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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 12:30-2:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30pm-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 22: Mississippi MacDonald @ Claypath Deli, Durham. 7:00pm. Blues.
Sat 22: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm. £16.50. SOLD OUT!
Sat 22: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. 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

Friday, April 08, 2022

Album review: Dave McMurray - Grateful Deadication

Dave McMurray (tenor/baritone sax/keys/perc.); Ibrahim Jones, Don Was (bass); Jeff Canady, Jay Lane (drums); Wayne Gerard, Greg Leisz, Bob Weir (guitars); Larry Fratangelo, Sowanda Keito (perc.); Luis Resto (piano); Maurice O’Neal (keys), Betty LaVette (vocals).

I don’t know how many jazzers are also Deadheads, several I imagine. Despite being nominally a rock group the Grateful Dead, rooted in folk and blues, also incorporated every other type of American music (soul, jazz, funk, country, modern classical, electronic) into their grooves and whatever they came up with was always a platform for endless improvisation in any case. 

This album by Dave McMurray is a fitting, I nearly said tribute, but it feels more than that and more than a simple covers album as well. Having the sax as the main lead removes the need for anyone to play the Jerry Garcia lead guitar role but still leaves Ibrahim Jones with the duty to carry the bass duties showing how crucial Phil Lesh was to the feel of the Dead.

McMurray has taken songs from across the full Dead lifespan, from the early Dark Star, The Eleven, and Loser to the late ‘hit’ in Touch of Grey and proves again the breadth of the Dead’s music.  He shows his audacity in taking on Dark Star, the Deadhead’s iconic, holy, sacred ‘text’ but he pulls it off with aplomb, rolling into it the same way that the Dead would, building over the bass line, almost sneaking the melody in as if trying to disguise what it is for as long as possible. This is classic Dead and McMurray alludes to the attraction that the group’s melodic and rhythmic complexity had for him and that drew him to making this album. He says that he ‘looks for songs that have magic in them’. Well, he’s found them here.

McMurray is in full voice throughout and, to a great extent, this is a classic Blue Note blowing session. Now we need to start a campaign to get Radio 2 to realise that the version of Eyes of the World that graces this album should be part of the perfect summer soundtrack. (Rather than endless Electric Light Orchestra).

I hadn’t heard of Dave McMurray before and wasn’t too excited when I did find bits by him on the net, but he’s really raised his game for this one. This album was available for buttons on the big river around Christmas time and is available from all the usual outlets.

There is a cracking video HERE on YouTube of Dave McMurray and band taking on Fire On The Mountain and Dave McMurray’s website is HERE - 
Dave Sayer

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