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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

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

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

The art of gentle lyricism – August 9

(Screenshot by Russell)
Rossano Sportiello (piano); Dan Barrett (trombone); Rebecca Kilgore (vocals)

Take a very nice domestic music/library room, insert a beautiful Bösendorfer piano, bring along three fine musicians and what do you get? Answer - some absolutely lovely music. And whilst streamed concerts with no audience present have limitations because of that very reason, in the right setting there can be an intimacy that is very engaging as was the case here.

I received a text from roving reporter Russell that one of my favourite singers, Rebecca Kilgore, was performing with pianist Rossano Sportiello and trombonist Dan Barrett ‘right now’ in this setting and so I immediately logged in but it was already half way through the concert.

Rossano Sportiello was a new name to me – what a great player. He has absorbed stride and walking bass styles of piano playing into a masterful entity, slipping effortlessly from one to another while embellishing beautifully with his right hand. A virtuoso pianist.

Dan Barrett has been a major contributor to the, dare I say the word, ‘mainstream’ of jazz for such a long time now. A fluent trombonist with a gorgeous sound and a natural lyricism in all settings. And a top notch bandleader and arranger too.

I first heard Rebecca Kilgore many years ago with Bobby Gordon’s Trio – a CD Remembering Maxine. What a gem that is. Over subsequent years I acquired quite a few of her albums. Her recorded output is phenomenal. You can understand why. A gentle, effortless vocal style with clear diction and innate jazz feel that draws you in. And she seems to know every song. Special!

I’ll not go into detail on the set list. Needless to say all beautifully played. The tunes I caught were - Christopher Columbus, East of the Sun, Russian Lullaby (piano/trombone duo), What Will I Tell my Heart? (trombone ballad feature), My Ideal, Them There Eyes and finishing with Sultry Serenade - a melody composed by Tyree Glenn but with lyrics added later and a new title  How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me?  

High class indeed. Roly

2 comments :

Lance said...

Truly an inspiring session by 3 present day greats. For the record, the other tunes were: Blues my Naughty Sweetie Gives to me (piano solo); Keepin' Out of Mischief Now (trombone feature) and vocals: I Can't Believe That You're in Love With me; Comes Love and Opus One. The latter number based on the Anita O'Day version with the Gene Krupa Band.

Patti said...

Wasn't it marvellous! A real jazz treat. I've seen Rossano and Dan play at the Cleveland Jazz Party in the US - and I'm fairly certain that Rossano came to the Whitley Bay International Jazz Festival about 18 years ago, as a young piano maestro, with the Milano Hot Jazz Gang/Orchestra. This was before he moved to the US, and he now lives in New York City. Next week he'll be back home in NYC, and doing the livestream from his Greenwich Flat - it'll be open for anyone - you don't need to be on Facebook yourself. Just google Live at the Greenwich Flat.

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