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

18844 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 708 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 27) 77.

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

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: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
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.

Thu 03: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 03: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Feat. Ian Bosworth (guitar); Ron Hampton (guitar); Riche Emmerson (tenor sax); Dan Johnson (tenor sax, alto sax); Garry Hadfield (keyboards); Adrian Beadnell (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums).

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: FUNK: new musicians collective @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £6.00. Line-up inc. Chris Caygill & Daniel Chandler.
Fri 04: The Upside + Lagos to Longbenton @ Cumberland Arms, Byker, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00. Ska, funk, Afro-fusion & more.

Sat 05: Alligator Gumbo @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 05: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Hartlepool Art Gallery. 4:00-6:15pm. £6.00. Concert performance. Tickets available from the venue - tel: 01429 869706.
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Album review: Atlanticus - Upstream

Terry Seabrook (Hammond); Peter Fraise (tenor sax); Jack Kendon (flumpet); Milo Fell (drums).

Organ combos rarely feature two horns out front. Usually its organ and drums augmented by either sax or guitar. However, Seabrook and his transatlantic co-writer Fraise opted for tenor sax and flumpet. For the uninformed (such as myself) a flumpet is an instrument that is part flugelhorn and part trumpet. You maybe  are thinking it is something that was created in Greek mythology but, in actual fact, it was invented by David Monette* in 1989 for Art Farmer and used on his recording Silk Road.

The two horns, along with Seabrook's B3, and Fell's drumming  create a great funky sound. Are we in Philly, downtown Chicago or maybe Detroit? No, three of us are in Brighton UK and one (Fraise) has dropped by from Washington DC. What's a mere ocean between friends? The album title may offer a clue. 

Kendon blows his socks off. Any trumpet, flugel or cornet player will, after hearing this, want a flumpet even if it means foregoing a strumpet.

Fraise is blistering on tenor, Seabrook, whom I'd only previously heard on piano, lends himself to the Hammond born. Is this a vintage B3 I wonder?**

Fell, slots in well and my thoughts are that this is the perfect Hammond/horn band setting.

This is their second album and they're touring their third album, Oceanic, as I type which finishes in a couple of days time at Eastbourne which, I suppose is in keeping with the Atlantic theme. I guess the North Sea is but a rivulet in the overall picture.

Ignore that last paragraph, it's just me expressing my frustration at not being able to see/hear this fantastic band live! Did I hear something from the Culture Secretary about levelling-up? No, I think it was from another minister talking about painting-over. Lance.

CHECK IT OUT.

*FLUMPET.

**Ronnie Scott's purchase a vintage Hammond B3.

No comments :

Blog Archive