Bebop Spoken There

Ludovic Beier (Django Festival Allstars): ''Manouche means 'free man,' and gypsies have been travelers since they migrated west from India to Europe.'' (DownBeat March, 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

18383 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 247 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Mar. 17 ), 57

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

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Album review: Brian Woodruff Sextet - A Centering Peace

Michael Rodriguez (trumpet); Alan Ferber (trombone); Lisa Parrott (alto, soprano saxes); Pete McCann (guitar); Matt Clohesy (bass); Brian Woodruff (drums, compositions) + Elizabeth Lohninger (vocals on tks 1,3,9).

A delightful, swingy set that doesn't set out to change the world but, instead, paints a picture of the world as seen by drummer, leader, composer, arranger, lyricist, Woodruff.

The soloists, and that means everyone, are all on the money. Although Ferber and McCann are the only two whose work I was familiar with, the others are on the same wavelength. Rodriguez is one of the most lyrical trumpet players I've heard since Chet or early Miles. Lisa Parrott too has a cool sound that still retains an emotional aura about it and it's easy to understand her high placing in DownBeat's Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition (now Rising Star) category back in 2016 - on baritone.

McCann can swing with best of them and as he proves on War Paint - a hard rocker - he is not averse to a spot of shredding. Woodruff comments that he "deliberately placed Pete in the clean-up spot." 

Ferber is blessed with a sound many lesser trombone players can only dream about. For the past seven years he's been up there in the DownBeat ratings running on to place third in the 2020 Rising Star category of the Critic's Poll.

Clohesy is an in-demand bassist who, alongside leader Woodruff keeps everything moving.

Lohninger has a delicate, wistful voice that does justice to Woodruff's lyrics.
Now available via the usual suspects, Lance

The Welcome Song; What Happened; A Centering Peace; War Paint; Pirouette en Dedans; Every Detail Minding; Undertow; Freeway Doctor East; King Size Blues.

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