The '58 Jazz Collective @ Dorman's Jazz Club, Middlesbrough - October 4

Kevin Eland (trumpet/flugel); Paul Donnelly (guitar); Donna Hewitt (tenor sax/clarinet/flute); Dave Archbold (keys); John Daniel (bass); Alex Cromarty (drums); Jan Spencelayh (guest vocalist).

Led by Kevin Eland and with a changed line-up, this month's guest band gave us an entertaining night of jazz. Several of the numbers were recently arranged by Dave Archbold, and given a fine and polished performance that was much appreciated by a good sized audience.

Clifford Brown's Sandu gave a fine start to the night with solos all round and a tight ensemble sound clearly showing how well they all played together.

Jan, with excellent backing from the band, showed her skills as the fine jazz vocalist that she is with the Peggy Lee classic He's a Tramp.

Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2024 @ the Globe. Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat, Catriona Bourne Quartet, Heather Ferrier - Oct. 6

© Ken Drew

Emma Johnson (tenor sax); Fergus Vickers (guitar); Richard Johnson (piano); Angus Milne (bass); Steve Hanley (drums).

The Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music 2024 went out on a high. In fact if it had drawn to a conclusion any higher then we'd have been sitting on the roof!

This was the third appearance by Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat at the Globe and, as at their previous gigs at the venue, they blew up a storm. The band, like all great bands, captures the mood of each of the compositions - all originals by Emma. 

The Musicians' Company Young Jazz Musician Competition 2024 - Tina May J...

Maurice Summerfield kindly sent me this YouTube recording of the finalists in the Musicians' Company Young Jazz Musician of the Year Competition 2024 - Tina May Award.

As Maurice pointed out to me there's some young saxophone talent on display - There most certainly is! Lance

Luis Verde Quartet @ Central Bar, Gateshead - Oct. 6

Luis Verde (alto sax); Joe Steels (guitar); John Pope (double bass); John Hirst (drums)

October's concert at Central Bar featured Luis Verde. First heard at a Black Swan jam session, in no time at all our Spanish alto saxophonist made a major impact on the regional jazz scene. A razor-sharp approach to playing standards, Verde also excels in other contexts, not least that of original composition, both his own and those of others. This Sunday afternoon performance would focus upon the latter - original composition. 

Lewis Watson Quartet @ Wylam Institute - Oct. 5

Lewis Watson (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

A first jazz concert at Wylam Institute. Would anyone turn up? Train from Newcastle Central, one stop after Blaydon* on the Tyne Valley line, a short walk up Main Road, turning right and there's the Institute. Opening the door, there stood Lewis Watson. Have you got an audience? your scribe enquired. Yeah, replied the main man. 

A typical village hall set up, cabaret table layout, a bottle bar, a relaxed air about the place. As the seven thirty start approached, how about this? More table and chairs were required! By the down beat the hall was standing room only. Jazz in Wylam, as of this evening, it's all the craze.

Album review: Vanisha Gould - She's Not Shiny, She's Not Smooth (Cellar Music)

Vanisha Gould (voice, composer); Chris McCarthy (piano); John Sims (bass); Jongkuk Kim (drums)

All of the these little things we do, that I do, to make sure everything goes smoothly - you can bet your bottom dollar that something will go wrong.

The above philosophy is the theme behind this collection of originals, commissioned by the Jazz Gallery and composed by NYC based singer/songwriter Vanisha Gould. 

The words are perceptive, a mix of humour and pathos written by someone who's been there and back and survived - sometimes, not often, to advantage.

I've been there, you've been there, everybody's been there - it's one of life's inescapable facts.

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm)

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen

Playlist 06/10/24 (repeated Tuesday 08/10/24)

Requests: Henry Mancini

James Birkett talks jazz & makes his picks: Eddie Lang & Joe Venuti, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Joe Pass/Ella Fitzgerald, John McLaughlin & Shaki, Pat Metheny.

