Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 2026)

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

18429 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 293 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 13 ) 27,

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

From This Moment On

April

Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 17: Ben Crosland Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £12.96 (inc. bf) online; £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.

Sat 18: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Swing dance sessions + Bright Street Big Band 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm.
Sat 18: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ The Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm. £27.00 (inc. bf).

Sun 19: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Trio + Lara Hopper.
Sun 19: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.
Sun 19: Straight to Tape @ The Tyne Bar, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Edd Carr, Jonathan Proud, John Hirst. Blues trio.
Sun 19: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Graham Hardy’s Eclectic Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00.

Mon 20: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 20: Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00. Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Tue 21: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval NE25 0AT. Tel: 0191 237 3697. Tickets: £14.00. ‘Pie & Pea Lunch’.
Tue 21: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £29.00., £26.00., £23.00.
Tue 21: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Jack Littlewood (drums).

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Monday, May 10, 2021

Album review: Amber Weekes - 'Round Midnight Re-Imagined

Hazel's Hips - a bump and grind number written by Oscar Brown Jr. got me fascinated from the off to the extent that I was thinking about those hips of Hazel more than I perhaps should have been! Incidentally, Weekes' performance is dedicated to a thwarted romance between the then unknown Sidney Poitier and her Aunt Dolores who, at the time, was waitressing at a luncheonette he frequented. 

Summer Samba - as nice and frothy as it usually is with the bonus of a violin solo by Mark Cargill who also did the string arrangement.

Christo Redentor/I Want Jesus to Walk With Me - a doomy religious mix redeemed (no pun intended) by Phil Upchurch's guitar work. Duke Pearson composed the former tune.

Sistermoon/Summertime - another mix (Sting meets the Gershwins) that's given an emotive take. Given the right singer, the much maligned Porgy and Bess opus works. Amber Weekes is very much the right singer for this and, indeed, all 12 tracks.

My Romance - again beautifully sung.

Don't You Feel my Leg - Danny Barker had a hand (in the music) and Lu Barker provided the raunchy lyric: Don't you feel my leg, 'cos if you feel my leg, you'll want to feel my thigh, and if you feel my thigh, you'll want to go up high... Phil Upchurch once again plays some bluesy guitar.

The Bar Suite: Three classic saloon songs of loving and losing. Something Cool; One For my Baby; The Man That Got Away. You've heard them by Christy, Sinatra and Garland and they are, of course, the definitive versions. But, possibly, only because they got there first.

Lovers; 'Round Midnight and More Than You Know round off a superb album by a singer, not unknown to our reviewers and one to check out. If she turns up on a NYC livestream log in even if it means staying up into the wee small hours.

It's been a good year for singers so far and this one ranks alongside all of them.

Lance

Try/buy. 

Amber Weekes (vocals); Danny Grissett/Eddy Olivieri (piano); Trevor Ware (bass); Sherman Ferguson (drums); Louis Van Taylor (alto sax); Phil Upchurch/Greg Cook (guitar); Scott Steen (trumpet); Mark Cargill (violin/producer/string arrangements/conductor + strings.

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