Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ 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: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
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: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 26: Adam Fairhall & Johnny Hunter: Play Mary Lou Williams @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Sat 26: John Pope Quintet + Urvashi @ The Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £15.40. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.

Thursday, August 25, 2022

Album review: Billy Drummond & Freedom of Ideas - Valse Sinistre

Billy Drummond (drums); Dezron Douglas (bass); Micah Thomas (piano); Dayne Stephens (saxes).

Drummond's opening words on the album notes are both joyous and sad. "Thank you for purchasing and listening to this recording. In these times, when music is basically free of charge, it's nice to know that purchasing a musician's work is still important to you". The sadness comes on a day when many households are reported to be  facing poverty yet NUFC, courtesy of their Saudi paylords, are able to fork out close on sixty million squid for a foreign footballer and heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury demands five hundred million of the same to come out of retirement. The world has truly gone mad!

Still, nothing I can do to change things, as the man who passed by on the other side of the road said, other than to highly recommend this album - providing you like post-bop as it is in 2022.

Stephens blows tenor and soprano - driving on the former, lyrical on the latter (and occasionally vice versa). He doesn't unleash cascades of meaningless notes but, even on uptempo numbers the sense of direction is always there. Pianist Thomas also knows where he's going and Douglas has no problem going with him.

Drummond is, arguably, one of the most innovative drummers currently on the NYC scene - which means the world - although, as is their wont, the DB critics didn't see it in their 2022 poll! They will next year after they've heard this!

The material pays tribute to and draws from some of the great modern jazz masters of the not so distant past including Jackie McLean (Little Melonae), Carla Bley (Valse Sinistre), Grachan Moncur III (Frankenstein), Frank Kimbrough (Clara's Room), Stanley Cowell (Reconfirmed) and Tony Williams (Lawra). Drummond also provides Changes For Trane & Monk, Thomas chips in with Never Ends and there's a sumptuous version of the standard Laura which bears little resemblance to Williams' tune of the (almost) same name. Lance

Try/buy.

As a footnote I should like to thank singer Tessa Souter for turning me on (to the album) just as she did back in the day with her singing at the Cherry Tree backed by the Pete Gilligan Trio. 

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