(Press release)
Ten of my favourite vocal albums of
the year. They're in alphabetical order and represent only a few of the
many. Elsewhere, in the print magazines, Cécile McLorin Salvant's album Ghosts has
been making waves but, as of yet, it hasn't reached the BSH office - maybe her
next release will.
As always, these are purely my own selections. Let's have yours .... Lance
It's an ace line-up featuring the brilliant Sue Ferris (sax) in the role of John Jenkins, the equally brilliant Giles Strong (guitar) as Kenny Burrell, from Way Out West (Cumbria) Ben Lawrence (piano), bassist Mick Shoulder and drummer John Bradford. A bargain £7.00. at the door, down beat at eight. Russell
A tuba led ensemble may not, at first glance, be a mouthwatering prospect even when it's played by someone who was the "Voice of the Mothership" in Close Encounters of the Third Kind i.e Jim Self.
Nevertheless, despite my misgivings, it is cleverly arranged by Kim Scharnberg and Self, himself, displays a dexterity rarely found in these monsters of the deep.
A celebration of the music of Belgium guitar/harmonica legend the late Toots Thielemans in this his hundredth anniversary year.
Glasser is the perfect harmonica player for such a tribute. He has assimilated much of Thielemans' style and incorporated it into his own without any loss of individuality.
Dutch pianist Mike Del Ferro has an even closer affinity to the subject having recorded and toured with him over the years.
Denmark may be heading for the airport after losing to Australia in the World Cup but, on the evidence displayed in this album, in jazz terms, the country's musicians are up there with the best.
The Danish reedsman, 80-year-old at the time of this live recording last November, gives a masterclass in mainstream tenor playing on this, one of the most swinging albums I've heard this year. Think of Hawkins, Webster, Jacquet, Lockjaw, Cobb or Guy Lafitte - Thilo is from that school. He swings like the aforementioned giants once did over a rhythm section that is with him all the way. This is tenor playing with guts and no small sense of humour (catch the mini coda at the end of Blue 'n' Boogie).
(Press release)
In addition to the new release (see previous
post) we’re also inviting Raymond MacDonald and Sia Ahmad to visit
Newcastle for an intimate performance following this years’ GIO Festival.
Very
limited tickets for this event so please do book in advance.
Sia Ahmad and Raymond MacDonald
Blank Studios (Next To The Star and Shadow), 210 Warwick St, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1BB
Doors: 7.30pm
(Music Starts 8.00pm - No Late Admissions)
Monday 5th December 2022
This event is a live recording session with limited audience.
£5 Entry / BYOB
This CD, the group’s 13, celebrates the life of one of GIO’s founding members who was also an unsung hero of the Scottish jazz scene: the magnificent bass player George Lyle. Five tracks, devised by different members of the group, each channel George’s beautiful character and musicianship. From whispering ethereal chants to rollercoasting joyous improvisations, the CD documents a new chapter in one of Europe’s most prolific and engaging large improvising ensembles.
Richard
Williams (piano, arranger, producer); Trey Henry (bass); Bernie Tresel (drums)
+ various vocalists, saxophones, trumpets, trombones + strings & woodwinds of the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.
This is a bumper Christmas album lasting for one and a half hours, really good value for your Christmas party. More of a middle of the road feel rather than actual jazz, but some jazz elements crop up in the arrangements and spurts of saxophone and trombone, and some nifty drumming, for example on Santa Claus is Coming To Town.
Chordless trios can sometimes tax my powers of concentration. The absence of a harmonic foundation can often seem like a ham sandwich without any peas pudding. However, that is not the case here due to some sterling work by Penman and the presence of Harland behind the kit.
Tripwire, the title track, is a jaunty blues composed by Vinson that is very much triplet based.
Blue and Sentimental brings to mind the recording by Count Basie that featured Herschel Evans on tenor and a rare example of Lester Young on clarinet. Vinson captures the mood of the original without losing the feel of today.
Although I have reviewed downloads, to my eternal shame, they disappear into a cyber mist - Luddite that I am - so my selections are based around those distributors who know where their local post office is and, in these days, that isn't always easy so I understand the convenience of the download option.
