Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Wed 22: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 22: Nubiyan Twist @ Digital, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £28.75 (inc. bf).
Wed 22: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 22: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 7:30pm. Date, time & admission TBC.
Wed 22: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion.
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Fri 24: TBC @ The Traveller’s Rest, Darlington. 8:00pm.

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm.
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Monday, April 15, 2024

Album Review: Cliff Beach – You Showed Me The Way

Cliff Beach (vocals); Munenori 'Moon' Kishi (keyboards); Evan Mackey (lead trombone, music director); Ruben Salinas (baritone sax); Sam Williams (tenor sax); Luis Cardena-Casillas, Joe Ferruzzo (trumpet); Satoshi Kirisawa (drums); Andy Moresi (guitar); Leah Concialdi (baritone/alto saxes)

I could do worse than simply quote from the publicity sheet to describe what type of singer this guy is. 'This 'funky, soulful. swinging singer, pianist and composer sounds like he could be the love child of Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder'.

Cliff Beach is a graduate of Berklee College of Music who has released one album a year for the last 10 years. He is a native of Washington DC who learned harmony singing in church. He started his professional career in 2003 in Los Angeles and eventually performed with a 7-piece band and backing singers. He also works in radio and TV and has a voice stretching to more than 3 octaves, singing in the styles of jazz, soul, R&b, funk and neo-soul.

This album however, consists of jazz standards and one original song. The collection is dedicated to Ella Fitzgerald as the songs were all sung by her. However, not all the songs are in a truly jazz style. For instance the first track, That Old Black Magic, is funky with a keyboard sound that I'd describe as 'bubbly' and with lots of repetitive short phrases.

Many of the tracks are similar, especially in the first half of the album, then from about track 8, Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most, jazz becomes more prominent. I'm Beginning To See The Light has some clever singing along with the drums; It's Alright With Me has a Latin accompaniment, a trumpet solo and then fours; You Showed Me The Way is sung as pure jazz; A-Tisket, A-Tasket is fun with scat singing, clapping and backing singers. The album is pleasantly rounded off with the original The Gift of tthe Blues, which (you've guessed) is bluesy with a fine baritone sax introduction.

To sum up, I found the first half of the CD confusing because of the mixture of styles, making some tracks rather 'busy' but the latter tracks were better listening. This is a CD which would be good as music at your next party and also the sort of music which would sound good at a venue such as Newcastle's Hoochie Coochie.

I haven't mentioned the instrumentalists because they sounded good and knew their stuff, so what can I add?

The album is available on all streaming platforms and physical CDs are available on BANDCAMP. Ann Alex

That Old Black Magic; Round Midnight; Love You Madly; How Long Has This Been Gong On?; Alright,OK You Win; Honeysuckle Rose; How High The Moon; Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most; I'm Beginning To See The Light; It's Alright With Me; You Showed Me The Way; A-Tisket, A-Tasket; The Gift Of The Blues. 

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