Dec. 26).

From This Moment On ...

December

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 12 noon-2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington (National Trust), Cambo, Morpeth NE61 4AR. 12 noon & 2:00pm. Admission to site £19.00. CANCELLED!
Tue 31: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Tue 31: Archie Brown & Friends @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00-8:00pm. Free.
Tue 31: Jan Spencelayh Quartet @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 5:00-9:00pm. A NYE ‘Dinner-Dance’ event. £42.99. Featuring special guest Mick Donnelly.
Tue 31: Jack Logan @ The Robin Hood Inn, East Wallhouses NE18 0LL. Tel: 01434 672549. 7:00pm. £59.95. ‘New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner’. Rat Pack etc.

January 2025

Wed 01: Revolutionaires @ The Old Barrel (Flatties), Boldon Colliery. 3:30pm. Free. Excellent rhythm & blues.

Thu 02: ???

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: John Gregory @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.

Sat 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £5.00. Xmas party (rescheduled from early December).

Sun 05: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Americana, jazz & blues.
Sun 05: Papa G’s Troves @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free (donations).

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

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Album review: Veronica Swift - This Bitter Earth

I first heard Veronica Swift in 2019 when Maurice Summerfield sent me this YouTube clip of Veronica, along with Austin Patterson and Julian Lee, singing the BSH theme song.

I was impressed!

My interest was further piqued when Russell wrote about her in glowing terms on one of his virtual trips to, on this occasion, uptown Manhattan for a Billie Holiday celebration - Ron Ainsborough concurred with his words

So, when this CD turned up I grabbed it with eager arms and I wasn't disappointed.

Swift has obviously listened to Ella - which jazz singer hasn't? - but this is no pale imitation. Just as Mozart absorbed the teachings of Papa Haydn so has Ms Swift done likewise with Mama Ella and created her own voice.

She sings, she scats, she puts meaning into a lyric drawing out the pathos, the humour, the social aspect, something even the great Ella didn't always achieve.

The Bitter Earth: Reflective, soul searching, self-realisation.

How Lovely to be a Woman: A girl discovering adulthood. Some great scat and fine piano from Cohen.

You've Got to be Carefully Taught: The Rodgers & Hammerstein song probably didn't have the impact in South Pacific that it should have. In today's more enlightened (ish) times Swift delivers the message loud and clear with Cohen superb on piano. The prolonged ending serves to allow the message to sink in loud and clear

Getting to Know You: More from R & H but totally different to the version "sung" by Deborah Kerr in the film version of The King and I.

The Man I Love: The Gershwin's song of hope or is it wishful thinking? Sung so tenderly you can't help but hope he does come along. Nice bass solo and a lovely vocal cadenza to finish.

You're the Dangerous Type: A Bob Dorough gem. An out and out swinger with scat chorus,  sizzling alto solo and more great piano from Cohen.

Trust in Me: Some haunting bass flute passages bring this one in with voice merging instrumentally before the plaintive, mournful words express the deep feelings of the singer. Johnson returns, this time on concert flute. All done over a hypnotic Latin rhythm.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss): Carole King and Gerry Goffin came up with this one. The gist of the song is that she's confessed to being unfaithful and she realises that by hitting her he's showing he cares about her - mmm... 

As Long As He Needs Me: Soft and tender nothing at all like the strident version by Shirley Bassey - at least not until the big finish.

Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong: A Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn song that was new to me. A cool lilting bossa with admirable sentiments and a drum solo thrown in for good measure.

Prisoner of Love: Russ Columbo had a hand in this song f
rom the 1930s which provided big hits for Bing and Perry (Como). This eclipses both of them. 

The Sports Page: Dave Frishberg wrote this gem, the idea being that the only truth you read in a newspaper or hear on the news is on the sports page which, come to think about it ... Listen also to Emmet Cohen. He's been  a tower of strength throughout but on this track he's phenomenal!

Sing: The full works on this one - choir, guitar blast and a triumphal end to the album in the manner of  the final movement of a symphony.

It's out on Mack Avenue Records via Proper Music next week (March 19).

Lance

Emmet Cohen (piano, celeste); Yasushi Nakamura (bass); Bryan Carter (drums) + Armand Hirsch (guitar); Lavinia Pavlish, Meltar Forkosh (violins);  Andrew Griffin (viola); Susan D. Mandel (cello); Aaron Johnson (alto sax, flutes);  Steven Feifke, Ryan Paternite, Will Wakefield, the Stone Robinson Elementary School and Walton Middle School Girls Choirs (background vocals).

1 comment :

Liz said...

new to me Lance, but I look forward to listening to her, your recommendations are always spot on!

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