Emma Smith may be a part of the UK's best ever swing vocal group - The Puppini Sisters - but, she is also a knockout performer in her own right, as this rather wonderful album proves.
Given the amount of top class singers on the current scene it would be foolish to even attempt to draw comparisions between the contenders.
Sinatra and Tormé have gone. Bennett's in retirement. Who's left in the crooner clique? Well there's Bublé and Connick Jr. and there's this Family Guy - Seth MacFarlane.
I've yet to watch Family Guy but I've heard several albums by the show's main man and when it comes to singing and swinging a standard Seth's the star.
He's not as hip or as cool as Sinatra and Tormé were, but swings more than Bennett ever did and beats Bublé and Connick Jr. at their own game. In short, as Ol' Blue Eyes would say, "He's a gasser!"
The first of two new albums on my to do list from BSH Editor in Chief, both from Israeli artists, offering an opportunity to reflect on the phenomenal jazz talent emerging from Tel Aviv and often achieving breakthrough in NYC and Europe. The case in point here is the young sax player Asaf Harris making his debut on Ubuntu, with a band full of yet more talented Israeli players previously unknown to me.
The Vieux Carré Jazzmen stomped off their regular Wednesday spot at the Crescent Club with George Lewis' Move the Body Over Here. Lewis disciple Faragher took the vocal on this one setting a pattern for what was to follow - vocals, vocals, vocals!
Lawrence McBriarty stepped up to the plate and sang Dallas Blues. He reminded me of Eric Burdon before Eric became an Animal.
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| (© John Pritchard) |
John Hulme is a familiar figure on the Greater Manchester jazz scene and for those who go to gigs by big bands, you may have seen him sitting in the brass section.
Like a lot of trumpeters he also likes to play flugelhorn - an instrument I took a liking to ever since I first heard it played by Clark Terry on his Riverside album In Orbit. I don’t think I’ve heard any musician in recent times get as mellow a sound on the larger horn than Terry, with the possible exception of Tom Harrell who impressed me when I saw him at the Malta Jazz Festival a few years ago. John is an admirer of Harrell’s and tonight he played flugel on Harrell’s composition Moon Alley.
A
refreshingly different CD, a pleasant change to hear a male singer, with a
light toned voice and every word of the lyrics clear (modern pop singers please
note!). A different selection of songs, versions of musical theatre numbers
from shows such as Cabaret; Fiddler on the Roof; Oklahoma.
Add to the mix such fine musicians as Larry Koonse on guitar, who pops up on these review albums so often that I think I know him personally! Then we have a lovely melancholy harmonica solo from Ross Garen on Far From the Home I Love and cool Latin percussion from Leo Costa on Soon It's Gonna Rain. And not forgetting the rest of the band, all performing well.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
Al Wood opened up with Irving Berlin’s composition Cheek to Cheek. It made me think of a time, many years ago, when I lent a friend an LP Phil Woods live at the Showboat and never got it back. There was a fantastic version of this tune by Phil Woods and for some reason that album is very hard to find. The second number was one that you do not hear very often; Hank Mobley’s Funk In A Deep Freeze. This is a tune Chet Baker liked to play and there is also a great version on John Zorn’s album News For Lulu.
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| (© S. Herrick) |
The last time this band played at the Globe they were known as the East Coast Quintet which seemed to be quite a cool name. However, that was then (November 2021) and this is now and, as threatened back then, these days they strut their stuff as Panharmonia.
With the change of name came, to my ears, a gutsier, more fiery sound. Everyone was microphonically enhanced including the drums which in a small room like the Globe bar meant that the opening What is This Thing Called Love? sounded louder than the rock band who were playing in the performance space at the Centre For Life a few blocks away. Presumably the amplification was linked to the settings for the livestream.
Jazz Time Sundays
6.30 - 8.00p.m. (repeat Tuesdays 8.00-9.30 p.m.)
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen/
Playlist 22.05.22
(14.05.22)
Congratulations to Abbie and Harry: Strictly Smokin’ Big Band w Alice Grace.
