Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Mon 29: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest TBC.
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Album review: Helena Debono & Charlie Bates - A Thousand Nights

When I say that there is room for improvement it has nothing to do with the music. Singer, band, soloists, arrangements are all excellent. No, my gripe is with the inside cover. The font size is so small you need 20-20 vision and perhaps some magnifying equipment from Jodrell Bank to read it.

However, now that I've got that off my chest I'll get down to the positives of which there is an abundance.

Both Helena and Charlie are alumni of NYJO and A Thousand Nights is a compelling collaboration between themselves, a big band packed with A-listers and a large orchestra, in a mix of standards and originals. 

I Could Have Danced All Night.  Band swinging like crazy with blistering alto from Marsh, trumpet by Walsh and all kicked along by Tomlinson. What a band! What a voice!

My Ideal. A beautiful take on the verse, sympathetic piano with the strings sawing away on the chorus. Cool Vice-Coles on trumpet (flugel?)

Honey. An original by the two leaders. Nice contemporary feel with some gutsy 'bone from Higham. Bass and voice gel with lots else going on behind.

A Thousand Nights. Another original from Bates & Debono. Muted trumpet from Walsh. Lyric and melody captivate. An arrangement worthy of Nelson. More piano from Charlie and an amazing vocal out-chorus from Helena.

Lullaby of Birdland. A strange arrangement with Davison growling like Cootie. In fact there is a Ducal feel to the chart, maybe a bit of Mingus, even Cab Calloway. I don't think it's quite what Shearing had in mind when he composed the piece but I'm not complaining!

I Swear. Another original. A lovely relaxed feel by both voice and piano if there's ever such a thing as the Contemporary British Songbook then this one's a frontrunner.

When. The gems keep rolling from the dynamic duo. A suggestion of big band rock with Fitch's opening blast, Blevins' sax solo and Tomlinson's offbeat driving it along.

Old Country. Nat Adderley and Curtis Lewis got together for this one and needless to say we had a trumpet solo - this time by Gorodi. Helena adds her voice to the sax chorus (I think).

The Nearness of You. Tender vocal over an orchestral accompaniment and some unexpected intervals by Helena that are spot-on. 

Think I'll be OK. I think so too! Laid back tenor from Maddock, this band is packed with soloists. Voice goes into a funkier mood.

Guess I'll Hang my Tears Out to Dry. The Sinatra/Riddle recording may be the definitive version but this one loses nothing by comparision - there's room for both.

A beautiful album, shame about the booklet. Maybe I should have gone to Specsavers first. Lance

Release date Oct. 11, 2024

Helena Debono (vocals, composer, producer); Charlie Bates (piano, composer, arranger, producer, orchestral conductor); Tom Walsh, James Davison, Luke Vice-Coles, Miguel Gorodi (trumpets); Tom Dunnett, Harry Maund*, Daniel Higham, Yusuf Norcin* (trombones); Simon Marsh, Tom Smith, Graeme Blevins, Tom Barford, Chris Maddock, Claire Shaw (reeds); Nick Fitch (guitar); Jack Tustin (bass); Luke Tomlinson (drums); Reuben Fowler (conductor) + circa 35 orchestral musicians.

* Not sure if I got the spelling right for their surnames
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