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Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 29: ???

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + Open Mic Night participants.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

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

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Album review: Keith Loftis Quartet - Original State

Keith Loftis (tenor, soprano sax); John Chin (piano); Eric Wheeler (bass); Willie Jones III (drums).

A belter! Those were words that sprung to mind when Willie Jones III kicked off the opening track (Oak Cliff) followed by a 'no prisoners taken' solo by Loftis, with Chin and Wheeler digging in. This was comparable with anything from the Blue Note label back in the day.

Premonition, composed by Michael Stanton, has an effective bass intro, Loftis wails over a compelling piano riff before Chin moves to centre stage driven on by Willie J 3 - a brief quote from Work Song brings Wheeler back and Loftus takes it out.

Fall's Beauty is, like the first number and the next five, a Loftis original. Normally I cringe when I hear/see the word "original" - not so here. A meditative, exploratory piece that shows off Loftis' rich tone with just enough vibrato to enhance the sound. Rather like a woman applying lipstick but not overdoing it. 

Brigitte's Smile is dedicated to neither a former French screen idol nor to a woman who lives in the next street to me but to his wife. Mrs Loftis must have one helluva smile to inspire such a swinger of a tune.

The Intangible, another great blowing tune brings to mind the great Dexter Gordon although Loftis doesn't fall back on quite so many quotes as Dex was prone to do. 

Smoke & Mirrors, another good blower. When you've been listening to jazz for as long as I have, you tend to become a little blasé and adopt an I've heard it all before attitude and then something like this comes along and it's as if you're 15 and hearing it for the first time.

WiFi Addiction, a solid 12 bar. This music recreates a time when the title track would have been a reference to a husband's attraction to his spouse.

For the Love of You, a Joe Tex, Isley Brothers' number, sees Loftis switch to soprano with a killer solo from Chin and an equally homicidal solo from the leader before Wheeler sedates matters with a mega melodic solo.

A Weaver of Dreams. Beautiful. Ballad playing at its best - cooler than cool. A fitting end to a tremendous hard bop plus album.

Of course there's more to it than just the leader. Chin and Wheeler are of like standing whilst Willie Jones the Third is equally as good as when I heard him with Cedar Walton at Ronnie's some ten or so years ago.

This is Loftis' first album in over a decade - oh what I have missed! 

Now, belatedly, I find out that I actually heard Keith with Abdullah Ibrahim at Sage Gateshead in 2010 although, reading my review, I don't think the horns were heavily featured. 

Also, I note that he played in a band with Jean Toussaint at Bishop Auckland in a tribute concert to the late trumpet player Abram Wilson who died so tragically young. Look at the line-up: Jason Marsalis (drums);  Keith Loftis, Peter King,  Jean Toussaint (saxes); Trevor Mires (trombone); Mark Lewandowski (bass) and rising star New York trumpeter, Alphonso Horne. How did I miss that one? Bishop Auckland's a mere 30 miles or so away! I bet Tony Eales was there! Lance

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