Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 25: Michael Young Trio @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

KSTV: Playback session - Michael Brecker's Tales from the Hudson - Mar. 20

(Screenshot by Russell)
Alec Harper (tenor sax); Nick Costley-White (guitar); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (double bass); Jas Kayser (drums)

Michael Brecker's mid-nineties album Tales from the Hudson featuring some heavyweight sidemen, including Pat Metheny* and Dave Holland, put Kansas Smitty's regular tenor man Alec Harper firmly in the spotlight.

As is Osei Mensa's wont, KSTV's presenter had a bit of a preamble with this evening's principal, Harper. Osei wondered about Brecker's influence on other saxophonists. Harper suggested any horn player after Brecker couldn't be other than influenced in some way or another by the multi-Grammy award-winning American who died at in 2007 at the age of 57. 

Aiding and abetting Harper was an ace band (when isn't it at Kansas Smitty's?); Nick Costley-White a match for Mr P Metheny, Wills Barry (Joey Calderazzo) and Sach (Dave Holland), and the excellent Jas Kayser taking on the role of Jack DeJohnette.  

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)

Smitty's online guitar fans couldn't have been other than impressed with Nick Costley-White playing Metheny, a great player is NCW, as he ably demonstrated on the American guitar hero's Song for Bilbao. Will Sach's fine bass solo introduced African Skies, Harper and band picking up on the groove with our Brecker man shooting for the stars. Phew! Stepping back from the mic, Will Barry countered with a blinding solo of his own, the group sound decaying into silence. Superb! 

Brecker's Naked Soul temporarily took it down before this ace band went out on Brecker's startling blues Cabin Fever
(Collage by Ken Drew)
. The furious tempo pushed all five musicians to breaking point - Barry soloing like a demon, Sach swinging, Kayser riding on a cymbal, Harper barging in to make it a tenor sax-drums fist-fight, Sach back in the game throwing punches, Barry comping, Harper all guns blazing, eventually pausing for breath, leaving it to NCW to maintain the momentum until Jas K's obligatory (marvellous) solo. Another winner from Kansas Smitty's!    
* Tomorrow night's live stream from Ronnie Scott's presents the music of Pat Metheny, log on at eight for Big Band Metheny.  

 Russell

Slings and Arrows; Midnight Voyage; Song for Bilbao; Beau Rivage; African Skies; Naked Soul; Cabin Fever

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