Bill Ashton OBE (1936 - March 8, 2025)

The roll call of British jazz musicians whose careers were launched by an apprenticeship in NYJO - the National Youth Jazz Orchestra - is endless and still growing.

However, without the vision of its founder Bill Ashton who, in 1965, led the band from the front until his retirement in 2009 it would have been a totally different story and many a young jazz musician wouldn't have gained the knowledge and the experience to make them what they are today.

Bill Ashton's achievements were recognised in 2010 when he was awarded with a well-deserved OBE. Truly a legend. He was 88 year-old may he REST IN PEACE.

Lance

Ps: There's a beautiful tribute by Simon Spillett on his F/book page.

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

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

Playlist 09/03/25 (repeated Tuesday 11/03/25)

Requests: Jelly Roll Morton.

Requests from T J Johnson band & Luis Verde Quartet.

T J Johnson.

(RIP Rick - Peggy Lee/Quincy Jones).

Two Ladies in Satin.

To nudge me into the Land of Nod I usually play an album to help me along the way. Lately I've been playing Lady in Satin - one of Billie Holiday's last recordings. It's one of the few, maybe the only one, where she's accompanied by an orchestra - strings, the whole nine yards. 

Recorded in 1958 I remember it was slagged off by the critics at the time. Listening to it for the first time all these years later (the critics put me off passing my own judgement earlier) I'm compelled by the poignancy of the cry-for-help vocals. This wasn't your bouncy, technically flawless, Ella style singing. This was as heartfelt an outpouring as any singer ever emoted on record. Even Sinatra the Great never matched this level of anguish.

R.I.P. Don Fairley

Don at left of pic.

Back in 2020 we erroneously reported on the death of trombonist Don Fairley. This turned out to be 'fake news' for which I was embarrassingly apologetic. 

Sadly, this time the sad news is real and one of the north east's all-time great trombonists has passed away after a long and painful illness.

A great musician - big band, small band, bebop or trad, Don could handle them all - and also one of the friendliest persons I've ever known. My thoughts are with all who knew him - a true gentleman. Lance

Ps: I don't yet know the date of his passing but I'm assuming it was within the last few days.

Preview: ARQ at 5 on3 ( Friday 7)

© Ken Drew

This afternoon at five o'clock, presenter Katie Derham welcomes into the BBC Radio 3 In Tune studio the Alison Rayner Quartet.

Later in the month (Sunday 16), bassist Rayner's quintet (ARQ) - Diane McLoughlin (sax), Deirdre Cartwright (guitar), Steve Lodder (piano) and drummer Buster Birch will be in concert on Railway Street in Newcastle. The Globe, Newcastle Jazz Co-op's HQ award-winning venue, is likely to be busy on the night. Book now at: www.theglobenewcastle.bar. Russell 

BBC Big Band @ The Hippodrome, Darlington - March 6

Barry Forgie (MD); Tom Dennis, Andy Greenwood, Damian Bell, Steve Fishwick (trumpets); Alistair White, Rob Harvey, Gordon Campbell, John Higginbotham (trombones); Sammy Mayne, Rob Buckland (alto sax, flute, clarinet); Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor sax, flute, clarinet); Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax, flute, clarinet); Andy Hunter (baritone sax, flute, clarinet); Robin Aspland (piano); Malcolm MacFarlane (guitar); Jeremy Brown (double bass); Tom Gordon (drums); Emer McPartland (vocals)

The Sound of Cinema. The BBC Big Band's conductor, Barry Forgie, arranged and curated a concert progamme drawing on some of the many great movie soundtracks from the last eighty years. Perm eighteen from a pool of top class musicians (a pool probably into three figures) and you've got yourself a fabulous big band. This evening's line-up differed markedly from the orchestra's most recent visit to the region (Gateshead's Glasshouse, December) with something like eight changes in personnel.

R.I.P. Bunky Green

A beautiful ballad performance by alto saxist Bunky Green who passed away on March 1 at the age of 89.

