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Bebop Spoken There

Kurt Elling: ''There's something to learn from every musician you play with''. (DownBeat, December 2024).

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

17630 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 16 years ago. 904 of them this year alone and, so far, 49 this month (Dec. 20).

From This Moment On ...

December

Tue 24: Lindsay Hannon & Mark Williams @ Ernest, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 11:00am-1:00pm. Free.
Tue 24: Paul Skerritt @ Mambo Wine & Dine, South Shields. 1:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.

Wed 25: Wot? No jazz!

Thu 26: The Boneshakers @ Tyne Bar, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free. The 17th annual Boneshakers’ Shindig.

Fri 27: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 27: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free. Business as usual!.
Fri 27: Jason Isaacs @ Seaburn STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 27: Michael Woods @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Country blues guitar & vocals.

Sat 28: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 11:30am. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 28: Fri 20: Castillo Nuevo @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 28: Jude Murphy, Rich Herdman & Giles Strong @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sat 28: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Stepney Bank, Newcastle. 9:00pm. Free.

Sun 29: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 29: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 30: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Wheatsheaf, Benton Sq., Whitley Road, Palmersville NE12 9SU. Tel: 0191 266 8137. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 30: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.

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

Wednesday, March 06, 2024

Album Review: Dinner Party – Dinner & Dessert (Empire/Sounds of Crenshaw)

Kamasi Washington (main artist, lyrics, producer); Patrick Douthit (aka 9th Wonder) (main artist, lyrics, producer); Robert Glasper (main artist, lyrics, producer); Terrace Martin (main artist, lyrics, producer); Michael E. Neil (featured artist); Marlon Williams (guitar), Pheolix, Buddy, Ruben Vincent, Malaya, Tarriona Tank Bilal, The Mighty Tree (featuring Herbie Hancock), Rapsody, Cordae, Snoop Dogg, Alex Isley (various contributions)*

The unusual credits listings reflect the co-operative nature of this work. It’s not an album, as such, but an EP (Dinner Party) from 2020 and a remix EP (Dessert) from later that year intended as an alternative to the original. Both have now been combined onto a CD for the first time in that format. It’s fairly smooth, urban late night jazz/soul/hip hop and it’s a lovely piece of work. The relatively smooth music is a way of smuggling in some more pointed lyrical comments, most of which are sung rather than rapped.

Three of the principals, namely Glasper, Martin and Washington are respected instrumentalists in their own right, but for this project they have grasped opportunities afforded by newer technologies and newer ways of working to frame their instruments in a different way. There is some strong soloing, notably from, (I believe), Terrace Martin on The Mighty Tree and Kamasi Washington on Luv U. The song that follows Tree, Freeze Tag, wins the points for a beautiful flowing melody.

The striking artwork from Amani Washington is due praise as well, as is this video for Sleepless Nights in which our leads are cast as superheroes in a piece of Afro-Futurist animation. This video for Freeze Tag is a more straightforward ‘recording of the song’ video. Dave Sayer

*(There are no useful sleeve notes so most of this information has been cribbed off Wikipedia and other sites).

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