A top soul band, a hip venue and Coors at £3 a pint - get there early to get a seat was the uppermost thought in my mind. For some unfathomable reason it wasn't the uppermost thought in many other people's mind - their loss and a more tangible one for Warren!
“LIGHTS OUT BY NINE are a perfect mixture of soul, funk and rhythm & blues, backed up by Hammond, Horns and Harmonies, and combined with a tight rhythm section to deliver a mixture of strong original material, along with a selection of classic tracks and gems from some of their favourite writers, including artists they have worked with, AWB, Hamish Stuart and Paul Carrack. Expect the sound of Southern Soul, and the STAX and Muscle Shoals stables!
An album from yet another very good jazz songstress who is accompanied by instrumentalists who are well on the money. This poses the reviewer, with the problem of what to say that is original. I must do it otherwise the Editor-In-Chief will sack me! Help!
I notice Lady Blackbird getting a lot of love in the new edition of Jazzwise (the one with Charles Lloyd on the cover) as she’s on at the Love Supreme festival at glistening Glyne in Sussex, so I thought I’d dig out this album and give it another listen. Actually, it didn’t take much digging as it’s lived in a pile next to the CD player since I bought it last year.
It may seem unfair to dismiss some of Ellington's finest work played by sixteen of the UK's top jazz musicians with those three words but, so be it.
The difficulty for me was the attempt to integrate the music with the various ecclesiastical, often quite lengthy, portions of the concert/service.
The fact that the congregation, that filled the caverness and architecturally beautiful building, appeared to comprise of jazz people, regular churchgoers, tourists and curious freeloaders meant that what appealed to one didn't necessarily appeal to the other with the exception of Junior Laniyan whose hoofing pressed everyone's buttons.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
Right on time at precisely 9 pm in walked Mike Hope and, without further ado, launched into Charlie Parker's Cool Blues. Those of you who, like myself, started listening to jazz on 78 rpm records will no doubt remember that Parker made a big impact when he recorded that number on the US Dial label, which was issued here in the UK on the Vogue label. Ross Russell who founded Dial records in 1946 had a big seller with Cool Blues and including the great Erroll Garner as pianist on this disc was an inspired move.
To quote from the blurb: a heatmap is a way to show where the action is happening.
Well, there is certainly plenty action happening on this, the third album by fiery alto saxist Curtis. He's blistering, he's paintstripping and, when the music demands it, he's also tender and introspective. However, when the chips are down he goes for the jugular. Not a man to meet at a jam session in a dark alley or at a Wednesday night prayer meeting unless, like Curtis, you have Evans, Revis and Cleaver in your corner.
Heart Of Mine 
is the new album from the unique and versatile composer and
pianist Ross Lorraine. Heart Of Mine is produced by jazz
figurehead Claire Martin and features the vocal talents of Liane Carroll,
Gwyneth Herbert, Ian Shaw, Luca Manning, Sara Colman and Claire Martin
herself: a cast of guest singers who represent the very best vocal jazz talent
in the UK and internationally.
Each protagonist lends their own incomparable style to the project, creating a captivating showcase and a diverse and entertaining realisation of Lorraine’s original compositions. Moreover, the dexterous and imaginative talents of Rob Barron on piano, Mike Walker on guitar, Laurence Cottle on bass and Elliott Henshaw on drums further fortifies the project, making the sum of all parts a tour de force of musical brilliance.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
In his opening announcement to the Railway audience Richard mentioned that he had recently been playing in Liverpool as part of the Frank Griffith Nonet and that he had had the use of an instrument costing £60,000. I don’t know how much the upright piano here at the Railway cost but Richard seemed very happy with it, and he certainly got a great sound out of it as he always does. The bass and drums duties were in the very capable hands of Ed Harrison and Eryl Roberts who are frequent visitors to this venue.
What can I say about Diana? This self-confessed 78 years old icon was supreme! With a hot horn section, a rhythm section to die for and a backing group augmented by several thousand fans who knew all the words of her hits she scored big time - even the security guards at the front of the stage were doing choreography!
Just been reading about a new sooper-dooper saxophone ligature which retails at $425 (they also do a budget version which is a snip at $225). My jaw dropped when I realised that the price didn't include the saxophone, a mouthpiece and a reed but was just for the bit that clips the reed to the mouthpiece!
