Sunday May 4 - 8:00pm-10:00pm, doors open at 7:30pm
£5 entry on the door, all welcome.
The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Stockport news
Album review: Andrea Rinciari - Soho Sessions (self released)
All is not lost! At least not if this album is anything to go by. I'm talking about straight ahead jazz as personified within these hallowed grounds by artists such as Vasilis Xenopoulos, Simon Spillett, Paul Booth, Dave O'Higgins and (and it's a very big AND) Alex Garnett. That they are all tenor players comes as no surprise. No other instrument quite captures the mainstream to modern feel of the tenor saxophone.
It's true that a case can be made out for just about any instrument but none come close to the tenor percentage wise. Italian guitarist Andrea Rinciari might dispute this latter statement and if there were more players of his calibre around then he'd have every right to. Bass and drums too make their case providing the power behind the throne. Tremendous!
Today is International Jazz Day
Today, April 30, is International Jazz Day, a day when our music in its many forms is celebrated to a greater or lesser degree in 190 countries across the Globe and, indeed it is at the Globe on Railway St where Newcastle marks the occasion.
Combining IJD with the Jazz Co-op's 11th birthday celebrations, activities begin at around 4:00pm (see HERE) culminating with a concert by Vienna born, London based, saxist Guido Spannocchi with bassist John Pope & drummer Steve Hanley starting at 7:30pm. Alternatively, you could fly to Abu Dhabi - DETAILS. Lance
(Press release) The 2025 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival Programme is LIVE!
From Friday 11 to Sunday 20 July, we present a genre-spanning
celebration—from bebop to boogie-woogie, funk to soul, trad to techno, swing to
searing blues-rock. There’s something for every musical mood in this year’s
programme.
Visit our website, or flick through our Digital Brochure
Acclaimed American guitarist Julian Lage is the final name in our Queen's Hall programme, joining the previously announced gigs from world-renowned singer Curtis Stigers, Scottish trumpet star Colin Steele, American blues icon Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Scotland's own corto.alto.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
April in York
I like old York in April, how about you? There's a certain buzz that I get from its cobbled streets, souvenir shops and restaurants where you can dine on a traditional Yorkshire Chicken Madras although I must confess that I opted for traditional Yorkshire fish and chips - allegedly from Whitby.
The weather was hot, hot, hot and the tourists were melting faster than the traditional Yorkshire ice cream they were eating. I too was perspiring profusely so I sought refuge in one of those emporiums run by the British Heart Foundation which turned out to be a gold mine in disguise!
Firstly I headed towards the impressive selection of books and what did I find? Three Robert B. Parker novels that I hadn't read! All featured private eye Spenser (with an s like the poet). In my eyes Spenser is up there with Marlowe, Spade and Hammer - he's tough.
Feels Like Home: Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet @ Queen's Hall, Hexham - April 27
This afternoon in sunny Hexham, following three duo gigs, Vasilis Xenopoulos and Paul Edis met up with Ken Marley and Russ Morgan to play the first of two quartet gigs. Queen's Hall Arts Centre's monthly Sunday afternoon concert series is going from strength to strength and, sure enough, the appearance of Vasilis and Paul attracted a large crowd.
Library books as a backdrop, the quartet opened with Going Home. Vasilis, Paul, Ken and Russ weren't going anywhere, at least not for now. Across three concerts on Friday and Saturday, pianist Paul had the luxury of playing an acoustic piano. This afternoon, it was a case of 'make do' with a Casio keyboard. Vasilis didn't require a mic, his tenor projecting to the back of the room for all to hear.
Durham Alumni Big Band @ Number One Bar, Darlington - April 26
Durham Alumni Big
Band: Shaune Eland (MD), Ian Robinson, Kevin Eland, Andrew Meadowcroft
(trumpets); Alistair White, Terry O'Hern, Andrew Kirtley, Paul Gilson
(trombones); Dan Johnson (alto sax), Steve McGarvie (alto sax); Richie Emmerson
(tenor sax); Barbara Fagan (tenor sax); Danielle Drew (baritone sax);
Paul Donnelly (guitar); Dave Archbold (keyboards); Mick Shoulder (bass guitar,
double bass); Stephen Fletcher (drums)
It had been quite a while since we last heard the Durham Alumni Big Band (October 2023, with guests Quentin Collins and Matt Roberts at Northgate United Reformed Church, Darlington). This sunny Saturday afternoon, standing on the corner of Skinnergate and Coniscliffe Road, the DABB shoehorned itself into Number One Bar. Good news! And Good News it was as the Alumni opened with Bob Mintzer's chart (as played by the Buddy Rich Band).
