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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

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: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
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: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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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