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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

17805 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 126 of them this year alone and, so far, 51 this month (Feb.16).

From This Moment On ...

February 2025

Sun 23: Musicians Unlimited @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Mark Williams Trio @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm.
Sun 23: Ruth Lambert Trio @ The Juke Shed, Union Quay, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 23: Jazz Jam Sandwich! @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 23: Mississippi MacDonald @ Georgian Theatre, Stockton. 3:00pm. Blues.
Sun 23: Mu Quintet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!
Sun 23: Jazz Jam @ Fabio’s, Saddler St., Durham. 8:00pm. Free. A Durham University Jazz Society promotion. All welcome.

Mon 24: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 24: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 6:30pm. Free.

Tue 25: ?

Wed 26: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 26: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 26: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 27: Jamie McCredie @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Fri 28: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free. THIS WEEK ONLY JAMES BIRKETT (guitar)!
Fri 28: Luis Verde Quartet @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £8.00. SOLD OUT!
Fri 28: Spilt Milk @ St. James’ STACK, Newcastle. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Nolan Brothers (vocal harmonies).
Fri 28: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £8.00.
Fri 28: Knats @ Lubber Fiend, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £11.50. (inc bf.). Album launch gig. Support act TBC.
Fri 28: Black is the Color of My Voice @ The Gala, Durham. 7:30pm. Apphia Campbell’s one-woman show inspired by the life of Nina Simone, performed by Florence Odumosu.
Fri 28: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival: Musicians Unlimited @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 8:00pm. £10.00. (Weekend ticket £20.00., available on the door). Day 1/3. Musicians Unlimited in concert.
Fri 28: Redwell @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

MARCH 2025

Sat 01: Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ Park View Community Centre, Chester-le-Street. 11:00am. £15.00. Day 2/3.
Sat 01: TJ Johnson Band @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00.
Sat 01: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £25.00. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Get your funk on! Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 01: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ The Watch House, Cullercoats. 2:00-3:30pm. Free.
Sat 01: Ray Stubbs R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers. Ouseburn, Newcastle. 4:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Struggle Buggy @ The Peacock, Sunderland. 6:00pm. Blues band.
Sat 01: Edison Herbert Trio @ The Vault, Darlington 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.
Sat 01: Jack & Jay’s Vintage Songbook @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

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, August 08, 2024

Album review: Chet Baker - Late Night Jazz (Elemental Records)

Chet Baker (trumpet, wordless vocal on How High the Moon); Philip Catherine/Nicola Stilo (guitar); Egil Kapstad (piano); Terge Venaas (bass)

Yet another unearthed Chet Baker 'treasure'. This one recorded in Paris in 1988, only months before the trumpet player's mysterious death. Initially recorded as a 'dream project' by Norwegian poet Jan Erik Vold who envisioned a collaboration blending jazz with poetic expression. However, for this album the poetry has been omitted and we have to settle for the music.

A selection of well known standards with three alternate takes, three originals by Kapstad and a traditional Norwegian folk song make up the sixteen tracks. Italian guitarist Stilo only plays on the first five tracks before the band stopped for a break and he did a runner with Chet's mouthpiece. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, he was apprehended and the session continued with Catherine on guitar. No explanation was ever given.

Baker plays as well as his fading technique allowed: cutting his coat according to his cloth which had always been his modus operandi and, if that failed he could always sing. There's only one 'vocal' here, a gentle wordless take on How High the Moon.

Of the two guitarists, both are light-fingered albeit in different interpretations of the term with some agile solos from Catherine although when piano and guitar combine in a drummerless rhythm section the end result often tends to be rather plodding.

If you are a Baker completist you'll want this, warts and all. Others may want to have a taste first. Although the new 2-LP & Digipack CD are not due out until October 18 it seems to have been doing the rounds on YouTube for sometime so check it out HERE. Lance         

Skylark; If You Could See me Now; The Bird From Kapingamarangi; How High the Moon; Makin' Whoopee; The Ballad of Buttersmile; Body and Soul; Alice in Wonderland; Blåmann, Blåmann; Children's Waltz; Love For Sale; My Foolish Heart; I Want a Little Girl; Body and Soul (alt. take); If You Could See me Now (alt. take); Makin' Whoopee (alt. take)

2 comments :

ALAN GILES said...

Not the most generous of reviews (e..g. the sarcastic "treasure"). Given the appalling circumstances of his life, especially as the 1980s wore on, I always found the calmness in his playing incredible. He had a tremendous sense of beauty in his tone and delivery. God knows what occasioned the extraordinary theft of his mouthpiece - a joke that went wrong, perhaps? - they had worked together often at the start of the decade (several LPs issued on the Circle label recorded at the Subway Club out of Germany). Unlike this reviewer I am glad it was restored to him. I shall be buying the CD, and I am not expecting to hear Dizzy or Roy Eldridge. Perhaps,if the reviewer thinks he could do better, he should get himself a trumpet and a trio and show us what he can do?. Not that easy with just trumpet, guitar and bass. Chet had made several Steeplechase LPs with Doug Raney at the end of the 1970s and they were great.

Lance said...

Alan, thank you for your comment. Like yourself, I too am a great admirer of the work of Chet Baker from all periods of his tragic life including his latter years. Indeed, for me, much of his later work had a more emotional appeal than some of his earlier work. In particular the London sessions recorded over six nights at the Canteen in 1983 which are a couple of my favourite albums. As such, I was doubly disappointed that, in my opinion, Late Night Jazz didn't quite cut it for me. I hope you get more out of it. I wasn't expecting to hear Dizzy or Roy but I was hoping to hear the latterday Chet whose sound could tear at your heartstrings like few others.
As regards getting a trumpet to see if I can do better .... If that criteria were to be applied then the so-called pundits in music, sports, politics - you name it - would be made redundant overnight. Having said that, I appreciate your observations and you are welcome to join our reviewing team (gigs, albums, whatever) let me know via email: lanceliddle@gmail.com.

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