Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Thu 23: FILM: Big Mama Thornton: I Can’t Be Anyone But Me @ Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle. 6:15pm. Dir. Robert Clem (2025).
Thu 23: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 23: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 23: Jeremy McMurray’s Pocket Jazz Orchestra & Musicians Unlimited @ ARC, Stockton. 8:00pm. £19.00. inc. bf.

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thursday, October 17, 2024

The Olivia Cuttill Quintet @ King's Hall, Newcastle University - Oct. 17

Anonymous
Olivia Cuttill (trumpet, compositions); Issey Chivers (vocals); Tom Harris (piano); Fergus Quill (bass); Miles Pillinger (drums).

When I took my seat in the King's Hall Recital Room in Newcastle University for a 45 minute lunchtime concert little did I think I was about to witness one of the 'Gig of the Year' contenders. After all, there's some mega names in the running already - and the opening number, Isabella, did nothing to change things. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, Cuttill displaying a big round sound on an interesting composition but the (musical) Earth didn't move for me.

All that changed after vocalist Chivers joined the band. Suddenly, it all happened. The voice, the trumpet, the rhythm section were playing for keeps! I don't know if Olivia's trumpet tone was enhanced by the room's acoustics but the sound reminded me of the late Roy Hargrove, maybe even richer and fuller. I was hooked and, if that wasn't enough, Busy (seven out of the eight tunes were originals) had a clever lyric that any housewife/househusband could relate to. Deal Issey in on the vocal and you've got perfection - or as near as dammit!

The only non-original - Bobby Timmons' Moanin' - had a lyric based around Lee Morgan's trumpet solo. Olivia's solo was of comparable quality and Harris' piano solo was the icing on that particular cake. Who's moanin'? - Not me.

Linger For a While With the Sun. Languid and relaxed vocal, muted trumpet, nice - I think the sun outside showed its rarely seen face for the  occasion.

There's a House Down by the Station. Not only a great trumpet player, composer and lyricist, she also thinks up meaningful, and catchy, titles. This particular one related to the house where her grandmother once lived. Trumpet, piano and, of course, voice do it justice. One person, sitting not one hundred miles from me, said that they could imagine Louis Armstrong singing it - maybe...

Snooze Blues and everyone went for gold on this one not least Pillinger on drums. There was a party of very young schoolboys and one in particular was captivated by the drum solo. The youngster copied every move Miles made, sometimes even (correctly) anticipating him. Maybe one day he will be up there!

More drums and another great title - I've Won the Lottery.

Your Old Man's Plan, dedicated to her dad and with an emotional muted trumpet solo, brought this wonderful afternoon to a close.

Gig of the Year? Well, comparing these 45 minutes with your average 90/120 minute gigs - on that basis, it is! Lance

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1 comment :

Anonymous said...

In the hope that the Olivia Cuttill Quintet will return to the Kings Hall. They were amazing and inspirational.

Saturday, May 31, 2025 10:01:00 pm

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