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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.

Thu 03: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Women in Jazz.
Thu 03: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 03: New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

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: Ruth Lambert Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.
Fri 04: Tom McGuire & the Brassholes @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00.
Fri 04: Nicolas Meier’s Infinity Group + Spirit of Jeff Beck @ The Forum, Darlington. 7:30pm.

Sat 05: Tenement Jazz Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 05: Sleep Suppressor @ Head of Steam, Newcastle. 5:30-6:00pm.
Sat 05: King Bees @ Billy Bootlegger’s, Ouseburn, Newcastle. 6:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 6:00-9:30pm. £7.72., £1.00. (minimum donation). MacDonald & Reid + Objections + Yotuns.
Sat 05: Jeff Hewer Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 05: Kamasi Washington @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £33.00.
Sat 05: Vermont Big Band @ The Seahorse, Whitley Bay. 7:30pm. Tickets: £10.00 (from the venue).
Sat 05: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 06: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £7.50.
Sun 06: Learning & Participation Showcase @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm (1:00pm doors). Free. Featuring participants from Play More Jazz! Play More Folk! Blue Jam Singers & more.
Sun 06: Joe Steels Group @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Ferg Kilsby, Joe Steels, Ben Lawrence, Paul Susans, John Hirst.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 06: Paul Skerritt @ The Hooch, Quayside, Newcastle. 6:00pm.
Sun 06: Leeway @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 07: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

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?

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

Sunday, April 07, 2024

Double album review: Shelly Manne & His Men - Jazz From the Pacific Northwest (Reel to Real)

(Disc one) Shelly Manne (drums); Monty Budwig (bass); Russ Freeman (piano); Herb Geller (alto sax); Stu Williamson (trumpet). Monterey Jazz Festival Oct. 4, 1958

(Disc two) Shelly Manne (drums); Monty Budwig (bass); Hampton Hawes  (piano); Frank Strozier (flute, alto sax); Conte Candoli (trumpet) + Ruth Price (vocal on 2 tks.). The Penthouse, Seattle Sept. 7/15, 1966.

Another gem released on double vinyl for Record Store Day (April 20) and on CD  & digital on May 20.

Back in the day, jazz from the west coast of America was often written off as cold, bland and emotionless. Listening to these two discs nothing could be further from the truth. As there are still jazz fans and critics around who continue to perpetuate that myth I hope they get around to listening to either or both of these albums and that the veil will be lifted although those detractors will probably point out that, apart from the leader, the other four on disc one are all east coast imports!

The earlier set from Monterey has Geller and Williamson blowing as hot as any of their NYC contemporaries. Driven along by the rhythm section of Manne, Budwig and Freeman, it brought back memories of hearing the Shelly Manne Quintet as part of a JATP package. On that occasion Richie Kamuka and Joe Gordon were in the frontline but the end result was the same - hard swinging modern jazz.

Stop, Look and Listen, a number I first heard on a 12" 78rpm by Tommy Dorsey had, I recall, Bud Freeman taking a tasty and relaxed tenor solo. Nothing relaxed about Geller's alto solo. A fast moving cutting-edge blast matched by Williamson. Charlie Mariano's The Vamp's Blues, although not without some fun moments, is deadly serious when the chips are down. The final track, Quartet - a four part suite by Bill Holman - has, like all good suites, tempo changes and solo features as well as imaginative drumming from Manne and some off-stage sounds from low flying aircraft. 

Eight years later Manne moved up the coast for a season at Seattle's legendary Penthouse Club from where a lot classic sessions have recently been unearthed.

This time 'his men' consisted of one of the all-time greats of modern jazz piano, Hampton Hawes, flute and alto saxist Frank Strozier, former Kenton trumpet ace, Conte Candoli with bassist Budwig staying on board.

A romping Softly as in a Morning Sunrise is followed by Strozier fluting on a seemingly endless version of Summertime. After some 5 minutes Candoli took up the cotton picking. Tightly muted, he hung around for about two minutes thirty seconds, Hawes stayed for two minutes then, presumably, left to see the fish jumping whilst Budwig held the fort for a couple of minutes before Strozier returned.

Ruth Price impressed on a couple of short vocal spots: Dearly Beloved and Surrey With the Fringe on Top accompanied by just the rhythm section. I was pleased to note she steered clear of Summertime and Secret Love, which are better served as instrumentals.

Hawes provided an original, Funny, that had Strozier paintstripping on alto. He returned to flute for the aforementioned Secret  Love taken at a tempo akin to the barroom reaction when 'last orders' are called. Candoli solos in the clipped manner associated with trumpet players who didn't have the technique of Dizzy, the tone of Clifford or Fats and were still coming to terms with Miles. Hampton Hawes, as ever, did the biz.

Another Record Store Day must have. Lance

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