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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

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Top Ten Jazz Guitar Recordings 1925 - 1975 by Maurice Summerfield

See below my choice TOP TEN Jazz Guitar records below for 1925 - 1975.  Of course to select only TEN is really impossible.  TOP 100 1921 -2021 would be a more realistic task.

I am aware that many great jazz guitarists are not included in this list.  George Van Eps, George Barnes, Bucky Pizzarelli, Johnny Smith, Oscar Moore, Billy Bauer, Mundell Lowe, Chuck Wayne, Joe Puma, Howard Roberts, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Rene Thomas, Marty Grosz, Sacha Distel, Elek Bacsik, Pat Martino, Ed Bickert, John Pisano, George Benson, Martin Taylor, Ulf Wakenius and more all have recordings that should be included.

Then there are more recent jazz guitarists who I do not really appreciate but many jazz lovers do.  Pat Metheny, Larry Coryell,  John McLaughlin, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Bill Frissell and more.   

And finally the great Gypsy jazz guitarists including Babik Reinhardt, Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg,  Dorado Schmidt, Joscho Stephan, Frank Vignola and more have made great jazz recordings

Bearing this in mind here is my listing.   

Eddie Lang - Carl Kress - Dick McDonough: Pioneers of Jazz Guitar - Retrieval RTR 79015.

Django Reinhardt: 24 Classic Performances  - Poll Winner Records  PWR 27201.

Charlie Christian: The Genius of Electric Guitar  - Sony Legacy Recordings  Columbia C4K 15564.

Barney Kessel: Easy Like  Vol. 1  - Contemporary OJCCD-153-2.

Tal Farlow: The Interpretations  of Tal Farlow - Verve CD2753.

Herb Ellis and Joe Pass: Two for the Road - Pablo  OJCCD-726-2.

Jim Hall: Jim Hall Trio - Gambit CD 69259.

Jimmy Raney: Jimmy Raney/A - Prestige  OJCCD-1706-2.

Wes Montgomery: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery - Riverside OJCCD 036-2.

Lenny Breau: Lenny Breau Live at Shelly Manne's Hole - One Way Records OW29315 CD.

Maurice S.

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2 comments :

Chris Kilsby said...

Nice! Thanks for this Maurice.

Over to Steve T for the 1975-2021 Top Ten then?!

I'll check these early ones out, following a comment to me from Lance that he didn't think (as I do) of Wes Montgomery as "old school" - I obviously need to get a longer perspective!

Chris

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 12:45:00 pm
Steve T said...

Fraid I'm a bit of a dinosaur too:

Wes Montgomery - Smokin at the Half Note 1965.
Steve Marcus - Tomorrow Never Knows 1968.
Mahavishnu Orchestra featuring John McLaughlin - Visions of the Emerald Beyond 1975.
George Benson - In Concert at Carnegie Hall 1976.
Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life 1976.
Shakti featuring John McLaughlin - Natural Elements 1977.
James Blood Ulmer - Tales of Captain Black 1978.
Al Di Meola, Jean Luc Ponty, Stanley Clark - Rite of Strings 1995.
Kurt Rosenwinkel - The Next Step 2001.
Larry Coryell - Impressions 2008.

And we've come full circle.

Thursday, April 01, 2021 12:49:00 am

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