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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.

Wed 16: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 16: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 16: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

Thu 17: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Only Six Standards.
Thu 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Fri 18: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 18: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 18: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

Fri 18: Alexia Gardner @ Fika Gallery, Oldgate, Morpeth NE61 1LT. 7:00pm. Trio (Gardner, Alan Law, Jude Murphy).RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13

Fri 18: Sarah Jane Morris & Tony Remy: The Sisterhood @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £25.00.

Sat 19: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-3:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 19: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 19: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 20: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 20: Salty Dog @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 20: Spilt Milk @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ The Barrels Ale House, Berwick-upon-Tweed. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 21: Newcastle Record Fair @ Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. 10:00am. Going in search of the Buddy Bolden cylinder…
Mon 21: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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

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, June 23, 2022

Album review: Duke Ellington Live at the Berlin Jazz Festival 1969-1973 - The Lost Recordings

Duke Ellington (piano); Joe Benjamin (bass); Quinten 'Rocky' White Jr. (drums); Harold 'Money' Johnson (trumpet); Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax); Harry Carney (baritone sax/clarinet). Rec. Nov. 2, 1973. 

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?

However, it's the music that counts so, unlike the producers, I'll treat the album chronologically and start with the full orchestra on track 7.

La Plus Belle Africaine; El Gato; I Can't Get Started; Caravan; Mood Indigo; Satin Doll; Meditation. 

Wild Bill Davis plays Hammond on Satin Doll, and Cat Anderson takes it out way up high. He does likewise on his party piece El Gato. Nice trumpet feature on I Can't Get Started by (Mercer, Rolf, Cootie?). Caravan, Mood Indigo and Meditation follow. The latter piece is from an Ellington Sacred Concert which prompts me to mention that if you happen to be in York next Wednesday (June 29) then pop into The Minster to hear the Clark Tracey Orchestra playing Ellington's Sacred Concert starting at 5:30pm.

Meanwhile, back at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1973, Duke appears with a sextet opening with a delightful piano feature - Piano Improvisation No 1. Pitter, Patter, Panther has Joe Benjamin paying tribute to the first great bassist Jimmy Blanton. Money Johnson solos on Take the A Train, Carney steps up for a luscious version of Sophisticated Lady, and Baby Lawrence takes us out with some tap dancing expertly accompanied by piano and bass.

I'm not going to pretend that this is indispensable Ellington. There is so much great Ellington available - most of which is better packaged - that only the completist will crawl over burning sand for it. Nevertheless, it's well worth checking out - Lance

Available July 1 via usual suspects.

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