Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
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: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. POSSIBLE CANCELLATION. See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

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

No comments :

Blog Archive