Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18818 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 682 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 20) 51.

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

August

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 27: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 27: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 27: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 28: Graham Hardy Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 28: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.

Sat 29: Brian Jackson @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:30pm (doors). £32.00.

Sun 30: Musicians Unlimited @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 30: Tango Jazz Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 31: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

September.

Tue 01: Customs House Big Band @ Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 01: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Album review: Adam Larson Trio - With Love, From New York

Adam Larson (tenor sax); Matt Clohesy (bass); Obed Calvaire (drums)

A chordless trio opens the floodgates with torrents of notes and flagellating drumming leaving the bass player rather like King Canute trying to stop the tide. Such is the blitzkrieg that is Aerial Landmasses.

64 Squares, which I assumed would be chess or checkers related is in fact subtitled searching for fish. You just can't make these things up! Nevertheless, it's less frantic than the previous number and, were it played in flight if you were actually travelling from New York the flight attendant (I preferred it when they were air hostesses or stewardesses) would announce that you could now unfasten your safety belts.

Soar doesn't quite do what the title implies but is more suggestive of being on auto-pilot in cruise mode. 

Perspective really does soar. Larson is up there where the air is rarified. He can see the world from a distance and I guess he thinks that the world isn't such a bad place - from a distance.

Moment of Clarity is one of those 'moments of clarity' that maybe only occur once in a lifetime when every note, every phrase, every tonal nuance combine like when an Aquarian meets a Gemini.

Deception is rather lovely, an introspective moment of soul searching, perhaps our Aquarian has discovered that the Gemini is actually a Piscean artist (maybe the fish referred to earlier).

Cellular Snacks. Last chance to eat your plastic food as the bird approaches journey's end. Or is it? He's coming in fast and low, the emergency services are on standby, will he make it? He does! Larson and his crew know how to throttle down for a perfect landing! Lance

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