Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Newcastle Jazz Festival (day four): Emma Rawicz - August 21

(© Malcolm Sinclair)
Emma Rawicz (tenor sax, soprano sax, flute); Dean Stockdale (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); Dave McKeague (drums)

The festival's closing concert performance featured Emma Rawicz, recipient of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group's 2022 'Newcomer of the Year' award. An APPJAG award could/should generate much welcome publicity and Ms Rawicz arrived on Tyneside with quite a reputation to live up to. It begged the question: Would she meet expectations? The house trio for the occasion - Messrs Dean Stockdale, Andy Champion and Dave McKeague - met Rawicz earlier in the day for a one-off rehearsal ahead of an early evening set. A Royal Academy student headlining a jazz festival, no pressure...

Opening up on soprano sax, the word 'blistering' sprung to mind as Rawicz tore into Joe Henderson's A Shade of Jade. This was one impressive calling card. What's more, Rawicz' band mates for the occasion were right there in the fast lane with her (Andy Champion reaffirming his A-list status with a stunning solo)! Switching to tenor sax we heard In Walked Bud. No question about it, the Royal Academy student can play, then some! Drummer Dave McKeague set up a New Orleans' shuffle on April in Paris (Kurt Elling's take on the number a reference point for Rawicz) which developed into a funk-to-swing-to-funk number. Rawicz informed the Tyne Bank audience she was playing Vernon Duke's composition in public for the first time - you'd never have known it!

On her own composition Vera (for her grandmother) we heard the festival headliner playing flute. The tag 'multi-instrumentalist' could be applied to Rawicz! Excellent! On tenor once more for Sonny Rollins' Airegin and again on Body and Soul, Rawicz was acquiring new fans by the minute. To close a marvellous set, Rawicz chose to play A Weaver of Dreams. Superb musicianship all round, pianist Dean Stockdale fleetingly quoting Singin' in the Rain. The Newcastle Jazz Festival audience wanted to hear more. Ms Rawicz was happy to oblige, leaving all trailing in her wake with an 'eyeballs out' take on Impressions. Russell        
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2 comments :

Abbie said...

She finished on Yes or No Russell, not Impressions. Cracking gig!

Monday, August 22, 2022 8:20:00 PM
Russell said...

Thanks, Abbie. I was thinking was it Wayne Shorter? Great tune and a canny gig!

Monday, August 22, 2022 8:53:00 PM

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