Requests: Oscar
Peterson/Lester Young.
Tees Valley Jazzmen.
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A stunning one hour set by a trio that gelled as if they'd spent a lifetime playing together which was far from the truth. Their paths had all intertwined over the years but, until this afternoon, never as a tight unit with all three working as one.
I first heard Andrea at Scarborough in 2010 at that year's jazz festival. She referred to that gig today although she didn't mention me - how remiss! - however, she did mention a Croatian guitarist called Elvis.
Lots of major players including the northeast's ABBIE FINN TRIO who are planning to motor west getting their kicks on the A66.
I counted about 50 gigs and many are free (+ booking fee which seems to be somewhat contradictory!) So, if you're at a loose end over the next ten days, Manchester (or manchester) is the place to be - Lance
Trumpeter Raynald Colom immediately captivates with the hauntingly beautiful dream-like opening notes of his new live recording, A Million Dreams. Colom demands the listener’s attention throughout the cohesive eight-track outing, alongside pianist Tony Tixier, Joe Sanderson double bass and Francesco Ciniglioon drums. French-born and Barcelona-based, Colom is a seasoned musician inspired by many genres and artforms, but with firm roots in flamenco.
Over the years (2007 - 2012) I made many friends (Hi Annie, hello Will and Liz Smith) and was amazed at Alan Barnes' versatility. Alto, tenor, baritone or clarinet it didn't seem to matter - he just slotted into the action.
A few of those moments:
You may be aware that Nigel
Price has been in a debate with the Government, lobbying to get money for grass
roots jazz clubs (particularly clubs that don't own their venues). He's been
unsuccessful in getting the Government to listen. He's launched a fundraiser -
seeking to get £1 million to distribute directly to the grassroots clubs that
form 95% of the UK jazz scene.
pritchard)
Most of the tunes played will be familiar to jazz fans and if you like to hear guitars then you will be well satisfied with what this group has to offer. Tonight the numbers were mainly taken from the Great American Songbook and were familiar items to those of us who have heard Trefor’s band during their frequent appearances at this venue.
(© Jeff Pritchard)
Liam Byrne has a major role in Trefor’s quartet and tonight he played mostly tenor sax although he brought his curved soprano into play on East of the Sun and his solo made me want to hear more from Liam on the smaller horn.
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| (© Ken Drew) |
A room refreshingly packed with the unusual suspects (I only recognised 3 people out of around a crowd 50) greeted My Iris last Sunday at the The Globe.
The band, led by Trish Clowes on tenor saxophone, who also composed all but one of the tunes performed on the night, showcased their latest album A View With a Room and it was indeed this rather groovy number which kicked the evening off.
The entire session was a joy - something for everyone - plenty of melody and harmony for those that way inclined but also bags of improvisation. Each individual musician was marvellous and hearing a proper Hammond organ instead of having to listen to the fake manufactured sound produced by the latest electronic whizz bang keyboard was worth it’s weight in quavers.
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| (© Roly Veitch) |
Did I tell you I met John
Scofield once, at the bar in what is now the Northern Playhouse after a gig at
a Newcastle Jazz Festival, probably in the early nineties? My mate Ian pointed
out, after we had both shaken hands with Scofield, that that hand had probably
shaken hands with Miles Davis. Thus, was our tenuous link to jazz history
established.
I didn’t realise how many
John Scofield albums I had until I started rummaging. As well as a couple of
his own in my collection I also have him on albums with Joe Lovano, Dave
Holland and Al Foster (as ScoLoHoFo), Marc Johnson, The Allman Brothers Band,
Pat Metheny, Medeski, Martin and Wood and a very good tribute to Tony Williams
Lifetime with Larry Goldings and Jack DeJohnette. Of course his profile was
raised enormously by being part of Miles Davis’ group in the mid-80s, though he
had been recording prolifically for over 10 years before that. Safe to say he
gets around. So much so that the last place I saw his albums up for sale was
the Drift Café on Druridge Bay
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
The opening tune was an unusual choice for a quartet being the Neil Hefti composition Flight of the Foo Birds which was featured on The Atomic Mr Basie, an iconic recording which was a best seller for the Count Basie Big Band. I think it worked well in a small group setting and I was immediately impressed by the powerful sound on bass of Tom Collins whom I've not come across before. Once again the house piano was being used and who better to find on this gig than Richard Wetherall who is always interesting to listen to. Add to the mix Phil Bennett on drums and the scene is set for a great night of modern jazz.