Alongside him are Donald Byrd (trumpet); Jimmy Heath (tenor sax); Wynton Kelly (piano); Larry Ridley (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Outstanding solos from Bunky, Byrd, Heath and Kelly. Sadly all are now gone but thank goodness we have recordings like this to remember them by.  Lance

NEWSFLASH! Knats featured in April issue of DownBeat

The Knats bandwagon seems to be gathering pace. Interviewed in the March issue of Jazzwise they're now featured in the April edition of DownBeat - the world's leading publication when it comes to jazz, blues and beyond.

Anybody who's anybody in the music world are featured, at some point in their career, in what is universally regarded as the 'Jazz Bible' the big difference is that Knats have got their foot in the door quicker than most. I foresee a tariff-free American  tour looming on the horizon.

The actual interview, like the Jazzwise one, stresses their continuing loyalty to their north east roots. Watch this space ... Lance

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival (Youth) - Sunday, March 2

The last lap of this year's GNBBJF. Best laid plans can go awry. This afternoon they did, go awry, that is. Traffic delays necessitated a shuffling of the pack. Who would be a festival director?! Bill Watson has seen it all before and behind the scenes it was agreed to change the running order.

York Music Forum Youth Jazz Ensemble (MD, Ian Chalk) stepped up, ready to go at a moment's notice. George Cable's Inner Glow (arr. I. Chalk) set the standard, excellent ensemble work with solo contributions from Benedict Nightingale (trombone) and Samuel Jarvis (alto sax). Two further arrangements by the band's MD - Brad Mehldau's When it Rains and Horace Silver's Nutville - put the York outfit in pole position. 

Roy Ayers (1940 - March 4, 2025)

Roy Ayers wasn't a complete stranger to Tyneside. I was fortunate to catch him live at Hoochie Coochie (now Pilgrim) back in 2015 and the following year Steve T heard him at Sage Gateshead (now the Glasshouse). Sadly, we will never hear him live again as he left us on Tuesday (March 4).

Undoubtedly the funkiest of vibes players Ayers, like Quincy Jones, covered a wide musical spectrum as both a player and a producer.

He will be sadly missed but I/we will treasure those precious moments spent within listening distance of a legend.

Roy Ayer was 84, may he Rest In Peace. Lance

Album review: Robin Phillips - Return From the Source (Repmusic)

Robin Phillips (vocals, keys) + (collective): Neil Cowlan (guitars); Jihad Darwish, Louis Thorne, Rob Anstey, Damian Nueva (bass); Claire Brock, Alex Best, Billy Kilson (drums); Leroy Jones (trumpet); Sam Sankey (trombone); Stacey Dawson, James Martin, Dan Ostreicher (saxes) + Darius Luke Thompson, Hayley Pomfrett (violins tks 6, 10); Una Palliser (viola tks 6, 10); Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir (tk 10) 

Phillips' first album of originals in 20 years finds the singer, pianist, composer in good voice. There's an appealing bluesy, funky soulful sound to his voice that shows his songs off to good advantage. 

The songs and the album were actually inspired by a motorbike road trip from Chicago to New Orleans. Places he'd visited, books he'd read and his thoughts on the world in general all contributed to the end product. If he'd been thinking about the world this past week the song may have been different.

Now you C it, now you Don't!

Just as the advent of the long-playing vinyl  record cast the 78rpm single to dust the arrival of the compact disc did likewise to the LP - or so we were told. I've never entered the CD v LP argument - both have/had their plus points.

Soundwise, I have no preference as the quality seems to vary in both formats. What sounds good in one usually sounds good in the other and vice versa.

Obviously the CD takes up less space and usually has more tracks than the LP. It also has more extensive sleeve notes that are invariably printed in such a small font size that I've never managed to reach the end of the text.

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival (Schools) - Sunday, March 2

A second day of competition, comprising school and youth categories. The first competition of the day would features school bands. The youth section would follow. Just three competition entries this year, two from the region and one from distant Telford in Shropshire. As the hall began to fill up (families, friends, big band fans) the first band took to the stage. 

