Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Sun 04: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Heugh Battery, Hartlepool. 11:00am-12 noon & 1:00-2:00pm.
Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 04: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Bill Watson (trumpet).
Sun 04: Sax Choir w. Rachel Musson @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Rivkala + Ceitidh Mac + Thatcher & Knowles @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. A NFOJAIM event.
Sun 04: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free. RESCHEDULED from September 27.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £3.00.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Friday, March 19, 2021

KSTV: Playback session - Xhosa Cole Trio play "Lester Young Trio". March 19

Xhosa Cole (tenor sax); Joe Webb (piano); Jason Brown (drums)

A gem - as most of these playback sessions are. If you're going to playback something make sure it's worth playing back and, if it is, make sure you've got the musicians who can do it.

Tonight ticked both boxes.

Lester Young, Nat Cole (his "title" was rarely used in jazz circles) and Buddy Rich recorded eight tracks for Norman Granz over a couple of sessions in 1951 and 1953. They stood the test of time but, how would today's young Turks cope with music recorded before their fathers - their grandfathers maybe - were born?

That's the beauty of music and jazz in particular that, other than the tunnelled visioned few, it is timeless. Tonight's guys didn't "fill their boots" at the prospect of the task in front of them but stood in the boots of their predecessors with pride and paid tribute without fawning simulation.


In a world that is seeing so many hot shot tenor players,  Xhosa Cole stands tall. He can be Coltrane one night, Rollins the next and, tonight, Lester. As if that wasn't enough he does it without losing his own identity - amazing for one so young (no pun intended). Anyone who doubts the value of the BBC Young Jazz Awards need only look at those who have appeared on KSTV! Will Alexander Bone show up on one of these fine evenings?

Likewise, Joe Webb  can move from Jelly Roll, to Fats, to Tatum, to Erroll, to Oscar, to Keith - you name it. Jason Brown had the easy bit - he just had to play like Buddy Rich!

Lester was perhaps the first jazz musician to say he liked to know the words of a song he's playing so, not surprisingly, apart from the opening blues, Back to the Land, all tonight's numbers had nice easy lyrics: Peg O' My Heart; I Want to be Happy; I Cover the Waterfront (superb coda/cadenza from Xhosa); Rosetta; I Found a New Baby (big drum bash); Mean to Me; Sweet Lorraine & The Man I Love. 
(Collage by Ken Drew)

Stone-Lonergan last night, Xhosa tonight and, tomorrow, I'm going AWOL to catch Mornington at The '606' - it's enough to make me start practising again!

Lance
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive