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Bebop Spoken There

Stan Woodward: ''We're part of the British jazz scene, but we don't play London jazz. We play Newcastle jazz. The Knats album represents many things, but most importantly that Newcastle isn't overlooked". (DownBeat, April 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

17923 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 17 years ago. 244 of them this year alone and, so far, 91 this month (March 31).

From This Moment On ...

April 2025.

Tue 08: ???

Wed 09: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 09: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 09: Tannery jam session @ The Tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm.
Wed 09: Anatole Muster Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £17.50., £12.50. concs.
Wed 09: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. CANCELLED?

Thu 10: Indigo Jazz Voices @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:45pm. £5.00.CANCELLED!
Thu 10: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00., £10.00., £7.00. A Globe fundraiser (all proceeds to the venue).
Thu 10: Exhaust: Camila Nebbia/Kit Downes/Andrew Lisle @ Jesmond URC, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £13.20., £11.00. JNE.
Thu 10: Jeremy McMurray & the Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Feat. guests Ray Dales & Jackie Summers.

Fri 11: Zoë Gilby Quartet @ Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. 1:00pm. £8.00.
Fri 11: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 11: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 11: John Rowland Trio: The Music of Ben Webster @ Jesmond Library, Newcastle. 1:00pm. £5.00. Rowland (tenor sax); Alan Law (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass).
Fri 11: Imelda May @ The Fire Station, Sunderland. 7:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 11: Shunyata Improvisation Group @ Cullercoats Watch House. 7:30-9:00pm. Free (donations).

Sat 12: Jason Isaacs @ STACK, Seaburn. 3:30-5:30pm. Free. Vocalist Isaacs working with backing tapes.
Sat 12: Rob Heron & the Tea Pad Orchestra + House of the Black Gardenia + King Bees @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 6:30pm (doors). £18.00.
Sat 12: Bright Street Big Band @ Washington Arts Centre. 6:30pm. £12.00. Event includes swing dance taster session, DJ dance session. Bright Street Big Band on stage 7:30-8:15pm & 8:45-9:30pm. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Milne Glendinning Band @ The Vault, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free.
Sat 12: Imelda May @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £42.20. SOLD OUT!
Sat 12: Papa G’s Troves @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. Free. A ‘Jar on the Bar’ gig.

Sun 13: Daniel John Martin with Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 13: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Vocalist Skerritt working with backing tapes.
Sun 13: Hejira: A Celebration of Joni Mitchell @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:00pm doors). £22.50.
Sun 13: Wilkinson/Edwards/Noble + Chojnacki @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £13.20., £11.00. JNE.

Mon 14: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 14: Zoë Gilby Quintet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

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

Sunday, March 02, 2025

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).

1939 saw Swingin' the Dream open on Broadway. It closed 13 performances later. Based on A Midsummer Night's Dream it featured Louis Armstrong as Bottom, Maxine Sullivan as Titania and 'Moms' Mabley as Quince. Despite this somewhat ignominious start it did have more successful revivals and, if nothing else it gave the world that much-loved standard Darn That Dream.

That same year British dance band pianist/composer Arthur Young put music to four of Shakespeare's songs: It Was a Lover and his Lass; Oh Mistress Mine; Sigh no More Ladies and Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind that were beautifully sung by Marian Mann with Bob Crosby's Bobcats. Cleo Laine recorded the same four titles in 1959 and again on her classic 1964 album Shakespeare and All That Jazz

Fast forward to Canada where, in 1956 at the Stratford, Ontario, Shakespeare Festival, the Oscar Peterson Trio (Herb Ellis guitar, Ray Brown bass) recorded a magnificent album opening up with Falling in Love With Love.

1957 produced what can only be described as a master's masterpiece or, to be more  precise, two masters - Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Such Sweet Thunder. The best ever Ellington band playing twelve compositions inspired by various Shakespearean plays and characters thus  we have Sonnet for Hank Cinq (Henry V), The Star-Crossed Lovers (Romeo & Juliet), Lady Mac (Lady Macbeth) etc. 

1962 and the movie All Night Long. Based on Othello, although panned by jazz and film critics alike there were on-screen appearances by Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, Allan Ganley and others which made it well worth a seat in the stalls.

The Seven Ages of Man, a suite by Ken Rattenbury based on Jacques' soliloquy in As You Like It, was broadcast on the BBC Midland Home Service in 1963. I don't think it was ever issued commercially but I was fortunate enough to obtain a cassette from the composer himself. 

The aforementioned Cleo Laine album, Shakespeare and All That Jazz has the soon to be Lady Dankworth in top form on what is perhaps the greatest British jazz vocal album of all-time. Truly an absolute classic. Recorded in 1964, as well as the four pieces by Arthur Young  there are two from Such Sweet Thunder and eight originals by husband John. A further attraction are the trumpet solos by Kenny Wheeler.

West Side Story by Bernstein and Sondheim was, arguably, the last  great musical on both stage and screen. Based on Romeo and Juliet, it's packed full of great songs and dance routines but only of peripheral interest from a jazz point of view until ... enter Buddy Rich! On his album 1996 Swingin' New Big Band arranger Bill Reddie orchestrated a medley of tunes from West Side Story that culminated in an extended drum solo by Buddy. It may not be a direct link to Shakey but it's close enough for jazz as the saying goes.

A cheeky one to finish off with. J.S. Bach was noted for his improvising as was the late French pianist Jacques Loussier whose version of Bach's Air on a G String was, for many years, used on a television commercial for Hamlet Cigars! It was initially recorded in 1963. I'm sure there are many summit meetings 'twixt Bard and Bird. Lance

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed reading this. Interesting and informative. Thanks. Roly.

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