New Release: John Donegan.

Memories: Papa Jo Jones (drum solo), Harry 'Sweets' Edison/MJQ, Kenny Garrett.

Aycliffe Radio is available on DAB in County Durham & Darlington Area.

Joel Frahm Trio/Saul Duff's Dufftet @ Seven Arts, Leeds - Oct. 3

© Patti

Joel Frahm (tenor sax); Dan Loomis (double bass); Ernesto Cervini (drums)

To pack an overnight bag and jump onto a Transpennine Express down to Leeds suggests that something special was afoot ... and it was!

Last month I reviewed Lumination by the Joel Frahm Trio (HERE) and my immediate reaction was an urge to see/hear this trio live. When the word got out that they were doing a European tour with four dates in the UK and that one of them was 'down the road' at Seven Arts in Leeds the die was cast.

If I'd had any pre-gig reservations they were soon disposed of. From the opening bars of  The Nurse is in this was everything I hoped for and more. Frahm's fingers producing amazingly fast phrases and runs that came from subterranean depths up to  altissimo heights and higher. At times, by some saxophonic jiggery-pokery, he managed to blow two notes at once - or so it seemed!

Preview: Indigo Jazz Voices + Little Big Band @ The Globe - Thursday October 10

David Edgar, Jen Errington, Paul Close, Jenny Lingham, Carrie McCullock (individual vocals); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor saxophone); Pete Tanton (trumpet).

An Indigo Jazz Voices special with their Little Big Band downstairs at The Globe on October 10. Individual vocal performances will include Feeling Good with a bit of Sway, some Ramblin’ On My Mind and Day In, Day Out, plus a trip to the moon – a song about it at least, among many others.

 

The singers are accompanied by superb musicians. You will probably all know them by now and if not, make sure you come along to ensure you do. They are great!

 

Performance starts at 7.45pm. £5 cash on the door.

See you there! CMc

Album review: Samara Joy - Portrait (Verve)

Samara Joy (vocals); Jason Charos (trumpet, flugel); David Mason (alto sax, flugel); Kendric McCallister (tenor sax); Donavan Austin (trombone); Connor Rohrer (piano); Felix Moseholm (bass); Evan Sherman (drums)

Samara Joy's new album is, as expected, outstanding. Hearing her with four horns and rhythm is mindblowing. Her range is awesome and that's not a word I use lightly. For me to describe something as awesome simply means that it is, well, er, awesome!

Is there a singer outside of the Met, La Scala or the Royal Opera House with such a range? I doubt it.

Eight songs, some more familiar than others but, once heard, all become unforgettable.

The Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill - Oct. 1

Last night, BSH's County Durham jazz hound Tony Eales ventured out to the wilds of Ferryhill. Why Ferryhill? Well, TE got wind of a new session at the Masonic Hall. Peter Morgan's Customs House Big Band gave the first in a series of 'first Tuesday in the month' concert performances. TE reports a healthy turn out, the Masonic Hall's bar was open and no funny handshake was required to gain admission! The CHBB's next concert is scheduled for Tuesday Nov. 5. 7:30pm. Russell   

The Black Swan jam session - Oct. 1

Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Sid White (drums) + Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Joe ? (drums); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Olly Styles (tenor sax); Jack ? (drums); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Ian Drever (vocals); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Darius ? (vocals); Paul Gowland (alto sax, piano); Owen Jones (double bass); Lisa ? (vocals); Edgar Bell (trumpet); Josh ? (piano); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Jacob Egglestone (guitar); Moyo ? (guitar); Roger ? (vocals)

Newcastle at St James' Park*, Sunderland at the Stadium of Light**, Tyne and Wear's Metro network would be busy. The ongoing works on the Tyne Bridge wouldn't help matters, parking spaces at a premium. Attendance at the Black Swan jam session could take a hit.

