Bebop Spoken There

Christian McBride: ''I believe we are living in a historically embarrassing moment in American history.'' - Downbeat December 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

18061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 1025 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Dec. 14).

From This Moment On ...

DECEMBER 2025

Fri 19: Fraser Urquhart @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! .
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free..
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00..
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:00pm. Free. .
Fri 19: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy..
Fri 19: Paul Skerritt @ Middlesbrough Town Hall. 7:00pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes. .
Fri 19: Giles Strong Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club..
Fri 19: Creakin’ Bones & the Xmas Dinners @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £13.01 (inc. bf)..
Fri 19: Mark Toomey Quintet @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.

Sat 20: Jazz Attack @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 11:00am. Free.
Sat 20: Alexia Gardner @ FIKA Art Gallery, Morpeth. 6:30pm. Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy. SOLD OUT!
Sat 20: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. CANCELLED!
Sat 20: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: Hoodoo Blues @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:15pm (doors). £14.25, £11.55. Dance class, social dancing, live music & Xmas Party. Live music from 9:00pm - Ruth Lambert, Giles Strong, Ian Paterson & John Bradford (jazz and blues).
Sat 20: John Pope Quintet @ Blank Studios, Newcastle. 7:30-8:30pm. £7.70 (inc. bf). Album recording session.

Sun 21: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. ‘Xmas Swingalong’. Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00-5:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ o2 City Hall, Newcastle. 6:00pm. £35.80., £33.25., £31.00.
Sun 21: The Globe Xmas Party @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Live music.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:30pm. Free.

Mon 22: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Paul Skerritt @ Chakh Dhoom, Jesmond, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Indian restaurant. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Wed 24: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 24: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:30pm. ‘The A Capella Sessions’. Gardner, Paula Gardner, Alexia Hope Gardner Diamany.
Wed 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:30pm. Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Thu 25: Alexia Gardner @ The Townhouse, Bridge St., Morpeth. 1:30-4:00pm. ‘All About the Bass Sessions’. Alexia Gardner, Paula Gardner, Jude Murphy.

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

Live from Emmet's Place - March 1

(Screenshot by Russell)
Emmet Cohen (piano); Russell Hall (double bass); Kyle Poole (drums); Samara Joy (vocals)

A combination of reading (and believing) LL's rave review of Samara Joy's album (posted earlier this month) and noting in the current issue of Jazz Times that Emmet Cohen's March 1st live stream continues to be available to view on YouTube goes some way in explaining why this review arrived a tad late in BSH's inbox...near enough four months late! 

Live from Emmet's Place is pianist Emmet Cohen's weekly contribution to the now familiar world of the virtual gig. Emmet's Place is the pianist's rather swanky-looking NYC apartment. It just so happens a Steinway occupies centre stage (nothing unusual there, your Steinway is in the spare bedroom, isn't it?). Let's get things straight...Emmet Cohen is nothing short of brilliant, a piano player to die for. Cohen's regular working trio partners - bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole - are similarly outstanding musicians. The attraction of this particular online performance? The participation of Ms Samara Joy! 

To open the show the trio loosened up with a couple of instrumentals courtesy of Ahmad Jamal and Cedar Walton. Superb. And then, Samara Joy...These Foolish Things, Day by Day (as sung by Carmen MacRae), Star Eyes, Sophisticated Lady and more. Samara, recently turned twenty two, more than met expectations. Wow! Samara knows Cécile McLorin Salvant, inviting comparison. Let's say Samara doesn't/wouldn't come off second best.  

Sarah Vaughan is an obvious touchstone. How about Ella? Scatting at that. Samara went for it on Oh, Lady be Good! The smiling trio spoke volumes, Emmet and the guys couldn't believe what they were hearing. A new star is in our midst. Oop-Bop-Sh'Bam! Emmet announced that in due course he would get back out on the road and he'd be taking Samara with him. True to his word, later this year they'll be in Europe*.  

There was a poignant twist to this March 1st stream. On the day, news broke of the death of drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. Emmet Cohen dedicated the performance to his friend and fellow musician.  

* Samara Joy's appearance with guitarist Pasquale Grasso at Ronnie Scott's on July 6 has been cancelled. Let's hope it'll be rescheduled. Russell   
at

1 comment :

Ron said...

Russell a great review .coincidentaly I posted early March that this session revealed a great new jazz singer 'Samara Joy giving Emmets Vol no. I also gave another Two 'Vol numbers well worth watching with Veronica Swift and Cyrill Aimee. Like yourself Russell I am also a massive fan of Emmet Cohen Trio.
Ron Ainsborough

Sunday, June 27, 2021 5:07:00 pm

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive