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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.

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. CANCELLED! 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.

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ 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: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED!

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

Friday, August 05, 2022

Album (vinyl) review: Blue Mitchell - Blue Mitchell

Blue Mitchell (trumpet); Jimmy Forrest (tenor sax); Walter Bishop Jr. (piano); Larry Gales (bass); Doug Sides (drums).

There are rare moments in life that one treasures. The evening when a certain person smiles at you from across a crowded room or you go into a pub and they have your favourite ale on draught or, you see the mailman heading for your front door carrying a slim 12" x 12" package.

You open the door ahead of him in case he tries to squeeze it through the letterbox, thank him profusely and then break your fingernails as you feverishly struggle to open it.

Those three scenarios don't always live up to expectations. That certain person may have actually been smiling at someone else, your favorite ale may have just gone off and the 12" x 12" package may have been an Elvis LP for the aging rockabilly living down the street. 

Fortunately, on this occasion, Elvis lost out and the 12" x 12" package contained two superbly presented 180 gram vinyl records of which this is one (more on the other disc soon).

For some obscure (and inexplicable) reason I haven't listened to as much Blue Mitchell as I should have done. After several playings of this reissue (originally issued on the Mainstream label as either Blue Mitchell or Soul Junction in 1971) my aim in life is now to hear as much of his recorded work as I can lay my sweaty paws on. 

His sound, like that of Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown, was as big as a 1960s' Lincoln Continental - most other modern trumpet players of the time were Citroën 2CVs by comparison! A Continental but with a Ferrari turn of speed. 

Equally big sounding is Jimmy Forrest on tenor. If you heard Forrest with Al Grey at the Corner House all those years ago you'll know what I'm talking about. If you didn't then you have a treat in store! 

Walter Bishop Jr. on piano provides solos that offer a contrast to the horns. A player who was always in demand by the top men, he shows his true worth here. Listening again - is that a Fender Rhodes he's playing?

Larry Gales and Doug Sides drive things along funkily making this an album that won't be gathering dust for the foreseeable future.

Apart from the music, the recording quality is superb, I would like to have been able to compare it with the original release which, incidentally, was produced by the legendary Bobby Shad, but, if I had been able to, my guess is that this New Land recording would win hands down. Sleeve notes are by Leonard Feather and there is also some inside info on the band from Sides, the drummer on the session - Lance

Release date August 26.

Soul Vintage; Blues For Thelma; Queen Bey; Are You Real?; Mi Hermano.

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