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Bebop Spoken There

Steve Coleman: ''If you don't keep learning, your mind slows down. Use it or lose it''. (DownBeat, January 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

17719 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 39 of them this year alone and, so far, 39 this month (Jan. 15).

From This Moment On ...

January 2025

Fri 17: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 17: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 17: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 17: Joe Steels Trio w. Graham Hardy @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. £10.00. (inc. a welcome drink & table reservation). Book at: www.drinks@thepele.co.uk. A ‘Jazz at the Pele’ promotion.
Fri 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. Opus 4 Jazz Club.
Fri 17: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sat 18: Abbie Finn Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 18: Alter Ego + Jamie Toms/Graham Don Duo @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 18: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Repas 7 by Night, West St., Berwick TD15 1AS. 7:30pm. Free. Album launch gig.
Sat 18: Delta Prophets @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 19: Glenn Miller Orchestra UK @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 3:00pm. ‘Glenn Miller & the Rat Pack Era’.
Sun 19: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 19: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 5:15-7:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 19: Tenement Jazz Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 19: Nick Ross Orchestra @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:30pm.
Sun 19: Freight Train (Tobin/Noble/Clarvis) @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 20: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 21: ???

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Pasadena Roof Orchestra @ Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm.

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 review: Geoffrey Keezer & Friends – Playdate

Geoffrey Keezer (piano); Shedrick Mitchell (organ); Ron Blake (tenor/sop sax); Richie Goods (acoustic/electric bass); Kendrick Scott (drums) + Aayushi Karnik, Nir Felder (guitars); Munyungo Jackson (percussion); 19 piece orchestra on two tracks.

Well, I’m not sure this is allowed. This is an album of largely high energy jazz that sounds like it was made simply to be enjoyed. The blurb tells us that the name of the album is an homage to the idea of planning a playdate for a group of kids and that sense of fun pops up in several places across the album’s 43 minutes. There is a mix of styles and the music evokes all sorts of cinematic imagery; the music reaches back to golden era Blue Note but has a steady eye on challenges of the future as if to suggest the direction that this jazz thing might be going in.

Keezer’s name is not unknown within these walls as he has played on albums by some of my favourite artists, most notably Claire Martin and Tim Garland. His CV also includes sessions with Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Benny Golson and Christian McBride among others. This is his 23rd album under his own name and he gets an extra point for commissioning a cover that captures the fun of the album.

First track, Refuge, is an orchestrated piece that starts with the orchestra and a strong suggestion that it has been lifted from a film noir soundtrack. The fatal femme is in peril and bright street lights allow for sharp running shadows thrown onto stark white walls. But wait, what’s this? Rising from noir et blanc into technicolour comes something more modern. It’s a funky piece of post-bop with Keezer throwing shapes on the piano, long runs and left hand percussion before Ron Blake shows why he was invited onto the session. We’re ‘on a journey’ here until the modern slips back under the orchestral flourishes.

ILYBD is a fine piece of organ-led classic Blue Note, tho’ it is a Keezer composition. Mitchell, Goods and Scott provide the frame for Keezer and Blake to shine again,

Her Look, Her Touch is a lovely blues. Long, sentimental lines from Blake are under-pinned by tumbling notes from Keezer on piano and swirling organ from Mitchell, the tune’s composer. Like the opener, this is cinematic in that it conjures up images from a summertime romance, somewhere like the Amalfi Coast. (I’ve never been, they tell me it’s nice).

Tomorrow is a tune from the Brothers Johnson, best known in the UK for their 1977 hit Strawberry Letter 23. Siedah Garrett, who later sang with Michael Jackson, added lyrics to Tomorrow but whilst she gets a writer’s credit, this is an instrumental version.  A Jarrett-esque piano solo opens it before soft drums lead into a phat funk bass line. Soaring, optimistic sax is the icing on the cake; Nir Felder gives us some scything, rocky electric guitar before it’s bass player Richie Goods’ chance to take centre stage. A popping, running bass solo is backed by metronomic drums whilst Mitchell adds colour on the organ to broaden the sound.

Bebah is another widescreen orchestral song. It opens with a tragic lament played by Keezer and the orchestra with dramatic flourishes matched by Mitchell’s organ followed by Keezer and Blake playing a call-and-response duet before Blake takes off and makes the tune his. This was supposed to be an old fashioned blowing date and that’s what Blake is doing here. It’s a long, flowing solo which covers the full range of the tenor sax’s voice. Whilst the actual ’head’ arrangement is quite straight forward it is lifted up several leagues by the quality and energy of the soloing by Blake and, then, Keezer.

M’s Bedtime Stories is a co-write by Keezer and his wife, singer Gillian Margot McMillan. It’s really an ‘outroduction’ and in a club setting, I would expect each band member to be introduced in turn before they solo. It’s the basic quintet plus Aayushi Karnak on guitar on this track, so don’t sit there waiting for “J Arthur Rank on gong” would be my advice. It’s a swinging blues designed to take us home and Keezer is the standout again. It gets a “Yeah!” from me.

When I got to the end, I played it again, but louder. (The neighbours have got the builders in; it’s payback time)

Playdate is released on August 12 and will be available worldwide on Aug 12 on the Geoffrey Keezer Bandcamp page  as well as on streaming platforms everywhere. Dave Sayer

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