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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, April 09, 2022

Album review: The Baylor Project - Generations

I came by this album in a rather circuitous way in that I entered a competition to win a CD of an album that was, ultimately, only released on vinyl and so I was sent this instead, (along with an album by Kansas Smitty's (very good) and a 8 disc box set by Incognito (about 6 discs too many!)). I played Generations a few times and intended to review it, but it wasn’t until I saw that it had been nominated for a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album that I decided to dig it out and give it another spin.

An earlier Baylor Project album, The Journey, was reviewed on BSH by Ann Alex back in January 2017. You can read her review HERE. Like The Journey, Generations also has a core of musicians and a steady parade of guests to fill out the cast list.

Generations is an affirmation of faith and a tribute to all the preceding generations in the family back to the days of emancipation. However, it also reflects contemporary life and looks to the future. The past does not bind, but provides the foundations for the future.

The music flows along through a range of soul jazz settings, taking in Stax on Strivin’, Aretha on Happy to Be with You and a more mellow eighties sound with strings on Love Makes Me Sing and that’s just the first three songs. All these  and the others on the album are settings for Jean Baylor’s wonderful voice. It is rich and expressive and while she scats and, occasionally, hollers, there is no resorting to modern clichés or melismatic wailing.

One of the tracks, 2020 opens with a choral field slaves’ spiritual lament to suggest that not enough has changed since emancipation. This develops into a big soul sound with a tremendous tenor solo by Keith Loftis and some heavy duty pummelling from Marcus.

Most of the 12 songs are Jean and Marcus Baylor co-compositions with only two covers, including Wayne Shorter’s Infant Eyes to which Jean has added lyrics. Points to Shedrick Mitchell and Dezron Douglas for their understated performance on this track. Just in case people were starting to think that it’s not a jazz album, we get Blackboy whereon Jean’s voice is set against Freddie Hendrix’ trumpet, strings, a rock solid bass by Douglas again and powerful drumming by Marcus. The song builds and swoops, shifting from a bare to a fuller arrangement, shifting and sliding through a rollercoaster ride. Send the Jazz Police back to the station, this is the genuine article!

There is a simpler sound to Only Believe which brings forth the pathos; it could be Anita Baker singing I Can’t Make You Love Me. Only Believe flows into some pulpit rattling on a short closing number, Benediction that features Apostle Larry J Bunker that features some revivalist shouting. Brevity is its main virtue.

The Baylors also deserve points for the quality of the arrangements. It can’t have been easy putting together an album like this over three years with a pandemic to contend with as well, but it doesn’t sound like a patchwork of offcuts that was cobbled together. It is the arrangements and Jean Baylor’s voice that holds it together. These are strong performances and worthy of their Grammy nomination. Impressive frocks too

There’s more on the Baylors and their project, including some performance videos (and more frocks) on their website which can be found HERE.

(Btw Esperanza Spalding won the Best Jazz Vocal Grammy this year for Songwriters Apothecary Lab) - Dave Sayer

Jean Baylor (vocals, claps and stomps); Marcus Baylor (drums); Shedrick Mitchell, Terry Brewer (keys); Dezron Douglas, Ben Williams, DJ Ginyard, Richie Goods (bass); Ray Holloman, Marvin Sewell (guitar); Keith Loftis, Freddie Hendrix, Mark Williams, Christopher Michael Stevens, Aaron Goode, Korey Riker (horns) plus guests including Kenny Garrett, Jazzmeia Horn, Diane Reeves and various Baylor family members.

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