Previous winners here in Chester-le-Street, all the way from Shropshire (a distance in excess of 200 miles), the thought occurred Haberdashers' Abraham Darby Senior Jazz Band (MD, Tom Gledhill) hadn't made the long journey for nothing. Abraham Darby would present four numbers for consideration. Birdland is always well received, what a great start! The band's performance of Lennie Niehaus (Northwest Journey), Neal Hefti (Li'l Darlin') and Bill Reddie's Channel One Suite suggested the Telford outfit would take some beating. 

Jamming at the Black Swan - March 5

Stuart Collingwood (piano, vocals); Paul Grainger (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums) + Ian Drever (vocals); Edgar Bell (pocket trumpet); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Luis Verde (alto sax); Leah Kirk (vocals); John Rowland (tenor sax); Bailey Rudd (drums); Lara Hopper (trumpet); Sam Toulson  (alto sax); Julija Jacenaite (vocals); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Kate O'Niell (vocals); Bailey Rudd (drums); Kate O'Neill (vocals); ? (piano); Olly Styles (tenor sax); Liam Oliver (guitar); Jay Straughan (drums); Joe (drums); Shayo (vocals); Jessica ? (piano); Becky Tuck (vocals); Remi Coulthard Boardman (vocals); David Gray (trombone); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Ryan ? (alto sax); Owen Jones (double bass); Theo Nolan (drums)  

Don't get around much anymore sang Stu Collingwood. The Black Swan jam session was underway. As crooner Ian Drever got the nod, bassist Paul Grainger and drummer Abbie Finn went to the bar, leaving maestro Collingwood to guide Drever through Manhattan (Edgar Bell determined to get his two penn'orth in from the sidelines). 

Album review: Thomas Backman – Nothing (Modern Musik)

Thomas Backman (alto & baritone saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, synthesiser); Josefine Lindstrand (lead vocals, backing vocals, grand piano); Cecilia Linné (cello); David Lindvall (electric bass, synthesisers, guitar); Martin Ohman (drums, drum machines, electronics) Eze Jackson (rap); Tomas Ebrelius (violins, viola); Magnus Wikland (trombone); Lena Swanberg, Anton Forsberg, Jokob Sollevi, Josefine Lindstrand (choir)

If you’ve been searching for the missing link between rap, sprechsang, muscular European free jazz and Nancy Sinatra singing You Only Live Twice congratulations, you’ve found it in Thomas Backman’s new album. To say that it demands attention is the understatement of 2025; there’s a lot packed into a short space of time. An internet search reveals terms such as ”crime jazz” and ”slow burn yearning widescreen chamber pop”, artpop and hip-hop, shoegaze and free jazz all applied to Thomas Backman’s work. With a menu like that, the question has to be whether it is possible to present beauty, elegance and brutality within a single coherent album?  

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival - Saturday 1 March

The first of two competition days at the 2025 Great North Big Band Jazz Festival began at noon. Senior bands (all ten of them) competing in the 'open section', were coming to terms with the new reality - the absence of the all-conquering Managers Big Band. Six consecutive victories and then the band from Bolton was gone. 

First to enter the ring, Darlington Big Band (MD, Richie Emmerson). Chick Corea's Spain (Dave Archbold at the piano) the opening shot across the bows. A sound beginning. A Frank Mantooth arrangement of Wave featured Dave Brock (trombone) and bandleader Richie Emmerson on tenor sax. It isn't too often BSH gets to hear Darlington's finest - last year here at the GNBBJF and before that, in December 2023 at Opus 4 Jazz Club. One thing's for sure, the band always puts on a great show.

Knats' Album Launch @ The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle – Feb. 28

George Johnson (tenor sax); Ferg Kilsby (trumpet, flugel); Tom Ford (guitar); Sandro Shargorodsky (keyboards); Stan Woodward (bass); King David Ike-Elechi (drums) feat. Just-B (vocals); Dylan Orba (trombone)

Knats marked their debut album launch with an epic homecoming at a packed Lubber Fiend and it was only right that they chose Newcastle where it all started back in 2021 at Nunsmoor Park, the Globe and Hoochie Coochie.  The Lubber Fiend is somewhat smaller and - how shall I put it? - rough and ready, compared to their most recent gigs at Sage Two and Mandela Hall (Belfast) but the sound was excellent and it all added to the atmosphere of a rather special night.

