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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17655 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 929 of them this year alone and, so far, 74 this month (Dec. 31).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Mon 06: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:00pm. Free.

Wed 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: The Tannery Jam Session @ The Tannery, Gilesgate, Hexham. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Wed 08: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 08: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Thu 09: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: John H Hammond.
Thu 09: FILM: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 2:35pm. Documentary (dir. Johan Grimonprez) ‘about jazz, (de)colonial history and activism featuring Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone and Dizzy Gillespie’.
Thu 09: Happy Tuesdays @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 09: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Ragtime piano. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 09: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. The session now monthly, next one Thursday 2nd Feb, then first Thursday in the month thereafter.

Fri 10: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 10: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 10: Joe Steels Trio @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free.

Sat 11: Jason Isaacs @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 11: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 12: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 12: King Bees @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.
Sun 12: Dave Bottomley @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar.
Sun 12: Jack Pearce Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

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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