Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Trevor Mires: ''My mum is a Dean Martin fan: I'm not, so I would grab my skateboard and get out of the house whenever I heard "Everybody Loves Somebody, Sometime." ". (Jazzwise, April 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

17957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 278 of them this year alone and, so far, 34 this month (April 14).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 22: Abbie Finn Trio @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 24: Mary Coughlan @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £33.80. Blues, jazz etc.
Thu 24: Darlington Big Band @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.

Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Duo performance.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums).
Fri 25: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 25: Red Kites Jazz @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton Mill. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Fri 25: Struggle Buggy @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 25: Paul Skerritt Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £20.30., £18.00. All-star big band.
Fri 25: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Russ Morgan (drums). An Opus 4 Jazz Club event.

Sat 26: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 26: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis @ Elvet Methodist Church, Durham. 7:30pm. Tickets: £12.00. + bf. Duo performance.
Sat 26: Neil Cowley Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.50.
Sat 26: Pete Tanton & the Cuban Heels @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 27: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: Andrea Vicari Trio @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. Vicari (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 27: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Paul Susans, Russ Morgan.
Sun 27: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 27: JustKing Jones @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.50. JustKing Jones (alto sax, soprano sax); Jordan Williams (piano); Jason Clotter (bass); Malcolm Charles (drums). Ace NYC outfit!
Sun 27: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 27: Swing Manouche @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00. Tickets from 01665 711388.
Sun 27: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Xenopoulos, Edis, Ken Marley, Russ Morgan.

Mon 28: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 29: ???

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

Thursday, May 05, 2022

Album Review: Ester Wiesnerova – Blue Journal

Ester Wiesnerova (vocals); Sam Knight (sax); Charles Overton (harp); Kan Yanabe (percussion); Michal Selep (bass)

The first impression you get about this album is its beautiful packaging: a cardboard box containing a blue felt-covered notebook, which shows the song lyrics, photographs of scenes and personnel, and many blank pages for your own notes. I suppose you could write replies to the songs!

The next surprise is that this is the debut album of a Slovakian singer, and, with the exception of the Bratislava Hot Serenaders, Slovakia isn't a country noted for jazz, but rather for classical and folk music. If this CD is an example of Slovakian jazz then we have much to look forward to.

Ms Wiesnerova knew jazz from listening to her mother's records, and went on to study at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory. She taught and performed at festivals and clubs worldwide, before returning home when the pandemic struck. The lockdown gave Ms Wiesnerova a chance to think about her experiences and her own identity, after having immersed herself in American culture and the English language.

Our singer has a pleasing soprano-toned voice, with good phrasing and clear diction. These self-penned songs concern issues of identity and current problems. Influences of Maria Schneider and Luciana Souza are mentioned but I noticed mainly traces of Joni Mitchell, both in the vocal quality and the wide leaps of pitch.

The musicians, British, American, Japanese and Slovakian, are well skilled and do long solos also, instruments not listed appear in some songs, such as the wooden flute on Nightingales And Maple Trees, to portray nature. The harp is effective instead of the more usual piano. Notable songs include Burrito, about a skilled burrito chef, introduced by newscast voices concerning Trump's Mexican wall, singing to a Latin rhythm with clapping. The music for this track was improvised, based on the lyrics.

Thirsty is about someone thirsting for real communication which isn't supplied by social media. Citlivli (Sensitive) is the words of a  Slovakian poet, played with a sensitive deep sax, sung in Slovakian. I'm Not Spinning If It Rains has vocal gymnastics which suits the title and the album is rounded off well with Epilogue, layers of wordless singing by multiple voices, the instruments playing at full pelt.

Fancy a trip to Bratislava? That is where you must go for the album release party which is on May 20.  After that the album will be available everywhere. See www.esterwiesnerova.com

Sinking Deep; Circles; Burrito; Thirsty; Feet Are Screaming; Nightingales And Maple Trees; Who Are You Now; Citlivli; Dripping; I'm Not Spinning If It Rains; Epilogue

Ann Alex

No comments :

Blog Archive