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| (© Sheila Herrick) |
Two gigs in two days that were not entirely dissimilar. Saturday night at Sage Gateshead was excellent and last night at the Globe ran it close.
Five fine instrumentalists playing Sheriff's original compositions. Jazz musicians, by the demands of their art are on the spot composers and whilst some take those improvised moments and, over time, hone them until they become formulaic others take their inspiration from outside sources. With Toussaint at Sage Gateshead it was his siblings and with Sheriff his opening number, Going to Church, was inspired by a painting of the same name by the American artist William H. Johnson (1901-1970).
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
The audience tonight was larger than normal for a Sunday night. Some people were having to bring chairs out from another room and I noticed one or two unfamiliar faces amongst them. Fans of Munch maybe or is it that the Railway is becoming the IN place to go on a Sunday?
Of the many events in the Festival which runs inclusively through to Tuesday (Dec. 6) one concert of particular interest to BSH readers takes place on Friday afternoon (2:00pm - 4:00pm) and features a duo performance by two of the Wild Women of Wylam - Helen Walker (French horn and trumpet) and pianist Caroline Guirr. Lance
Tobin recorded with Benny Goodman and, some years after her divorce from James, married and recorded with clarinettist Peanuts Hucko.
In 1991 Hucko and Tobin with an Anglo/American line-up gave a concert at Middlesbrough Town and the event was covered for the Northern Echo by Peter Bevan (see graphic) who also informed me of the singer's death.
Louise Tobin was 104. Rest In Peace. Lance
PS: For a more comprehensive obituary go HERE.
(Press release)
Jamil Sheriff has been a stand out member of the UK Jazz scene for over 20 years and has a reputation for pulling together exceptional bands.
Five Gold Rings brings the classic sound of the Blue Note quintet, with driving, swinging melodies and solos performed by these outstandingmusicians. There’s something for everyone in this set, Blues, Swing, Afro Cuban, Funk, Hard Bop, Latin… all wrapped up in Jamil’s exquisite compositions.
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| (© Pam) |
This was almost the gig of the year - almost! Every saxophone player on the planet should have been there, marvelling at the tone and technique of a jazz legend, and quite a few of them were there.
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.
Playlist 27/11/22. (Repeated Tuesday 29/11/22)
Requests: Charlie Christian.
John Settle Requests: Milt Jackson. Roy Ayers.
T J Johnson & his Requests: Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Witherspoon, Big Joe Turner.
Requests: Artie Shaw, Louis Dowdeswell.
What’s On in the NE: The Jake Leg Jug Band, Alex Clarke, Liane Carroll.
Bessie Smith.
New release: Tito Carrillo.
Birthday memories: Paul Desmond/Dave Brubeck, Randy Brecker, Billy Strayhorn Johnny Hodges.
Charlie Mingus Year: Charlie Mingus.
(Press
release )
Influenced by his African Caribbean
heritage and the New York jazz scene where he grew up, Toussaint was inspired
early on by “the funk, soul, calypso and reggae bands of [his]
youth”. Toussaint went on to form bands, tour, and become a member of
the legendary Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – a jazz combo and rite of passage
in the jazz world.
You can listen to the show anytime from noon on Saturday 26th
November by heading to www.mixcloud.com/hive_radio.
Plus, you can request tunes for future programmes by emailing
Colin at jazz.tyne.hive@gmail.com.
With the passing of Frank, Mel, Nat, Buddy Greco, Chet, Jon Hendricks, Mark Murphy and the retirement of Tony B, apart from Elling, Porter, Bublé and Harry C Jr., there have been relatively few contemporary singers who can hold their head high in the above company (past and present) - until now that is !
Chicago based Marinaro has incorporated many of the qualities of the aforementioned masters and has succeeded in moulding them into his vocal DNA without loss of individuality and ultimately emerging as a singer to be reckoned with at the highest level.
Paul Hartley (guitar); Jim Collins (tenor sax); Ken Marley (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).
(© Jeff Pritchard)
Rod Mason was listed as being Paul’s guest but, due to unforeseen circumstances, he had to cancel. His replacement was local reeds man Jim Collins who, for this gig, played tenor sax exclusively. The first set consisted of six tunes, the first five being standards the last one was an uptempo Four - a tune long associated with Miles Davis but composed by Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson.