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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
Watching a football game on tv earlier today I was reminded of when, back in the day, I'd see the Ted Heath Orchestra at Newcastle City Hall. The lovely Lita Rosa, the dynamic Denis Lotus and the debonaire Dickie Valentine on vocals. Don Lusher, Eddie Blair, Bobby Pratt and Bert Ezard among the brass men, Roy Willox on alto and all driven along by Ronnie Verrell on drums and Johnny Hawksworth on bass.
Ah yes, Johnny Hawksworth ... a fine bassist who topped the MM Polls for several years. He was also a very funny man. I recall when, during the course of his bass solo, he stopped and said, "and now, my impression of a test pilot going into a dive" whereupon he rapped three times on the bass and said, "Joe sent me".
So what's this got to do with football? The word dive might be a clue - Lance
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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
Playlist 15.05.22 (17.05.22)Jeff Barnhart requests: Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman.
John Hallam request: Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan.
Requests: Django Reinhardt, Grover Washington Jr, Tees Valley Jazzmen, Sidney Bechet.
What’s on in the North East: Andrea Vicari, Abbie Finn, Jools Holland.
Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, Mingus Big Band.
Daryl's career dated back to the last Artie Shaw Band whereas Cécile was the new kid on the block but already shooting high.
I'd first heard Daryl over a weekend in 2010 at the Saville (now the Exchange) in North Shields and the following night at Trinity Church, Gosforth. Digby Fairweather played trumpet on both sessions. I was captivated by her voice and her piano playing. There was just a touch of Blossom Dearie in there. Over the years we've had occasional contact online where she often displays her fascination with my name e.g. 'Lance - thanks a - lot' - priceless!
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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
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| (© Malcolm Sinclair) |
However, at a megalithic festival like North Sea where, on any one day, there are a multitude of concerts simultaneously taking place one invariably finds oneself flitting from place to place (and having a brew in each). Combined with the passage of time the memory often dims...
We love Jo - she's a singer who's at the top of her game with, maybe goodness knows what else she still has in store for us.
Last night's show at Hoochie was proof of her versatility as the somewhat less than capacity crowd discovered to their audible delight. The majority of the numbers were from her most recent album, The Heart Wants and were, with a couple of exceptions such as Duke's All Too Soon, mainly lyrics by Harrop, music by Edis.
I was fortunate in hearing him, along with his brother Len on drums as part of Bob Barnard's Australian Jazz Band back in 1983 at Drybroughs Edinburgh International Jazz Festival and, a couple of days later, when several of the bands took part in Drybroughs Dixieland Jazz Jamboree in and around several Newcastle pubs including the City Vaults, Cooperage, Sloans, Red House and the Bridge among others.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
Although a few of the regular jazz fans were absent tonight there was a good turnout for a Tuesday to see Huddersfield based saxophonist Rod Mason, a very experienced musician who has a high energy playing style on both alto and tenor saxes. He is also impressive on baritone sax but he left the larger horn behind on this occasion.When listening to Rod he sometimes makes me think of saxman Robin Kenyatta who nobody mentions these days. I used to have on LP Gypsy Man and Terra Nova both on the Atlantic label and well worth seeking out.
I must apologise for the delay in posting some of your loving comments re Terry. This was due to them being flashed up as unknown and subsequently spammed. Please, when commenting, type your name in the box where it says "Name" rather than at the end of your comment. Thank you, and, like all of you, I too will remember Terry with affection - Lance