© David Hall

The settled Knats line-up of locals Stan, King and Ferg now boasts London colleagues Sandro on keys and 2024 BBC Young Jazz Musician finalist George on tenor (does a Georgian count as an honorary Geordie?). The album featured a number of guests including the remarkable guitarist and producer Tom Ford who was tempted up north for a weekend in the Toon to play alongside the regular quintet here.  

Press release: SNJO looks east for spicy musical adventures

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra expands its horizons with a series of concerts entitled 21 Spices and featuring the sensational Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu in Glasgow, Perth and Edinburgh from 28th to 30th March.

The son of vocalist Shobha Gurtu, a legendary figure in Indian classical music known as the Thumri Queen, Trilok Gurtu has won an international reputation for his work with guitarists John McLaughlin and Pat Metheny, saxophonists Jan Garbarek and Pharoah Sanders and keyboardist Joe Zawinul. He has also appeared with world music stars Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, Omara Portuondo, and Tuvan throat singers, Huun Huur Tu and has recorded and toured with Italian virtuosi, the Arke String Quartet.

Album review: Bill O'Connell - Touch (Jojo Records)

Bill O'Connell (piano); Santi Debriano (bass); Billy Hart (drums)

A lovely album full of sensitivity, excitement, rich harmonies and compositions, both standards (3) and originals (8), that tug at the heart, the feet and the brain - particularly the brain as O'Connell gives you plenty to think about.

Touch, the contact between fingers and piano keys that separates the artist from the ham-fisted piano player who can physically de-tune a piano in approximately 32 bars down the pub on a Saturday night (back in the day when they had ham-fisted piano players down the pub on a Saturday night). O'Connell is certainly not in that latter category!

Even when the rhythm becomes rockier, as on Herbie's Maiden Voyage, or the fast, technically brilliant, Around and Around, that touch prevails. It's like a sax player's magical reed, a trumpet player's favourite mouthpiece or a gig where the drummer isn't given a drum chart.

The Great North Big Band Jazz Festival - Friday, Feb. 28

In its 22nd year, the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival returned once again to Park View Community Centre in Chester-le-Street. As is tradition, the opening Friday evening concert featured Teesside's Musicians Unlimited. Many of the region's big band fans were in attendance - this is the event they don't ever miss! 

GNBBJF director Bill Watson introduced the band (Bill also plays in the band's trumpet section!) and the action got underway with a sparkling take on I'm Beginning to See the Light (Dan Johnson taking the first of several impressive alto sax solos). Neal Hefti's arrangement of Satin Doll went down well (any Hefti arrangement does!) and later in the evening we heard the band playing the late Dave Connolly's arrangement of Georgia, featuring the terrific vocals of Paul Skerritt. 

Knats in March issue of Jazzwise (twice!)

The March issue of Jazzwise not only devotes a full page interview with the rapidly rising, born in the north east, band Knats, but also gives their eponymous debut album a four (out of five) star rating which bodes well for their future.

Congratulations from all at BSH. We saw the band's potential in the beginning so I hope you'll excuse us for patting ourselves on the back for having the foresight to realise that Knats were something special. 

On the cover of the magazine Knats (bottom left hand corner) may be in smaller print than Ron Carter but so is Jim Mullen which isn't bad company to be in. Onwards and upwards! Lance

Preview: The Sound of the BBC Big Band, Darlington Hippodrome (Thursday March 6)

The Sound of Cinema is coming to Darlington! On Thursday evening, the world class BBC Big Band will be in concert at the Hippodrome to perform numbers from some of the silver screen's most iconic movies including Breakfast at Tiffany's, Meet Me in St Louis, Mission Impossible, The Pink Panther and more - what a treat for big band aficionados and cinema-goers alike!