At the down beat (half past seven) the room wasn't as full as usual. Take That (!), Chic Corea and Jerome Kern for starters. The trio nicely warmed up (Messrs. Young, Grainger and White), the floor was open to...the Ruddicks, Paul (alto sax) and Shivan (trumpet), Paul Gowland (alto sax), all doing the business.

R.I.P. Tommy Weatherley

More sad news. North east trombone legend Tommy Weatherley died early this morning at the age of 91.

Tommy, brother-in-law of another north east trombone legend the late Ronnie McLean, was for many years the first call trombone player not only locally but further afield playing with the Teddy Foster Band, the Squadronaires, Don Smith, Jimmy Bence and many more even conducting the Count Basie Band on a cruise.

Back in 2011 Colin Aitchison collated a photo album of Tommy's career Which can be viewed HERE. The above photo of Tommy with the Squadronaires captures him to perfection.

Well remembered and sadly missed with sincere condolences to Lorna and family.

RIP Lance

R.I.P. John Cram

The death has been announced in today's Shields Gazette of organist/accordionist John Cram on Sept. 27.

Although not an out and out jazzman he could, because of his acute sense of pitch, hold his own in any musical situation.

He began on accordion and his teacher, my father, would marvel at how quickly he picked things up. He only needed to hear it once and he'd nailed it.

After playing in local dance bands on accordion, and I was privileged to sometimes share the stage with him, with the expansion of the working men's clubs he switched to Hammond organ and became resident at Hebburn's Elmfield Social Club for many years.

Album review: Zaccai Curtis - Cubop Lives! (Truth Revolution Recording Collective)

Zaccai Curtis (piano); Luques Curtis (bass); Willie Martinez III (timbales); Camilo Molina (congas, pandero); Reinaldo DeJesus (bongos, chekere, guiro)

Zaccai Curtis is deeply immersed in both bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz which makes any recording by him a shoo-in for BSH. As the pianist points out, bebop and Cuban jazz were one of the earliest forms of fusion and, in my own opinion, probably the most natural.

Here he pays homage to the early greats of both genres, delving into works by: Monk, Ray Bryant, Dizzy, Hilton Ruiz, Noro Morales (x 4), Kenny Drew, Kenny Durham and Charlie Parker. He even takes Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag down to Havana, gives a Latin touch to When I Fall in Love and Someday my Prince Will Come and plays Moose the Mooche as a cha cha cha. On top of all that cubop he's also contributed three of his originals that tick all the boxes.

October highlights...

October is a month of non-stop goodies. The Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music continues across the first week of the month, running up against two unmissable gigs, the first of them on Saturday evening, the second on Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, doors at 7:00pm (Oct. 5), tenor saxophonist Lewis Watson pops up in Wylam with his acclaimed quartet and at two o'clock on Sunday (Oct. 6) alto saxophonist Luis Verde appears at Gateshead's Central Bar (see the BSH listings). What a start to the month!

Preview: Classic Jazz Party 2024

Mike Durham's International Classic Jazz Party is almost upon us. This year's CJP, scheduled over the long weekend of November 1-3 at the Village Hotel, Cobalt Business Park on North Tyneside is completely sold out. Musicians will be flying in from all over the world, many festival attendees will be travelling from all four corners of the globe, and then there's the British contingent, all converging on NE27 0BY.

Shellac (K): Gene Krupa - Leave Us Leap/That Drummer's Band

K presented me with the unenviable task of having to choose between Stan Kenton, the John Kirby Sextet, Andy Kirk and his Clouds of Joy or Gene Krupa and his Orchestra. All front runners and packed with great soloists, singers and arrangers. A difficult choice and, in the end, I opted for Krupa and Leave Us Leap (YouTube).

Ed Finkel's composition and arrangement is outstanding and, along with solos from Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Charlie Ventura (tenor sax), Tommy Pederson (trombone), Teddy Napoleon (piano) and, of course, the leader himself, it's just about as swinging as it could get in 1945. That one bar of silence in the out chorus always sends shivers down my spine!