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

18878 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 742 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 4.) 21.

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 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 06: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Jeremy McMurray (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums) & guest Mick Donnelly (tenor sax).
Sun 06: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Ropner Park, Stockton. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 06: Nils Kavanagh Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 07: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 08: Seijiro Murayama & Jean-Luc Guionnet @ Star & Shadow Cinema, Warwick St., Newcastle, NE2 1BB. 7.00pm. £10.00 (advance); £12.00 (on door); £.15.00 (solidarity).
Tue 08: SH#RP Collective @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. Coquetdale Jazz.
Tue 08: Jazz Jam Sandwich @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: 58 Jazz Collective @ Hartlepool Cricket Club. 7:30pm. £7.00.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 09: NONUNONU @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE. Excellent trio.

Thu 10: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 10: Jacenaite All Crew @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 10: Emma Rawicz INKYRA @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £22.30. Sage Two. Line-up: Emma Rawicz (sax); Scottie Thompson (piano, keyboards, synth); David Preston (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass guitar); Jack Thomas (drums).

Fri 11: Esther Bennett @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £10.00. Esther Bennett (vocals); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass).
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £14.09 (inc. bf).

Sat 12: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 12: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26 (inc. bf).

Saturday, October 22, 2022

Album review: Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber, WDR Big Band - Center Stage


I posted a YouTube clip previewing the recording of this album earlier this week (see link above) which certainly whetted my appetite to hear more. Not least because this is probably one of the last recordings of baritone star Ronnie Cuber who died on October 7 - just 8 months after this was recorded.

Cuber is featured throughout and his playing is absolutely superb. He solos on all nine tracks driven along by fellow legends Steve Gadd and Eddie Gomez. Underpinning everything is the powerhouse WDR Big Band - surely Europe's most outstanding contemporary large ensemble.

Brilliant as they are, the Americans don't have it all their own way. Strassmayer sizzles on alto, Bruno Müller impresses on guitar, Hunter does likewise on 'bone and Sparkes II also has his moments on B3. Special mention too for Michael Abene who conducted and arranged the pieces which are, predominantly drawn from sixties rock heroes such as Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Otis Redding. Buddy Miles, Wilton Felder and Bill Doggett also contribute and there's a couple of originals by Steve Gadd that gives him the opportunity to strut his stuff.

However, at the end of the day, it's Cuber's bari solos that leave the lasting impression his blast on the rockin' combination of Honky Tonk and I Can't Stop Loving You is quite dynamic and a fitting way to remember Ronnie Cuber - we can't stop loving him either. Lance

Signed, Sealed, Delivered; Watching the River Flow; I Can't Turn You Loose; Che Ore So; Them Changes; Way Back Home; Lucky 13; Honky Tonk/I Can't Stop Loving You; My Little Brother.

Ronnie Cuber (baritone sax); Steve Gadd (drums); Eddie Gomez (bass); Bruno Müller (guitar); Bobby Sparkes ll (B3 on 2, 3, 6, 8, 9/Rhodes on 4); Simon Oslender (piano on 1, 7/B3 on 5) + WDR Big Band arranged and conducted by Michael Abene: Andy Haderer, Wim Both, Rob Bruynen, Ruud Breuls (trumpets); Ludwig Nuss, Raphael Klemm, Andy Hunter (trombones); Mattis Cederberg (bass trombone); Karolina Strassmayer, Johna Hörlén (alto saxes); Malte Dürrschnabel, Paul Heller (tenor saxes); Jens Neufang (baritone sax).
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