Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18469 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 333 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 27 ) 67

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

April

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

May

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Sat 02: Midnite Follies Orchestra @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £20.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club. All-star line-up.
Sat 02: Knats Masterclass & Jam II @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 1:00-3:00pm. £15.00.
Sat 02: Shannon Pearl + John Pope & John Garner @ Langley Tracks, Langley on Tyne NE47 5LA. 5:30pm (doors). £15.00. + £1.50. bf. ‘Witch-pop’ + Pope & Garner.
Sat 02: Knats + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sat 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 03: Chilcott Jazz Mass @ St George’s Church, Jesmond, Newcastle. 9:30am. Free. Sung communion with Parish Choir (featuring Bob Chilcott’s music). A Jesmond Community Festival event.
Sun 03: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 03: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Mark Toomey (alto sax).
Sun 03: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: Tom Waits for No Man @ Oxygenic, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm (2:30pm doors). Neckties and Boxing Gloves album launch. £14.00 (gig & a CD); £8.00 (gig only).
Sun 03: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £3.76.
Sun 03: John Pope & John Garner @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00.

Mon 04: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Pete Tanton’s Cuban Heels @ The Library, South Parade, Whitley Bay. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Mon 04: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.

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.

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