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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 14: Mr Wilson’s Second Liners @ Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, Woodhorn Museum, Ashington. 10:00am-5:00pm. Free. At intervals during the day.
Sat 14: Spanish City Rollers @ The Brae, Cullercoats. 11:00am & 1:00pm. Free. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Front Porch Three + Hoodoo Blues swing dance workshop @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 3:30pm. A Cullercoats Festival event.
Sat 14: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer & Cider Festival, Tynedale Rugby Club, Corbridge. 4:15-5:30pm.
Sat 14: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 14: Mark Williams Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 14: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm.
Sat 14: Eva Fox & Steve Chambers @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’..
Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. .
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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

Saturday, March 27, 2021

KSTV: Playback session. Yusef Lateef's "Eastern Sounds" - March 27

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)
Giacomo Smith (tenor sax/soprano sax/flute); Will Barry (piano); Will Sach (bass); Jas Kayser (drums).

Giacomo is a musician of such diversity that it is nigh impossible to pigeonhole him. A Giacomo of all trades  musical and master of them too! Not many players can blow like Bechet one night and show up as Lateef the next! Not only that, he does the former on soprano and clarinet and the latter on soprano, tenor and flute. I can't wait until he does a Roland Kirk Playback Session!

The music tonight was based on Yusef Lateef's album Eastern Sounds, an album that has developed a cult following and, as Giacomo said regarding Lateef, "You either love him or hate him". 

It's an intriguing album that mixes the exotic with the familiar and the unexpected. Tonight's band kept all those factors in place. The Love Theme from Spartacus and The Love Theme from The Robe were far removed from the movie soundtracks but, nevertheless, back in the day, they sold a few singles for the man who began life as Bill Evans (no relation!).

Don't Blame Me had some relatively straight forward tenor playing and Snafu which, for some reason I missed - maybe I was preparing my nightcap of Horlicks - I'm sure swung along as nicely as GS said it did.

By and large, the other numbers were very much of the eastern persuasion and, at times (like all times ), compulsive listening.

(Collage by Ken Drew)
Tonight's rhythm section were the perfect choice - Cleasby, Sach and Kayser  - you need a trio? Look no further. You need a quartet? Look no further.

No more midweek gigs at Smitty's lined up for the immediate future so we will have to wait until next Saturday for their take on Monk's Underground album.
Lance 

Plum Blossom; Blues For the Orient; The Love Theme from Spartacus; Don't Blame Me; The Love Theme from The Robe; Snafu; Chinq Miaou; Purple Flower.

1 comment :

Mike Farmer said...

Caught the second set at the Club 43 and remember he played a fast Dexterity on a silver King tenor.He had a huge sound and he brought his own pianist, Stan Jones who I think later moved to Hollywood and worked in the TV and film studios.

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