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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Album review: Samara Joy - A Joyful Holiday

Well it's that time of year when Santa arrives with a sackful of CDs to get you into the Christmas spirit although, personally, I'd prefer a glass of mulled wine and I'm not that fond of mulled wine.

However, this EP by one of my favourite singers goes someway to dispelling my apathy.

At least for the first four tracks it does! 

Warm in December: I first came across the Bill Russell song as a track on Julie London's 1956 album Calendar Girls and I've never encountered it since which is a shame as it's a beautiful song that deserves to be heard irrespective of the season. Julie did a job on it and Samara matches it. Fortner (piano), Wong (bass) and Washington (drums) are with her all the way.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little me: Wow! Another winner. I wasn't familiar with the Stevie Wonder tune but, accompanied by only Fortner on piano, the duo make it their own. 

The Christmas Song: Mel Tormé never wrote a better song and both he and Nat 'King' Cole stamped their vocal chords on it. Definitive one might say. However, Samara adds her name to the roll of honour  accompanied by Fortner and David Wong on bass - this is heading to be my best Christmas ever!

Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasAccompanied by her longtime musical associate, Pasquale Grasso on guitar, plus Wong and Washington this must surely, despite the brevity, be the greatest Christmas album of all-time - well it almost was but ...

Oh Holy Night: After the previous four tracks, the mood changed. I've nothing against Christmas carols and, on occasion, I've sung lustily (and maybe only a semi-tone sharp) at those occasions where it was required to sing lustily. However, this 'carol?' just does not work in the context of the album. There's a choir of angelic voices and Fortner doesn't do what a B3 ought to do.

The Christmas Song (live): The game is raised slightly but, after the beautiful studio recording, this is in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a duet with Samara and Antonio McLendon who was part of the McLendon family group who provided the choir on the previous track. McLendon has a good soulful sound that would be worth hearing, solowise, elsewhere. The combination with Samara, comes across like a pastiche of Vaughan/Eckstine.

So, maybe not the greatest Christmas album of all-time but if they ever release just those first four ... But what am I saying? These days you can download, upload, sideload (for stereo) or even buy single tracks via the online hucksters. A flawed gem. Lance Luddite. 

Samara Joy (vocals); Sullivan Fortner (piano on tks 1,2,3/B3 on tk 5); David Wong (bass on tks 1,3,4); Kenny Washington (drums on tks 1,3,4); Pasquale Grasso (guitar on tk 4); Shedrick Mitchell (piano on tk 6); Eric Wheeler (bass on tk 6); Charles Wayne (drums on tk 6); Antonio McLendon, Goldwire McLendon, Laurone McLendon, Tiera Lovell Rowe, Alana Alexander (backing vocals on tk 5); Antonio McLendon (vocal duet on tk 6)

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