Bebop Spoken There

Warne Marsh: "At some point, you have to be prepared to create—to perform. It's vital, man, if we're talking about jazz, the original jazz, the performing art. It fulfils its meaning only when you play it live in front of an audience." DownBeat January 1983.

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

18146 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 24 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Jan. 7), 24

From This Moment On ...

JANUARY 2026

Mon 12: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

Tue 13: Milne Glendinning Band @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 13: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 14: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 14: Jam Session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 14: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 15: Mark Toomey Quartet @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Quartet + guest Paul Donnelly (guitar).

Fri 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 16: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 16: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 16: Darlington Big Band @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 16: Leeds City Stompers @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sat 17: Homer’s Lane + John Garner & John Pope @ St John’s Church, Riding Mill. 2:00-4:00pm. Free. Gabriele Heller’s audio play + Garner & Pope.
Sat 17: Martyn Roper @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. Roper’s ‘One Man Blues Band’.
Sat 17: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 17: Alexia Gardner Trio @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors). Gardner, Alan Law & Jude Murphy.

Sun 18: Louis Louis Louis @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 2:00pm (doors). £15.00. Swing, jump jive, rhythm & blues. Fundraiser for St Oswald’s Hospice.
Sun 18: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio + Rod Sinclair.
Sun 18: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm.
Sun 18: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 18: Herdman-Strong Quartet @ 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, April 05, 2021

Album review (sort of): Kamasi Washington - The Choice

Kamasi Washington (tenor sax)+ 16 others, a 27 piece orchestra and 13 member choir.

One way to pass a wind blasted Bank Holiday is to read the Wikipedia entries on your favourite musicians. Whilst reading the Kamasi Washington discography I saw a reference to The Choice, a five track EP with an accompanying date of 2018. Not recognising the recording I looked it up on Amazon.co.uk and saw no mention of it there. Nothing on Amazon.com either. Following the Wikipedia link for The Choice I found out that I already had it, I just didn’t know it.

At this point I should apologise in advance if everybody already knew this and I’m the only one who didn’t until today. The Choice is, in fact, an extra disc hidden in the middle of Heaven and Earth, Washington’s 2018 album. Examining my CD copy of the album, I saw perforations down one side of the central section when the cover was fully opened out. Gently cutting through these perforations with a kitchen knife, (please see photograph of reconstruction) gives access to the hidden disc.

The Choice is an album length collection (38 minutes plus) and has the full battalion of musicians that appear elsewhere on Heaven and Earth. For the avoidance of doubt, these are completed pieces of music not demos or false starts. Vinyl versions also contain The Choice as an extra fifth disc. It is not clear from the Wikipedia entry and associated references, most of which date to 2018, whether or not the extra disc is available with every physical copy of the album or just came with early editions. It is not included as part of the album download but is still available from the usual streaming services.

It’s not often that I encourage people to set about their record collections with a carving knife, but this time, it’s worth the effort.

Dave Sayer

Available as part of Heaven and Earth on
Shoto Mas/Young Turks.

The Secret of Jinsinson (Washington); Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (Goffin/King); My Family (Washington); Agents of Multiverse (Washington); Ooh Child (Vincent).

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