Among the emerging artists performing will be guitarist Joe Steels (pictured) airing some of his new songs from a commissioned recording project.
The band also includes Paul Susans (bass), John Hirst (drums) and Ferg Kilsby (trumpet/flugelhorn).
7:30pm start. Click on the above links for further details. Lance
Photo Credit: John Watson/Jazzcamera.co.uk)
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| (© Roly Veitch) |
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
There was a good turnout for this Sunday evening concert and Frank wasted no time in going into Tangerine which was done at a medium tempo and straight away I got the feeling that this would be one of those nights where all four musicians establish a great rapport with one another.
On previous occasions at the Railway he has used a pianist but tonight I was pleased to see Alan Jeffs, an excellent guitarist, who positioned himself to the left and in front of the bandstand close to bass player Gavin Barras.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
Having been highly impressed with the Jazz Lab on my first visit, I decided to make a return visit with my son Lester to hear The Rookies who we first encountered by chance during one of my previous trips to Melbourne...
...we were walking down Brunswick Street on our way to the Uptown Jazz Cafe, we came across a small bar called the Rook’s Return which was packed full of people having a great time so we decided to check it out.
Over on BBC 4 the Young Jazz Musician of the Year was being crowned whilst at the 606 Club an already long established monarch reigned supreme bringing this year's EFG London Jazz Festival to a close which, not surprisingly, she did in style ably aided and abetted by henchmen Carey and Field.
A choice selection of standards sung and played in her inimitable manner had the in-house audience showing their appreciation and the "outhouse" (livestreamers) audience no doubt doing likewise.
I must hold my hand up and say I was unfamiliar with Xero Slingsby (Matt Coe) prior to this showing which was part of the International Film Festival. This was protest music that hit where it hurts far more than a lot of the folk singers of the '70s/'80s ever did.
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| (© Dave P) |
Matt Carmichael (tenor sax); Fergus
McCreadie (piano)
‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty’
The young poet John Keats might
have written those words on hearing Matt Carmichael and Fergus
McCreadie play at the Heart of Hawick. They made music of sublime
beauty that seemed to speak a timeless truth about creativity and left the
capacity audience entranced.
The first set was one uninterrupted flow of improvisation that included two original compositions by Carmichael (Cononbridge) and McCreadie (The Unforrowed Field), a traditional dance tune from Harris and a Tamil devotional song taught to them years ago by Iain Ballamy.
I’d never been to Wakefield before but my friend Jeff told me that there were many roundabouts to negotiate and he was not wrong. The sat-nav was on overdrive! Still, it was well worth the two hour drive in cold rainy conditions to see sax maestro Greg Abate who was nearing the end of a UK tour that was not without its own problems such as train cancellations and the other things that make being a travelling jazz musician a somewhat stressful occupation. In view of this he told me before the gig started that next year he had decided to only do one UK tour in November and thus will not be here in July.
Eric was perhaps the first jazz tenor sax player I heard on South Tyneside. He was a regular at the Bungalow Jazz Club in South Shields as well as being a part of the Ronnie Callaghan Octet - a band that reached the final of the 1952 edition of the prestigious Melody Maker Dance Band Contest after winning the local heat at the Majestic Ballroom in South Shields.
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen/
Playlist 20/11/22. (Repeated Tuesday
22/11/22)
Requests: McCoy Tyner.
What’s on: Zoë Gilby, Stevie Wonder, Jean Toussaint All
Star Sextet, Nu Civilisation Orchestra, Jamil Sheriff Trio .
Birthday: Tommy Dorsey. Request: Erroll
Garner.
Birthday: Louis Armstrong/Jack Teagarden/Coleman
Hawkins.
Scottish Jazz: SNJO.
Billie Holiday. Paul Edis.
Request : Miles Davis & John Coltrane.
Errol Linton (vocals, harmonica); Ritchie Green (guitar); Petar 'Peter' Živković (piano); Lance Rose (double bass); Gary Williams (drums)
