Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Friday, July 23, 2021

Album review: Trineice Robinson – All or Nothing

Rejoice! Another fine singer doing jazz and soul with a lovely alto tone and expressive presentation.     

This is Ms Robinson's debut album, issued after already making her mark as an educator, researcher, author and scholar. She hails from Oakland, California, sang in church, then gained qualifications in jazz studies and education. She has taught and developed resources for singing in jazz, gospel, pop and other styles, as well as keeping up her own schedule as a singer. She is especially interested in finding ways to express the experience of black American people through song.

Ms Robinson has gathered stellar musicians for the album, including Don Braden who is no slouch on sax and flute, Cyrus Chestnut on piano and bassist Kenny Davis. Sax and piano feature on the title track, using differing time signatures for their solos, very innovative. Footprints is suitably boppy with unusual lyrics by our singer and Nandita Rao 'People in the world today, never take the time to pray'.

What's Going On? is a soul number with lively percussion; Come Sunday is simply voice and piano, heartfelt and sung slowly and Ms Robinson's own song If This is Love, is paired thoughtfully with The Very Thought of You. You Know Who is sheer fun, bass, sax and piano solos, and 'doo doo' vocalisations and La Costa suggests relaxing in the sun, with tapping Latin drumming, a flute solo and backing singers.

The album is neatly rounded off with Ms Robinson's own Christian song, Let it Shine, followed by a short rendition of This Little Light of Mine, sung by one of Ms Robinson's children. Aaah!   

You can get this CD from the usual sources from August 6, 2021. If you google this artist's name you will reach her website which gives lots of information about her theories of singing and you can even sign up to study singing using her methods. Ann Alex

Trineice Robinson (vocals); Laura-Simone Martin, Lindsay Martin Jr (background vocals); Don Braden (saxes, flute); Cyrus Chestnut, Phil Orr (piano); Kenny Davis (bass); Vince Ector (drums); Ian Kaufman (trombone); John Meko (trumpet); Nils Mossblad (tenor sax); Kahlil KwameBell (percussion); Joe 'Stretch' Vinson (guitar) – collective personnel.

All Or Nothing At All; Footprints; What's Going On?; Come Sunday; If This Is Love/The Very Thought Of You; You Taught My Heart To Sing; La Costa; You Know Who (I Mean You); Save Your Love For Me; Let It Shine; This Little Light Of Mine.

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