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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025.

Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Mark Robertson.
Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 02: Lauren Bush: The Jazz Singer’s Toolkit @ The Pele, Corbridge. 1:00-4:00pm. Vocalist Lauren Bush with pianist Jamil Sheriff presents a jazz singing workshop. £40.00. (inc. evening concert, see below). Registration required for workshop: www.laurenbushjazz.com. All ability levels welcome.
Wed 02: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 02: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 2:30-4:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Wed 02: Lauren Bush & Jamil Sheriff @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00-9:00pm. £10.00. Concert performance. Tickets: www.laurenbushjazz.com.
Wed 02: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 02: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! See website for updates: www.theglobenewcastle.bar.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 04: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 04: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 04: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Album review: Chris Potter – Got The Keys To The Kingdom: Live at The Village Vanguard (Edition Records, 2023)

Chris Potter (tenor sax); Craig Taborn (piano); Scott Colley (bass); Marcus Gilmore (drums)

This feels like the one this band had been waiting for. The sense of freedom is almost palpable, as if the fear of a return to lockdown was in the air and the organisation and recording had to be accelerated before we were all ushered back into our hutches.

 

Potter had released an album during lockdown (There Is A Tide) on which he had played every note but with Got The Keys To The Kingdom he was now allowed to go out and play with his friends and, by God, he was going to make the most of it.

 

He’s assembled a top notch small group, compiled a set list of almost standards, (no originals here, no time to learn any new tunes, anyway), barged through the doors and hit the stage. It’s February 2022 and we’re back in business (!) band and audience in full voice, celebrating jazz as a communal event for the first time since Covid brought the shutters down. Despite the programme of ‘standards’ this is no pedestrian trundle through tunes we’ve known and loved before. This band takes the flavour of the originals and adds some extra original spice all of their own.

 

The album opens with an unaccompanied solo from Potter, a call to prayer before the others join in what is a mid-pace rolling blues (You Gotta Move) which Potter still dominates, full voiced and joyous. The tune continues to build and build with Potter straining every sinew at the top of the tenor’s range. It’s anti-climactic when he steps back for Craig Taborn to inject some piano majesty with fistfuls of notes before reaching a similar peak to that which Potter had previously climbed.

 

Nozani Na is an Amazonian folk song delivered with the sort of lilting Brazilian swing you would expect but it’s also the building block for a searching free excursion from Taborn before Potter comes in and calms everything down. Its points to the rhythm section, too, for the pushing, consistent pulse behind the front two.

 

Blood Count is a Billy Strayhorn piece from the Ellington album ….And His Mother Called Him Bill. History has it that it was Strayhorn’s last completed composition before his death in May 1967. It is, of course, one of the most beautiful, mournful, elegant melodies in jazz, and sounds as if it was inspired by Strayhorn’s fading heartbeat. Taborn introduces it with a delicate lacework of a solo. Potter’s subsequent solo over the top also recognises that it is the spaces in the tune, the sound of someone struggling for that last breath, which reinforces the tragedy.

By way of contrast, Klactoveedsedstene, (one for the spellcheck to fret about) is full on. Potter blowing like fury, riding the rhythm like there’s no tomorrow, Marcus Gilmore’s widescreen drumming, waves of crashing cymbals, Scott Colley’s solid driving bass. All marvellous!

Even though Ohla Maria slows the tempo somewhat Potter still provides broad spectrum blowing over lovely support from the band. What comes through here is the interaction between the four, listening and passing the baton between themselves.

 

And why not go out on a high with the title track? Another high tempo post-bop rock out based on a traditional spiritual according to the writers credits, with Potter’s wailing solo over clattering drums and Taborn throwing shapes on the piano. Throw in an explosive drum solo with howls of appreciation from the audience; Potter rides in on top of Gilmore and maintains the same energy levels to the end of the piece.

 

The notes on the Edition Records page for the album says that these tunes “make the final cut from the multi-night residency” which suggests that there might be more in the can. If so, put me on the pre-order list for Volume 2!


Got The Keys To The Kingdom is available from all the usual outlets including Bandcamp and Edition Records, whose page about the album includes more information about its making. Dave Sayer

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