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Bebop Spoken There

Sullivan Fortner: ''I always judge it by the bass player: If the bass player is happy, it's going to be a good night". (DownBeat, February 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

17777 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 98 of them this year alone and, so far, 23 this month (Feb.8).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Fri 14: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00-2:00pm. £5.00. at the door. New second Friday in the month concert series.
Fri 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: Jason Isaacs @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 4:00-6:00pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Fri 14: Archipelago + Anna Tempest @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £8.00.
Fri 14: Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. Rhythm & blues.
Fri 14: Alexia Gardner Quintet @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 14: Fiona Finden’s Jazz Express @ Flash House Brewing Co., North Shields. 8:00pm.
Fri 14: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 15: Joseph Carville Trio @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 15: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 7:30pm. £15.00. at the door; £14.35. (inc £0.35 bf) online, in advance.
Sat 15: Elkie Brooks @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. ‘The Long Farewell Tour’.
Sat 15: Milne Glendinning Band @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 16: MOBO Song @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 12 noon. Free, performances on the concourse. Line-up inc. Jazz Attack (on stage time TBC) & Jambone (12:20pm).
Sun 16: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Exchange Sq., Middlesbrough. 1:00-2:45pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 16: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 16: MOBO Awards Fringe 2025: BBC Introducing NE X MOBO Showcase @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 6:00pm. Free (ticketed). Line-up inc. Jambone, Knats, Rivkala, SwanNek.
Sun 16: The Shayo Experience @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 16: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. .

Mon 17: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 17: Matt Forster Quartet @ Yamaha Music School, Blyth. 1:00pm. £9.00. at the door; £8.20. (inc £0.20 bf) online, in advance.
Mon 17: Russ Morgan Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Alan Law, Paul Grainger, John Hirst.

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ King’s Hall, Newcastle University. 1:15pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: Jazz Milestones - 1975.
Thu 20: Renegade Brass Band @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 20: Orange Claw Hammer + Peony @ The Globe, Newcastle.7:30pm. Orange Claw Hammer play Captain Beefheart.
Thu 20: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Featuring special guest Zoë Gilby.

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

Thursday, July 11, 2024

Album Review: Karen Mack – Catch & Keep (Bandcamp)

Karen Mack (vocals); Peter Eldridge  (piano, organ); Jesse Lewis (guitars); Matt Aronoff (bass); Jared Schonig (drums, percussion); Ben Wittman (percussion); Darmon Meader (saxes tracks 3,4,6,8); Nadje Noordhuis (trumpet track 1, flugel track10); Elliot Roth (piano, vocal, arrangements bonus track 12)

A delightful debut album by Ms Mack, a sweet-voiced singer with wonderfully distinct diction (pop singers please note!) who gives us a selection of lesser known songs together with a couple of originals. I liked the selection so much that I'll list each track in turn, and mention the songwriters themselves.

Nothing Like You (Dorough/Landesman), sung fast with a trumpet solo to enhance this love song and a repeated riff on piano, bass and drums to round off the track.

Imagination, (Van Heusen/Burke) not often sung but it was actually the first song I learned at a jazz-singing class many moons ago. This version is as an intimate ballad with a pleasant guitar in the mix.

From Now on (Trzetrzelewska/White), a Brazilian song, all about planning for future life after a breakup, and a tenor sax helps matters along

Come to Baby do (James/Miller), such fun, a saucy swinger with lots of repeated words for effect such as 'I wanna love, love, love you', and Meader’s tenor sax solo once more helps out.

This is Always (Warren/Gordon), by contrast an intimate, reflective, ballad with comments and a guitar solo.

I'm so Repentant (David Cantor), another fun track, a cha-cha-cha with neat drumwork and a fine guitar solo.

November Day (Mack/Roth/Eldridge), Mack’s original is very atmospheric with the organ somehow managing to sound cold, mirroring the love affair.

Hurry up and Wait (Eldridge/Mack), another original, the sort of tune which has a real moving along effect, fast, with a tenor sax solo and an effective ensemble interlude.

Here is Everything, (Chiara Civello), a love song with harmony singing from Eldridge and a flowing piano.

Our Love Rolls on (Dave Frishberg) a love song with a trumpet solo.

I Wanna Get Married (Nellie McKay), irony about the state of marriage, with lyrics to illustrate eg 'I need to cook meals' and 'I wanna get married, that's why I was born'. And a wonderful bass solo, very cheeky, in the way that perhaps only a bass can sound impertinent.

And all neatly rounded off with a bonus track (why do they call extra tracks that?)  which is It's Hard to Say Goodbye (Betty Bryant) and our singer is joined in song by Roth.

Karen Mack has lived in New York City since the late '90s, performing around town as well as doing session and production work. A member of a women's quartet who perform a mix of musical styles, she has appeared in Carnegie Hall and at the Lincoln Center. For this album, Ms Mack wanted to perform lesser-done material and some songs written by women.

The album is available at BANDCAMP and on all digital platforms. See kmackmusic.comAnn Alex

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