Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

George Porter Jr.: ''To me, syncopation is like jazz. It wasn't meant for the masses. It was meant just for a hip few". (DownBeat, May 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

17985(and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 306 of them this year alone and, so far, 62 this month (April 26).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Wed 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 30: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 30: International Jazz Day @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £16.00.; £14.00. adv.. Feat. Guido Spannocchi, John Pope & Steve Hanley + Take it to the Bridge participants + SH#RP Collective with Lindsay Hannon - open rehearsal.

MAY 2025

Thu 01: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Member’s Contribution.
Thu 01: Alabaster de Plume @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm.
Thu 01: Living in Shadows + OUTRI @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Thu 01: The Shayo Experiment @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Shayo Oshodi & Liam Oliver.
Thu 01: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free.

Fri 02: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 02: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 02: Anna Reay & Deon Krishnan @ STACK, Seaburn. 4:30-6:15pm. Free.
Fri 02: Nauta @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 7:00pm. £7.50. A ‘Nauta’s House’ gig featuring Nauta & guests Shayo Oshodi & David Gray.
Fri 02: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 02: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Solo piano.
Fri 02: Abbie Finn Trio @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00. + bf.

Sat 03: Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 03: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Summer Samba Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 03: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 03: Struggle Buggy @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. Blues.
Sat 03: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 03: Postmodern Jukebox @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm.
Sat 03: NUJO Jazz Jam @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £3.00. + bf.
Sat 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 03: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:30pm. Free.

Sun 04: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 04: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Spilt Milk @ St James’ STACK, Newcastle. 3:00-5:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Sun 04: Rivkala @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 04: Boys of Brass @ Billy Bootleggers, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free.
Sun 04: Ben Crosland Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 05: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 06: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Victoria & Albert Inn, Seaton Delaval. 12:30pm. £14.00. Tel: 0191 237 3697. ‘Victory in Europe Afternoon Tea’ (VE Day 80th anniversary).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, North St., Ferryhill DL17 8HX. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: FILM: Whiplash @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 8:15pm.

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

Friday, September 22, 2023

Album review: Masumi Ormandy - Beyond the Sea.

Masumi Ormandy (vocals); Dean Johnson (bass); Tim Horner (drums); Allen Farnham (piano, synth., arrangements) + (collective on various tks)  Sara Caswell (violin); Jody Redhage Ferber (cello); Bria Skonberg (trumpet); John Allred (trombone); Danny Bacher (soprano sax, vocal); Houston Person, Tim Ries (tenor sax); Mino Cinelu (perc.); Chieli Minucci, Paul Meyers (guitar); Anders Bostrom (flute) Roseanna Vitro (vocal).

Japanese vocalist Ormandy moved to New York, via Tokyo and Frisco, to fulfil her dream of becoming a singer studying with Roseanna Vitro who appears on the final track.

Beyond the Sea is Ormandy's second album. She recorded the previous one when she was a mere seventy-seven years old. Now, seven years later (do the maths) the voice is still younger than springtime yet, paradoxically, with a maturity that defies time.

Accompanied by a choice selection, in various permutations, of NYC's finest jazz musicians it puts to bed the myth that singers deteriorate with age. At least those that don't burn the candle at both ends with late nights and the usual vices.

The opening/title track, Beyond the Sea, is taken slower than Bobby Darin's hit version and is none the worse for that with the strings and sop sax (or was it the dreaded synth?) setting the mood. 

I Can't Give You Anything But Love is a Dixieland romp with gutsy solos by Skonberg and Allred. Bacher duets vocally as well as blowing soprano.

Smile isn't one of my favourite standards but this version moved it up a notch or two. Nice piano and sympathetic strings over a bossa rhythm.

Like a River Flowing, a Japanese song with English lyrics, has some tenor sax from Ries who noodles behind the vocal. 

Here's to Life has violin and cello adding to the poignancy of the lyric.

Sentimental Journey shuffles along nicely with Allred, Bacher and Skonberg, tightly muted, giving it that swingy feel the tune deserves.

I'm Through With Love. Remember MM singing this in Some Like it Hot? Ormandy may be eighty four but she conveys the same emotion and there's also beautiful tenor from Houston Person.

Tea For Tea. After an out of tempo vocal verse it moves on to a Latin cha-cha rhythm with some tasty violin from Caswell.

I Left my Heart in San Francisco. When someone such as Tony Bennett has laid down the template for a song then the deck is stacked against the rest. Nevertheless, Ormandy doesn't fold and she offers an acceptable alternative.

It's Only a Paper Moon. More great tenor from Houston P alongside an excellent vocal.

Ringo No Uta (Apple Song). a Japanese folk song that not only has Ormandy's mentor Vietro joining her but also has a stunning flute solo from Bostro.

You won't hear many vocals as good as this by a singer as old as this and, nor will there be many vocals as good as this by many a younger singer - magic! Lance

Available on Miles High Records.

No comments :

Blog Archive