Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: ''It was then that Coltrane came along and single-handedly brought this dimension of spirituality into jazz. It was a pivotal experience to me.'' (DownBeat September, 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

18957 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 821 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 30.) 100.

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

October.

Mon 05: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 05: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 06: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. Paul Grainger (double bass).
Tue 06: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Murray Oak, Paul Grainger, John Bradford.
Tue 06: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.
Tue 06: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. First night of two.

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 07: Black is the Color of My Voice @ Northern Stage, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman stage play inspired by Nina Simone. Second night of two.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 08: Pete Tanton’s Chet Set @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations).
Thu 08: Indigo Jazz Voices w. Little Big Band @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.

Fri 09: Dean Stockdale Trio @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. Dean Stockdale (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Fri 09: John Rowland Trio @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle.

Sat 10: Catfish Keith @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.00. + bf. Jumpin’ Hot Club.

Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Feat. guest Jack ‘Banjo’ Courtney (trumpet).
Sun 11: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Harry Christelis Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A Jazz Co-op-JNE co-promotion.

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Album review: Phil Bancroft Quartet - Headlong (www.myriadstreams.com)

Phil Bancroft (tenor sax); Mike Walker (guitar); Reid Anderson (bass); Thomas Strønen (drums)

The CD arrived in a cardboard envelope along with another similarly packaged disc with no other information to guide me as to wherever it led. This was back in May and, not surprisingly, they were quickly buried under the daily avalanche of albums that are close to breaking the postwoman's back. She rarely closes the gate as she's probably thinking 'what's the point? I'll be back tomorrow unless I've got a slipped disc.'

However, I digress, feelings of guilt overtook me and I decided I'd better do some Googling in case I was missing out on the next 'new thing' which was when I discovered that it was that curse of modern music, the dreaded 'download only' release. Whilst this was good news for the postie it had me wondering if it was all these pesky downloads that led to the recent outage that caused computers to crash everywhere apart from China?

Now the music. Whilst this isn't the newest 'new thing' it isn't the newest 'old thing' either! Sure it pushes boundaries but never beyond accessibility. Sometimes quite the reverse such as on Golden Section which exudes an almost pastoral charm. But, when the gloves are off such as on Groove, it becomes a mad scramble where a raging pet shop fire has Bancroft and Walker screeching and screaming, blowing and picking notes and strange chords from the great unknown and driven on by Strønen with only Anderson to steady the ship.

However, before the RSPCA are called in, sanity returns and the animals wag what's left of their tails and have Purina Gourmet on toast for tea. 

Check it out on BANDCAMP. Lance (I'll save the other album Birth and Death* for another time).

*Birth and Death: Bancroft (soprano/tenor sax, low A whistle); Gyan Singh (tabla, kanjira, shakers). BANDCAMP. 

Golden Section; Goes Around Comes Around; Samson Sam Song #1; Boip Avoiding; Double Trouble; Headlong; Red Cow Flying; Groove; Samson Sam Song #2

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