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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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

Monday, March 29, 2021

Ten Vinyl LPs I Would Not Like to be Without by Mike Farmer

1 Gene Ammons—Boss Tenor (Prestige-mono).  I bought this in Berlin from Walter Artles record stall during the Jazz Festival for 5 DMs a real bargain!  There is a great version of Canadian Sunset which makes me wonder why more jazz musicians don’t feature this tune.

2 Chet Baker---Once upon a Summertime (Artists House).  This is worth keeping if only because the  booklet that came with it is so incredible, containing rare photos of Baker playing in Army bands and at gigs with Bird and Mulligan etc. The fine reedsman Greg Herbert on this record passed away a year later in 1978, also in Amsterdam in similar circumstances to Chet’s.

3 Art Blakey—Buttercorn Lady (Limelight-mono).  This 1966 album was sub-titled   “And the New Jazz Messengers” and was recorded live at the famous Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, California. It contains some outstanding solos by 19 years-old Frank Mitchell on tenor and 21 years old Keith Jarrett. They do a great version of the standard Secret Love on which trumpeter Chuck Mangione excels.

4 Ray Bryant---Alone with the Blues (Esquire—mono).   This is one of the greatest solo piano albums ever recorded and though some of the tunes are not strictly blues i.e. Lover Man and Rockin’ Chair it does not matter when Ray works his magic.   Anyone who saw him play solo at Burnley, Lancs, years ago will never forget it! 

5 The Art Farmer - Benny Golson Jazztet—Meet the Jazztet  (Pye mono).      There are 10 tunes on this debut LP and every one a gem. The later line-ups of this band never quite reached the heights of this one- Golson has some fantastic tenor work-outs- e.g. Blues March and Killer Joe.   

6 Lee Morgan—The Lee Morgan Quintet   (Joy mono). UK edition of the original Vee-Jay recording this has Lee Morgan in fine form alongside the tenor player Cliff Jordan and with Art Blakey on drums it is bound to appeal to hard bop fans. Just listen to Morgan’s work on Easy Living and marvel at his soulful sound.

7 Max Roach---The Many Sides of Max Roach (Mercury mono). Booker Little is awesome here and Max shows that he can write well. I also love the agile playing of George Coleman on tenor and the trombone work of Julian Priester. Roach always gets a superb sound on his drums!   

8 Sonny Rollins---Whats New?  (RCA Victor stereo).  This is Sonny in a bossa/Latin groove with calypso thrown into the mix. Jim Hall is along for the ride and I‘m surprised this album is not more well-known.      

9 Horace Silver--- Doin’ the Thing – The Horace Silver Quintet Live at the Village Gate (Blue Note stereo). Here we have a live recording at the iconic New York   jazz venue  and if you see that the engineer is Rudy Van Gelder you know the sound is going to be first class. Blue Mitchell was ideal for this group and together with tenorman Junior Cook they make this one of the best working bands of the era.              

10 Michel Legrand---Legrand Jazz   (Philips mono).  This goes back to 1958 recorded over three days in New York City involving thirty-three of best jazz musicians around at the time. All eleven tunes have plenty of solo work by the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Ben Webster, Hank Jones; the list goes on. I need to replace this copy as I’ve played so often.

Mike Farmer

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