Reminds me of when I bought an upmarket lig - albeit not in the above price range.
I tried it out and, would you believe it? I sounded like Earl Bostic! Only problem was I was trying to sound like Johnny Hodges!
Did Bird ever worry about ligatures? I doubt it - at least not from a sax mouthpiece point of view.
Thoughts on ligs, reeds, mouthpieces etc. please - Lance
Playlist 26/06/22 (Repeated 28.06.22)
Request from Opus 4: Oscar Peterson Trio, Miles Davis Sonny Rollins
Zoe Gilbert/ Andy Champion pick their tracks and talk Jazz.
Charles Mingus, Masada Piram, Sheila Jordan, Rebecca Paris, Carmen McRae, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald.
What’s on in the NE : Hot Fingers.
Request: Chet Baker.
New Release: Runar Norsett.
Glastonbury doesn't often feature on BSH however, tonight on BBC 4 from 8:00pm-9:00pm there's a one hour programme split between Herbie Hancock and Kacey Musgraves - country and western artist.
Prior to that on BBC 1 at 6:45pm Diana Ross struts her stuff. Lance
Today, however, down at my local boozer - The Albion Gin and Ale House, in Jarrow - no less a person than the former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn was holding court.
Cat Anderson, Cootie Williams, Mercer Ellington (trumpets); Lawrence Brown?? (trombones); Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope (alto sax); Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby (tenor sax); Harry Carney (baritone sax); Duke Ellington (piano); Wild Bill Davis (organ); Rufus Jones (drums), Baby Lawrence (tap dancing). Rec. Nov. 8, 1969.
The personnel in the booklet is incomplete. Based on my recollections of seeing both houses of Ellington's 70th Birthday Concert on Nov. 27, 1969 at Newcastle City Hall I think I can safely add Chuck Connors (trombone), Norris Turney (alto sax), Victor Gaskin (bass) and possibly, Rolf Ericsson (trumpet). The notes are in French, German and English and, because of the lack of visual contrast between text and background are almost indecipherable - will they never learn?
An interesting duo set by two fine musicians working in a format we don't usually associate with them. It is, in many ways, as much an extemporised classical performance as an improvised jazz one - if there is a difference!
The interplay between guitar and piano brings to mind John Lewis and Milt Jackson with MJQ and, to my mind, exudes more warmth. They seem to have an intuitive sense of direction as to who's going where and as to what will and will not work.
It may be well rehearsed but, if it is, they have managed to retain a feeling of spontaneity.
Trefor Owen, Andy Hulme (guitars)
(© Jeff Pritchard)
I was expecting Trefor to be fronting his usual line-up of two guitars, bass and tenor sax but tonight there was only two guitarists on the bandstand. Not sure why this occurred but it meant that we heard a grand total of fifteen tunes. We got to hear a varied selection of numbers ranging from show tunes, Wes Montgomery compositions and some well known standards.
This is a strange one. I noticed it on its release in 2019 and added it to my ‘git list’ of albums to look out for. Then it disappeared and turned up again online at a silly price on the big river. Then, on my last visit to that big fancy London a couple of months back, it was up for £12 in Ray’s Jazz in Foyles. A quick flash of plastic and it was in the bag. Then I was prompted by an e-mail from them at Sage Gateshead to flash the plastic again and book for Toussaint’s visit there on November 26 so I thought I’d give it another whirl and pass on my thoughts.
A very good album from someone I hadn’t heard of
before. It has a full, rich, panoramic sound that lets every voice in the group
be heard clearly. The inclusion of Krishna Kapoor, on some tracks, both adds a
new dimension and takes the group in a south Indian direction.
The opener, Crocodile and the Plover Bird starts with some solid, thunking acoustic bass before some lovely interplay between all the band. Lovely bluesy phrasing and a soaring sax solo by Molley is backed by dancing percussion and Tom Gibbs excelling with fluid runs on the piano. How this all fits with crocodiles and plover birds I’m not sure. (The plover is the avian toothpick that sorts out the debris that remains in the crocodile’s mouth after lunch.)
The Exchange Theatre, North Shields has an exciting Blues, Jazz and Swing Festival coming up starting on July 1.
A weekend of performance, conversation and events celebrating the influence of jazz across the region.
