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Bebop Spoken There

John McLaughlin: '' A Love Supreme coincided with my search for meaning in life". (DownBeat, March 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

17838 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 159of them this year alone and, so far, 6 this month (March 3).

From This Moment On ...

MARCH 2025

Wed 05: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 05: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 05: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 06: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, Holystone. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 06: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £4.00. Subject: The Jazz Music of Quincy Jones.
Thu 06: BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. £32.00., £25.00., £16.00. ‘The Sound of Cinema’ featuring Emer McPartland (vocals).
Thu 06: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Thu 06: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm. Free. Guests: Dan Johnson (sax); Josh Bentham (sax); Gary Hadfield (keys); Adrian Beadnell (bass). A Tees Hot Club promotion. First Thursday in the month.

Fri 07: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 07: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 07: James Birkett & Emma Fisk @ Old Lowlight, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE. 7:00pm. £15.00. + bf. www.oldlowlight.co.uk. Rescheduled from Friday 7th February.
Fri 07: Jake Leg Jug Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £12.00.

Sat 08: Jamie Taylor, Graham Harvey, Andy Champion @ Divinity House Concert Hall, Palace Green Music Dept., Durham University. 7:00-9:00pm (6:30pm doors). £7.50. (£6.00. DUJS member). ‘An Evening of Jazz’. Later in the evening the trio will be joined by Freddie Krone, drums (Durham Uni final year music student).
Sat 08: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 08: Lagos to Longbenton @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Afrobeat, jazz-fusion.1:00pm. Free.

Sun 09: The New ’58 Jazz Collective @ Jackson’s Wharf, Hartlepool. 1:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 09: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 09: Tom Atkinson @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Tom Atkinson & co play jazz standards, bebop, free jazz, Latin & more. Upstairs. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.
Sun 09: Eva Fox & the Jazz Guys @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig. Downstairs.
Sun 09: Zhenya Strigalev’s 2025 Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 10: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club.

Tue 11: Giles Strong Quartet @ Newcastle House Hotel, Rothbury. 7:30pm.

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

Friday, January 24, 2025

Album review: Michael Buckley - Ebb and Flow (Livia Records)

Michael Buckley (tenor sax); Greg Felton (piano); Barry Donohue (bass); Shane O'Donovan (drums)

Another fine release from Livia. However, unlike many of their previous releases this one doesn't feature Louis Stewart. How could it? The Irish guitar wizard had been gone some eight years when this session was recorded. Nevertheless, in Michael Buckley we have the saxophone equivalent of Louis inasmuch as Buckley has an original voice that stands up to microscopic comparision with any hornman or woman from either side of the Atlantic.

He can swing, reflect, meditate, put the boot in or search to extend boundaries, whatever the music demands Michael Buckley comes up with the goods.

Felton, Donohue and O'Donovan are with him all the way. Their combined individuality coming out as one. All three are Dublin born and bred. There must be something in the air (or the Guinness) to spawn such talent. I once put the question to an Irish acquaintance. He replied, "To be sure there is, begorah, to be sure there is. It's called practice!" (I made some of that up and I don't think he was Irish either but, poetic licence and all that.)

Over the years, Buckley has been given much acclaim on BSH for his contribution to albums by vocalist Stella Bass, pianist/composer, John Donegan, bassist Michael Coady, trumpet player Colin Steele as well as the band DAGWA.

When I hear him in full flight I'm reminded of another sax playing Michael - the late Michael Brecker.

Jazz capital of the world? NYC, L.A. or London? Add Dublin to the list of contenders ...

Release date is on Feb. 27 and there is an album launch on the same day (9:00pm) at Arthur's Blues and Jazz Club, Dublin. Lance

Strange Taste; In a Foul Mode; Golden Rod; May Story; Sea Legs; That's All Fowlkes; Chewie; Free-ish; Sloppy in Time. All compositions are by Michael Buckley except May Story composed by Greg Felton.
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