Directed by Barry Forgie, the BBC Big Band comprises many of the British jazz scene's big hitters. Join Barry, the band and vocalist Emer McPartland for an unforgettable evening, curtain up at 7:30pm. Book now at: www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk.  Russell   

Angie Stone (1961 - March 1, 2025)

For many - myself included - Angie Stone has been the greatest soul singer of the last thirty-five years and (with Anita Baker in the eighties) the only one who can justly stand with the many great songstresses of soul music's golden years of the sixties and seventies. With influences from Aretha Franklin and Betty Wright in particular, she retained all of the qualities of classic soul while tastefully incorporating elements of hip-hop, to ensure her relevance to a younger audience.

I had two encounters with her BC (before covid); neither entirely successful, though through no fault of hers but the respective venues: the Ritz in Manchester and the Roundhouse in Camden. 

Sunday night @ the Globe: The Ali Watson Quartet March 2

© Sheila Herrick

Ali Watson (bass); Matt Carmichael (tenor sax); Alan Benzie (piano); Greg Irons (drums)

What I love about music and jazz in particular is the variety of sub-genres and the ever evolving new directions that it takes as it explores previously undiscovered shores.

During the course of the music's evolution, styles and genres were usually pigeon-holed geographically thus, in America, we had New Orleans, Chicago and Kansas City and  then west coast (L.A.) and east coast (NYC) all, generally, easilly identified by a knowledgeable enthusiast.

Apart from the rock/pop explosion that occurred in Liverpool in the 1960s no such regional variation has taken place in the UK - that is until now!

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

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

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

Playlist 2/03/25. (Repeated Tuesday 04 /03/25)

Requests: Charlie Barnet, Harry James.

Seasonal:  Clifford Brown & Max Roach.

Mardi Gras: Wynton Marsalis Quintet, Harry Connick Jr..

Requests: Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington/Mahalia Jackson.

Memories: Glenn Miller, Barrett Deems (Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong), Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Barney Bigard.

What’s On in the NE: The Jake Leg Jug Band, Zhenya Strigalev's.

Back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras: Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges, Chris Barber.

And All That Shakespeare.

Over the years, albeit not so often lately, the Immortal Bard has provided inspiration for jazz musicians and composers of popular music. Classical theatre meets classical jazz (and of course classical music but that's for another day in another place).

In 1938 a Rodgers and Hart musical, The Boys From Syracuse, made its debut on Broadway. Based on The Comedy of Errors, it included such future jazz standards as Falling in Love With Love, This Can't be Love, You Took Advantage of me and Sing For Your Supper. A couple of years later (1940 it reached Hollywood starring Allan Jones (Jack Jones' father) and Martha Raye (an early inspiration for Ella Fitzgerald).

Luis Verde Quartet @ Gala Theatre, Durham - Feb. 28

© Malcolm Sinclair

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

On a spring-like day the Gala's studio space attracted another capacity audience. Relocating from Spain to the north east of England, Luis Verde made a big impression sitting in at Newcastle's Black Swan jam session. It didn't take long before our alto saxophonist picked up gigs across the region - Newcastle (including a cameo appearance at the Newcastle Jazz Festival), Gateshead, Hexham and Darlington. Most of the Jazz at the Gala regulars would be hearing Luis for the first time. 

Book review: Paul Alex Bacon - The Mississippi Dreamboats

If you're a fan of New Orleans jazz then you will find interesting reading in this account of the life and times of the Mississippi Dreamboats and the band's co-leaders the husband and wife team of Paul  and Liz Bacon.

Their dedication to the music they have devoted their lives to over the years is well documented depicting their undiminished enthusiasm in an ever-decreasing world of jazz clubs and musicians au fait with the music.

With Paul playing drums and Liz on clarinet they formed the Mississippi Dreamboats in 1975 gigging around the Newcastle jazz clubs and, as they became established, further afield. The eponymously titled book, Paul Bacon's fifth*, relates many anecdotes of life on the road and the frequent hazards of the seemingly simple task of getting from A to B. The author describes the book as being about his wanderlust, meandering journey, playing jazz and discovering that the journey is often as important as the destination.