Bebop Spoken There

Dominick "Domo" Branch: ''Most people say drummers can't write, they're just time-keepers only beating on things. But I have a very musical brain.'' (DownBeat February, 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

18288 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 142 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Feb. 14), 42

From This Moment On ...

February

Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT! Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.
Fri 20: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 20: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 20: Squabble @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:00pm. Steve Chambers (organ); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Sid White (drums).
Fri 20: Jive Aces @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 7:00pm (6:30pm doors).
Fri 20: Alex Clarke w. Dean Stockdale Trio @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Clarke w. Dean Stockdale, Mick Shoulder, Abbie Finn.

Sat 21: ???

Sun 22: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 22: Joe Steels Group @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Sun 22: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 22: Harben Kay Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 23: Joe Steels Group @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. A Blue Patch album tour.
Mon 23: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 24: Finn-Keeble Group @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm. £11.00.
Tue 24: Liam Oliver & Shayo Oshodi @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 25: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 25: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 25: Geordie Jazz Jam @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Newcastle University jam session. All welcome.
Wed 25: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 26: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.50.
Thu 26: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00 adv.
Thu 26: Mick Cantwell Band @ The Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Blues.

Fri 27: Joe Steels Group @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT! A Blue Patch album tour.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 27: Radio Hito + Eddie Prévost, Silvain Schmid & Tom Wheatley @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £12.22., £10.10., £8.00.
Fri 27: Giacomo Smith w Strictly Smokin’ Big Band @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.
Fri 27: Alan Barnes w. Mick Shoulder Trio @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm. £15.00. Trio: Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).

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

Monday, March 13, 2023

Album review: Planet D Nonet - Blues to be There

(Collective); R.J. Spangler (bandleader, congas); Michael Zaporski (piano); Trevor Lamb (bass); Sean Perimutter (drums); James O'Donnell (vocal trumpet); Charlie Miller (trumpet); Tbone Paxton (trombone, vocal);  Alexis Colista (alto, sop sax); Christopher Tabacrynski (tenor sax, clarinet); Goode Wyche III (bari sax, clarinet); Alex Harding (bari sax); Ryan Bills (tenor sax); Kasan Belgrave (clarinet).

Please someone, send me some duck eggs to review just so I can vent my spleen! 

My spleen remains distinctly unvented by this splendid interpretation of some of Ellington's 1950s' classics. The soloists capture the mood to perfection and they don't fall asleep as some Ellingtonians were prone to do!

Close your eyes and this is Ellington. The soloists have captured the mood, adding their own personality to it. This is a band I'd love to hear live and, if logistics prevent a UK tour, I'm sure someone, just as Chris Hodgkins did on his recent Humph tribute, could put something similar together. 

I can't single anyone out individually as all the soloists are the cream of Detroit. However, having said that, maybe Charlie Miller just edges it - maybe... Everyone is at the top of their game. Perhaps the top marks should go to Mike Sailors, Walt Szymanski and Jeff Cuny who did the arrangements/transcriptions although, maybe the real plaudits should go back maybe 70 years!

Blues to be There is exactly how this made me feel. I wanted to be there listening to this band. Even more so than when I first heard Ellington's original recording of the title tune on Duke's legendary Newport 56 recording - the one where Gonsalves gets a bit long-winded! This is magical and the soloists know when to take the mouthpiece out of their gob!

Just as I was wondering if I'd gone over the top in my enthusiasm, they hit VIP's Boogie/Jam With Sam! OMG! this was it! If they can't make it to Newcastle then I'm off to Detroit - my Chevrolet's ancestry is there and so is much of this music. Motown it ain't! My town it is - at least for 67 minutes! If you only buy one album this year, unless it's the Best of the BBC (limited edition), This is the one - Luv it! Lance

Bandcamp

Spacemen; Pie Eye's Blues; Chinoiserie; Blues to be there; Moon Maiden; the Swingers Get the Blues Too; Blow by blow; tigress; Almost Cried; Purpel Gazelle; Way Early Subtone; Take the A Train; U.M.M.G; Bonga; Moonbow; VIP's Boogie/Jam With Sam.

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive