Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 2026)

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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

From This Moment On

April

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer. SOLD OUT!
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

May

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Sat 02: Midnite Follies Orchestra @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £20.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. All-star line-up.
Sat 02: Knats Masterclass & Jam II @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00-3:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 02: Shannon Pearl + John Pope & John Garner @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Witch-pop’ + Pope & Garner.
Sat 02: Knats + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 03: Chilcott Jazz Mass @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 9:30am. Free. Sung communion with Parish Choir (featuring Bob Chilcott’s music). A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 03: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Mark Toomey (alto sax).
Sun 03: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: Tom Waits for No Man @ Oxygenic, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm (2:30pm doors). Neckties and Boxing Gloves album launch. £14.00 (gig & a CD); £8.00 (gig only).
Sun 03: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 03: John Pope & John Garner @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.

Monday, June 27, 2022

Album review (Various artists); Heart of Mine - The Songs of Ross Lorraine

(Press release)

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.

Having mastered his craft under the supervision of the internationally revered composer Sir Harrison Birtwistle (working as both his assistant and later as his editor at Universal Edition), Ross Lorraine has become a widely respected composer, arranger and pianist in his own right, lending his unique expertise to a vast spectrum of projects across the music industry. These range from a series of  compositions that were broadcast on BBC Radio 3, to virtuoso solo pieces written for some of the UK’s top performers of contemporary music, that have been presented at events and festivals throughout the world.

 

As a keyboard player, Ross Lorraine has performed at The London Jazz Festival, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and at London venues such as Pizza Express Soho, The Pheasantry, The Bulls Head and The Green Note to name just a few notable venues. In addition to his extensive work in jazz, Ross Lorraine has composed Tangos that have been broadcast by the BBC World Service and soundtracks to accompany the work of leading playwrights, and he has promoted concerts focusing on important contemporary composers.

 

Ross Lorraine adopts a thoroughly non-restrictive approach to his work, actively encouraging a collaborative approach with those who perform his music. He has already recorded singles with such well-known singers as Sarah Moule and Emilia Martensson. Now with Heart Of Mine, Lorraine will showcase his inimitable talent in what is both his most ambitious and accomplished work to date.

 

Quotes:

 

Ross's songs are so organically structured for the voices he writes for. Claire's seamless production makes it a total joy to sing and get involved. Wonderful to be part of this fabulous project
Liane Carroll

 

It has been an absolute joy to work with Ross Lorraine and all the incredible singers on this project.  Each of Ross's songs has a distinct personality, and these brilliant vocalists really do them justice and make them their own.  Soup to Nuts Productions was recently set up by myself and Chris Traves, and this project has really been a dream come true for us, as it combines the very best UK musicians alongside these unique and original songs. A joy from beginning to end!
Claire Martin OBE

 

Ross reached out to me with a song that he thought I might like to sing…‘We Will Sing Again’ struck a chord with me almost instantly. It beautifully captures the solitude we were all experiencing, the yearning to be together again. I was inspired by the folky melancholy in Ross’s great storytelling ability, and was very happy to record it as part of this project. – Luca Manning

 

Sweetly meandering melodies, timeless lyrics tinged with nostalgia... Ross Lorraine's songs are a joy to sing! – Gwyneth Herbert

 

Such a thrill to sing such well-crafted songs. Whether the generic pop-structure format or a denser, more character-driven narrative, Ross Lorraine’s writing is a joy. – Ian Shaw

 

Ross has such a distinctive voice as a narrator, he writes with a perfect balance of the personal and the universal. Sara Colman

 

Track Listing: 

The Waiting Game (Liane Carroll)
They’re Playing Our Song (Gwyneth Herbert)
Like Love (Luca Manning)
Body Language (Claire Martin)
Pull You Back (Sara Colman)
Heart Of Mine  (Liane Carroll)
The Name of the Game (Claire Martin)
I’m By Your Side (Ian Shaw & Claire Martin)
We Will Sing Again (Luca Manning)
A Silent Cry (Ian Shaw)
All Our Days (Sara Colman)
Play On (Gwyneth Herbert)    

Claire Martin, Gwyneth Herbert, Sara Colman (backing vocals); Rob Barron (piano/Rhodes piano); Mike Walker (guitars); Laurence Cottle (electric bass); Elliott Henshaw (drums).


Available CD/Bandcamp.

 

Recorded At Kenilworth Production Studios

 

Engineered, Mixed and Mastered By Chris Traves for Soup To Nuts Productions

 

All Music and Lyrics By Ross Lorraine

 

Co-produced By Claire Martin OBE, Ross Lorraine and Chris Traves              

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