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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17904 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 225 of them this year alone and, so far, 72 this month (March 24).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Hannabiell & Midnight Blue @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 27: Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Superb blues duo.

Fri 28: Giles Strong Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00 SOLD OUT!.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Old Cinema Laundrette, Durham. 7:45pm.
Fri 28: Sue Ferris Quintet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £10.00. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 28: Mostly Moonlight @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Fri 28: Juliana Day & Manon McCoy @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00.; £10.00. advance. JNE.

Sat 29: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 29: Doris Day Story @ Phoenix Theatre, Blyth. 7:30pm.
Sat 29: Squabble! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 30: Jan Spencelayh & Dave Archbold @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 30: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 30: Jamil Sheriff Trio w. Nadim Teimoori @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

APRIL 2025

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

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

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Album review: Louis Dowdeswell Big Band - High Score

Louis Dowdeswell is a phenomenon. Playing high Cs and above is one thing, sustaining a succession of ear-splitting notes with laser-like accuracy is altogether something else. The trumpet ace has several things in his favour - youth (he's still in his twenties), the lung power afforded to youth, and that short supply commodity called 'talent'. High Score brings together an array of top drawer musicians (Pete Long and Wayne Bergeron are on board), the arranging skills of Callum Au, and a clear focus on, for want of a better term, the 'project'.

Ten tracks, fifty plus minutes, bravura blowing - Dowdeswell, the trumpet section (Ryan Quigley!) and the entire band, this pre-pandemic album opens with Sing, Sing, Sing! (a drum feature for Ed Richardson, naturally), Nadim Teimoori blows tenor on Bridge Over Troubled Water and from there on in it's pretty much film music and show tunes. The selections span the decades - When You Wish Upon a Star to Game of Thrones - and they're all given the same treatment, ie superb ensemble work and stonking solos. 

If Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and Gordon Goodwin feature in your CD collection, the Louis Dowdeswell Big Band's self-released High Score should be well worth checking out HERE. Russell           

Louis Dowdeswell Big Band: Louis Dowdeswell, Ryan Quigley, Tom Walsh, Andy Greenwood, James Copus, Tom Rees-Roberts, James Davison (trumpets); Callum Au, Tom Dunnett, Maddie Dowdeswell, Andy Wood, Simon Minshall, Robbie Harvey (trombones); Simon Marsh, Sammy Mayne, Martin Williams, Graeme Blevins, Dave Bishop, Jay Craig (reeds); Dan Beer, Mike Kidd, Alex Hamilton, Mark Wood, Laetitia Stott, John Davy, Dewi Jones (French horns); Tommy Emmerton (guitar); Chris Eldred (keyboards, synth); Rob Barron (keyboards); Laurence Ungless (bass); Ed Richardson, Dave Elliott (drums); James Turner, James Larter, Max Mills (percussion) + Pete Long (clarinet on Sing, Sing, Sing!); Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax on Bridge Over Troubled Water); Wayne Bergeron (trumpet on When You Wish Upon a Star & The Incredibles Suite); Gareth Lockrane (flute on Game of Thrones)

Track listing: Sing, Sing, Sing!; Bridge Over Troubled Water; Zero to Hero; When You Wish Upon a Star; Let it Go; Game of Thrones; Go the Distance; Circle of Life; Gonna Fly Now; The Incredibles Suite.    

 

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