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Bebop Spoken There

Van Morrison: ''Basically, I'm coming from jazz. Not pop, not rock, not what's commercial. That's where I started, and that's still where I am. I feel the same as I did when I was listening to Louis Armstrong, Lead Belly, Jelly Roll Morton''. (The Northern Echo, 12 June 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

1803759 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 480 of them this year alone and, so far, 58 this month (June 18).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sat 21: Jason Holcomb Jazz Ensemble @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. A 'Sunderland Year of Music' event.
Sat 21: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 21: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 22: Phoenix 4 @ Wallington, Northumberland. 12 noon-1:00pm & 2:00-3:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: Lapwing Trio @ Wallington, Northumberland. 1:00-2:00pm. Tel: 01670 773606. National Trust admission prices apply. ‘Tunes in the Blooms’.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Jason Isaacs Trio @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 4:00pm. £18.00. + £1.08 bf.
Sun 22: JazzMain @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: MSK Trio @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.

Tues 24: ???

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 25: The Magpies of Swing @ The Roxy, Leadgate, Co. Durham. 7:30pm. A Ginger Jitterbugs swing dance event, all welcome.

Thu 26: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Brass Instruments & the use of mutes.

Fri 27: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm.
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm. ‘Time After Time’.

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

Thursday, September 09, 2021

Album review: Strictly Smokin' Big Band - Harlem '58

Here it is, the first of three lockdown crowd funded albums. Harlem '58 is the Strictly Smokin' Big Band's homage to some of the all time greats, taking as its inspiration Art Kane's iconic photograph of fifty seven jazz musicians standing, some sitting, for a group portrait in Harlem, NYC. Organising a big band recording session at the best of times can't be easy, doing so in the middle of a pandemic must be nigh on impossible. Michael Lamb, the SSBB's MD, wasn't to be deterred... 

Eight tracks spanning some forty two minutes feature several soloists from the SSBB's immaculate sections. From Evenin' (Alice Grace singing Jimmy Rushing, Dave Kerridge, tenor, Pete Tanton, trumpet, Chris Kurji-Smith, trombone) through to Blues Machine (Graham Don, piano, Keith Robinson, alto sax, Chris Kurji-Smith, trombone), it is apparent that there isn't a weak link in the ensemble. Those who've heard the band in concert will surely attest to that!

On first hearing, it's the arrangers who come to the fore - Bill Holman, Jim Martin, Tom Kubis, Sammy Nestico to name but four. And then there's M. Lamb arr.. MD Lamb's arrangement of Evenin' loses little, if anything, alongside the charts of his more illustrious fellow arrangers. 'Round MidnightBemsha Swing and Doxy made a good first impression, as did Goodbye Pork Pie Hat with Alice Grace's considered lyrics. On second hearing it's likely that other cuts on the album will become firm favourites. On third hearing, the same thing, fourth time, fifth time and on, a sure sign of a good album. Harlem '58 is full of riches, buy it, play it, love it. 

Harlem '58 by the Strictly Smokin' Big Band (recorded at The Globe, Newcastle, May 2021) is available from today (Thursday September 9) on Jazz Sound Records.      
                
Michael Lamb (MD): Steve Summers, Keith Robinson (alto sax), Jamie Toms, Dave Kerridge (tenor sax), Laurie Rangecroft (baritone sax); Gordon Marshall, Dick Stacey, Pete Tanton, Michael Lamb (trumpets); Kieran Parnaby, Mark Ferris, Chris Kurji-Smith, John Flood (trombones); Graham Don (piano); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Guy Swinton (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)

Evenin'Blue Skies'Round MidnightBemsha Swing; Doxy; Song for My FatherGoodbye Pork Pie HatBlues Machine.     

1 comment :

NeilC said...

Absolutely wonderful surprise when I opened my email and to my delight an SSBB mail announcing the release and providing the link to download the album with the CD to follow . After finally figuring out how to get the album from my laptop to a mobile device I was off in the car , as I had a few errands today . For once I was absolutely delighted to find that the routes I was travelling seemed to be plagued with slow traffic and jams because I managed two plays of this fabulous album .

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