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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

18037 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 458 of them this year alone and, so far, 36 this month (June 11).

From This Moment On ...

JUNE 2025

Sun 15: Lewis Watson Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 15: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 15: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:00pm.
Sun 15: Under the Wellie @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 15: Hannah Brine Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 16: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club (1:00pm). Free.
Mon 16: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 17: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Wed 18: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 18: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:30pm. Free. Concert performance (open to the public)..
Wed 18: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 19: Gareth John & the SOS Big Band @ The Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:00pm. £25.00.

Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: David Gray's Flextet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 20: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £21.50. ‘Time After Time’.br/> Fri 20: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm.
Fri 20: King Bees @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. Superb Chicago blues band.

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.

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, October 09, 2021

Album review: Secret Sessions - HOOP

Tom Walsh (trumpet, flugel, keys); Nichol Thomson (trombone, keys, vocoder); Paul Booth (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Chris Allard (guitar); Laurence Cottle (elec bass); Ian Thomas (drums) + Steve Hamilton (keys tk 1); Miles Bould (perc tk 2); Ross Stanley (Hammond B3 tk 3).

The Secret Sessions project is Paul Booth's ongoing brainchild and Hoop is the second after last year's Fragile Eagle. The idea was to round-up a group of like-minded musicians to record together without giving them any advance information, other than the instrumentation,  as to who the others would be until they actually arrived.

It may seem, on the face of it, a flying by the seat of your pants idea and in a sense it is. However, Booth's familiarity with each individual's capabilities - their strengths and weaknesses (what weaknesses?!) - made it a safe bet that, just as the musicians on the first album did, they would gel.

And they did!

Walsh, Thomson, Allard and Booth each brought two charts to the table resulting in the diversity of music that Booth sought and, as such he must have surely been delighted.

Walsh describes it as an album of synth-tinged fusion - everything from powerful horn-led prog rock elements all the way through to gutsy, soulful ballad and blues playing. His own forceful yet melodic trumpet playing is just one of the many highlights. Booth, as always, is in scintillating form. Thomson gets the kind of trombone sound that used to burst majestically from the Kenton band. Indeed if Kenton had been around 50 years later then Thomson would have been his first call for the trombone section. Allard provides the funkier element fusing the jazz and the rock into one effective whole.

A cooking rhythm section and a few guests dotted around made for a successful project - bring on number 3!

The album is out on Nov. 5 on Ubuntu Music - UBU0092 and there's an album launch at the Spice of Life on Nov. 21 as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. Lance

Sinterval (1); Silo (2); Good, Bad Fortune (1); Erin (3); Boz Pity (4); Cultus Lake (4); Ocean Mirage (3); Stop Telling us What to do (2).

1: Comp. Paul Booth. 2: Comp. Nichol Thomson. 3: Comp. Chris Allard. 4: Comp. Tom Walsh.

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