With music to suit all tastes and events for curious jazz-novices or aficionados alike, this is a chance to dance, learn or just sit back in the café and enjoy the vibes.
Well remembered by myself from concerts and recordings by the Stan Kenton Orchestra.
One particular concert that stands out was in 1963 at Newcastle City Hall. This was the band that had a section of mellophoniums - an instrument produced by Conn specifically for the Kenton outfit. Baltazar played lead alto and contributed some fiery solos in the manner of his predecessor Lennie Niehaus. The band included Steve Marcus on tenor, Jiggs Whigham on trombone and Dee Barton on drums.
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| (© R. Veitch) |
Three years ago I enthused over BCH's debut album - Can't Get Out of This Mood. I loved it and, erroneously, assumed that that was it. In my defence, I based my assumption on the fact that she was 83 years old at the time. Most singers, by the time they reach such venerable status are either retired or well over the hill.
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| (© Jeff Pritchard) |
Things got underway tonight with a medium tempo version of Thelonious Monk’s blues, Blue Monk and although Dean was playing his Nord keyboard he got the sound just about as near to a good piano sound as it’s possible to get. With a first rate rhythm team of Gavin Barras and Gaz Hughes on board the scene was set for some excellent modern jazz and that is what this trio produced.
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| (© Sheila Herrick) |
Ann Alex wrote a lovely review for BSH of Louise Dodds' current album The Story Needs an Ending so much so that I knew I had to hear Louise and the band doing it live when they stopped off at the Globe on their promotional tour of the album.
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| (© Sheila Herrick) |
Request: Tony Bennett/ Diana Krall, Bobby Timmons Trio.
Fathers’ Day: Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra, Horace Silver, Brad Mehldau, Cannonball Adderley, Eartha Kitt, Earl Hines, Glenn Miller.
What’s on in the NE. Stu Collingwood, Abbie Finn.
Fathers’ Day Request: Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges.
Looking forward to the 26th: Zoe Gilby & Andy Champion.
Remembering the FATHER of the Blues W.C. Handy - Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi.
John Coltrane.
As well as contending with whatever the weather gods decide at this open air event, the small matter of a national rail strike is making logistics interesting! To coincide with the gig they are releasing a studio recording of a new song on Wednesday: 500 Fils (sic: named after a politically symbolic Bahraini coin, rather than King's drumming!) See HERE.
Alison Rayner (bass/bass guitar); Diane McLoughlin (tenor/sop sax); Deirdre Cartwright (guitar); Steve Lodder (piano); Buster Birch (drums).
The competition at Sage Gateshead was fierce. In Sage One Opera North were unleashing five hours of Wagner's Parsifal "a story of suffering, compassion, and, ultimately, redemption, centred on the community of knights who guard the Holy Grail" - not your typical Saturday night out in Gateshead.
True, the Wagnerians pulled in more punters than ARQ did in Sage Two but, percentage-wise, I'd gamble that fewer people, if any, fell asleep in the smaller Hall - Wagner does tend to go on a bit.
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| (© Ken Drew) |
Having heard the band at the Globe on both sides of the pandemic - most recently in October 2021 - I can only concur with the above. This a band that has appeal for jazz enthusiasts of all persuasions and well worth hearing whether for the first or the umpteenth time. 8:00pm start. Lance
A much loved and highly respected figure on the UK jazz scene, Scottish jazz vocalist Louise Dodds released her first album in 9 years in March this year. The album, ‘The Story Needs an Ending’, was also Louise’s first fully original album. Since its launch at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Louise and her quartet have taken the album on a tour of the UK, and are delighted to be making their debut at The Globe. The album features 10 original tracks, rooted in jazz but also with the art of song writing at their core. They are all written about Louise’s own life experiences, touching on subjects such as grief, female intuition, emancipation and learning to trust life again, and are both moving and uplifting. TICKETS.
Click on the link below to listen - Lance
A live 1976 recording from a couple of sessions at the Quebec Hotel, Cardiff. Complete with crowd noises, it brings back memories of so many sessions, in so many venues, in so many places. Places where the punters could drink, maybe dance, singalong and chat without being given dirty looks whilst still appreciating the music.
The pub was demolished in 2012 and had it not been for this treasured archival gem from Chris Hodgkins may well have now been long forgotten.
Thank goodness it hasn't!