Jazz on the Tyne presents Singers in May
 |
In the latest edition of the podcast,
presenter Colin Muirhead plays vocal tracks linked to gigs taking place in the
North East during May. There’ll be music by Gregory
Porter, Jo Harrop, Living in Shadows, OUTRI feat. Ruth Lambert, the Milne
Glendinning Band, Tina May feat. David Newton, Fred Hersch & Norma
Winstone, Ana Silvera feat. Bill Laurance, Soha, Larry Carlton & Robben
Ford, Curtis Stigers, and Strictly Smokin' Big Band feat. Alice Grace.
You can listen to the show anytime HERE.
Plus, you can request music for future programmes, or pass on news or feedback by emailing Colin at jazz.tyne.hive@gmail.com or by heading to www.jazzonthetyne.org.
Monday, April 28, 2025
Album review: Champian Fulton & Klas Lindquist - At Home (Turtle Bay Records)
It all began at a dinner party thrown by Scott Asen, the founder of Turtle Bay Records after Fulton and Lindquist played a duo set. Asen was impressed and declared at one point that he wanted to record them.
He did, recording the album in the very room that the party took place in.
The resulting ten tracks are delightful.
Neil Yates with the Bim Williams Trio @ the Moor Club, Stockport - April 27
 |
| © Jeff Pritchard |
Neil Yates (trumpet, tenor sax, vocals); Bim Williams (guitar); Andrew Patterson (bass); Josh Savage (drums).
I kept hearing from various sources why I should not travel on Sunday (something about a Manchester Marathon causing delays) but when Stockport born brassman Neil Yates makes a rare visit to his home-town there was no way I was going to miss that. There were many jazz fans who obviously had the same idea as by the time the 8:oopm start time rolled along, the music room was full and there was an overspill of patrons into the adjoining area by the bar.
Sharing the bandstand was Bim Williams, a guitarist that I would describe as brilliant. I think this Sunday was his first appearance at the Moor Club but it would be nice if he made a speedy return visit.
Feels Like Home: Vasilis Xenopoulos & Paul Edis in Newcastle & Durham - April 25 & 26
 |
| © Patti |
BSH Editor-in-Chief LL reviewed the fifth of five north east of England concerts featuring the London-exiled duo Vasilis Xenopoulos (Greece) and Paul Edis (exotic Chester-le-Street). The review captured the essence of the duo's outstanding Sunday evening quartet gig at Newcastle Jazz Co-op's Railway Street HQ. Earlier (Friday), Vasilis and Paul appeared at Newcastle's Lit & Phil (lunchtime) and Blyth's Yamaha Music School (evening) and on Saturday evening, our globetrotting duo made a first visit to Elvet Methodist Church in Durham.
Sunday night @ the Globe: the Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet - April 27
 |
| © Ken Drew |
Come Wednesday (April 30) we'll be celebrating, not only International Jazz Day which in itself is a cause worth popping a cork for, but also the anniversary of the Globe as a community owned music venue where, over the past eleven years, there have been many great gigs. However, few, if indeed any of those gigs, have topped last night's session by the Vasilis Xenopoulos-Paul Edis Quartet - not even their own previous appearances! They were on fire!
A balanced mix of standards and originals by the two leaders had the audience voluntarily captured. No one even thought about leaving until they'd heard the very last note of the final cadenza. I didn't need the Metro, I floated home on a cloud.
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Larry Adler & Ellis Larkins on Talking Pictures next Sunday (May 4)
1959. In this rare reel, American harmonica player Larry Adler performs with pianist Ellis Larkins. He plays an original composition as well as Bach, Mozart, Gershwin and W.C. Handy.
12:40. Talking Pictures channel, May 4 (30 mins.). Lance
Neil Cowley Trio @ the Glasshouse - April 26
When faced with the prospect of reviewing a contemporary piano trio playing original material I pre-condition myself to fearing the worst. I think back wistfully to concerts by Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner, Teddy Wilson, Brian Lemon or Dave Newton and before a note has been played I'm thinking up excuses to leave early.
I feared tonight might be just such an occasion. However, any clouds of foreboding that may have been present quickly vanished and it soon became evident that here we had a trio reaching out to beyond the jazz eggheads.
The Darlington Big Band @ Dormans Jazz Club - April 24
Kevin Eland, Bill Watson, Karen Jones, Colin Moore (trumpets); Carolyn Norris, Alastair Wood, Neville Hartley, Keith Jeffrey (trombones); Richie Emmerson (MD tenor sax); Alan Thompson, Barbara Fagan (alto sax); Andy Devine(tenor sax); Daniella Drew (baritone sax); Dave Archbold (piano); Edd Maughan (guitar); Karen McLeave (bass); Stephen Fletcher (drums).
Hosting this bandt is always a pleasure and a night to look forward to consisting, as it does, of 17 first class musicians led by tenor saxophonist Richie Emmerson.
The experience and enthusiasm of the band was on show from the very start with the Sammy Nestico arrangement of Gershwin's Strike Up The Band, a great big band sound with a fine sax solo from Richie. Basie's Fun Time followed with some nice piano work from Dave.
Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeat Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm)
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen
Playlist 27/04/25 (repeated Tuesday 29/04/25)
Tracks to commemorate International Jazz Day (30th April)
Requests: The Chet Baker Quartet, Nubya Garcia, Stacey Kent, Billie Holiday & Teddy Wilson, Ma Rainey.
What’s on in the NE: Guido Spannocchi, Dom Pipkin, Hot
Fingers, Ben Crosland/Dean Stockdale.
Memories: Tommy Smith, Don Redman/Ian Carr.
For International Jazz Day: Duke Ellington.
Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & the
Darlington Area.
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Paul Skerritt Big Band @ the Glasshouse - April 25
 |
| © Russell |
Paul Skerritt's second appearance at the Glasshouse - it's becoming an annual fixture at the venue - was well-attended by an audience who were out to have fun. They were at the right place, at the right time, with the right performer to give then just that - fun!
This wasn't Gateshead, it was Vegas in its heyday with the Rat Pack compressed into one personality backed by a swinging big band.
The John Scofield Trio @ Ronnie Scott's - March 28
On those rare occasions when the stars align and you are in the right place at the right time to see the right person, it is an opportunity not to be missed. When the person is jazz guitar legend, John Scofield, and he is appearing at Ronnie Scott's, then that is the place to be. The only cloud in the night sky was that both shows were sold out.
However, as on many previous occasions, this needed to be seen as a challenge not an obstacle. Arriving early for the first performance, the number of what looked like diehard jazz fans at the door was not promising and the door staff were also pessimistic about getting a stand-by seat. Therefore it seemed sensible to withdraw and put all our efforts into the late show. On our return there was less of a queue and happily the door staff recognised us and were sympathetic to our efforts to get in. This time we were successful and were given seats at the bar, which I never mind.
Friday, April 25, 2025
Jazz FM Awards 2025 with PPL and PRS for Music
Lifetime Achievement Award: Billy Cobham
Impact Award (Sponsored by: Raymond Weil Genève): Jamie Cullum
Gold Award: Melody Gardot
UK Jazz Act of the Year – PUBLIC VOTE (Sponsored by: Rathbones): corto.alto
Album of the Year – PUBLIC VOTE (Sponsored by: Rayo): Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching
The Strictly Smokin' Big Band's 'Time After Time' live recording session (Bridge Hotel - April 24)
Michael Lamb (MD, trumpet,
flugelhorn), Dick Stacey, Billy Bradshaw, Tom Ruston (trumpets); John Flood,
Chris Kurgi-Smith, Mark Ferris, Kieran Parnaby (trombones); Keith Robinson,
Steve Summers, Jamie Toms, Matthew Forster, Sue Ferris (reeds); Graham Don
(keyboards); Pawel Jedrzejewski (guitar); Michael Whent (bass guitar); Dave
McKeague (drums); Alice Grace (vocals)
A somewhat different gig, if 'gig' is the word. The Strictly Smokin' Big Band thought it a good idea to record the band's next album in front of a 'live' audience. The Bridge Hotel serves as the the SSBB's rehearsal space with the occasional gig throw in for good measure. This evening the upstairs room on Castle Garth resembled a recording studio rather than a typical tables and chairs gig arrangement.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Album review: James Zito - Zito's Jump! (self-released)
James Zito (guitar/executive producer); Rodney Whitaker
(bass); Joe Farnsworth (drums); Luther Allison (piano); Joseph Miller (alto
sax); Chris Lewis (tenor sax, flute); Jarien Jamanila (baritone sax); Nicholas Dimaria (trumpet);
Jack Kotze (trombone) + Georgia Heers, Tyreek McDole (vocals on tk 8)
Zito's Jump!. The title track is pure 1970s' soul/funk. It sounds authentic albeit a bit predictable. Zito knows his way around the fretboard that's for sure.
Bird in the Wind. A nice catchy tune with a relaxed tenor solo that brought Georgie Auld to mind, guitar solo full of choice chords and intervals.
Island Girl. Not sure which island the girl is from but the rhythm, the delicate flute solo, and the contributions from piano and guitar suggest somewhere warm.
Press release: KIM CYPHER to play the Jazz Arena at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2025 with special guest ASHLEY SLATER
A milestone gig for UK saxophonist, vocalist and composer Kim
Cypher with an inspiring, feel-good backstory about following dreams,
taking chances, making sacrifices and never, ever giving up!
Kim Cypher is a Cheltenham girl born and bred, totally committed to her hometown and to the wonderful local community who continue to support her ongoing ‘journey’ as a jazz musician. It has been a long time coming, following a dream to give local musicians an opportunity to be celebrated and to have a ‘voice’ alongside national and international artists in their hometown festivals.
Seventeen years after her initial performance on the Cheltenham Jazz Festival Free Stage as part of the festival fringe back in 2008, Kim is incredibly proud and honoured to be part of the hugely respected main Cheltenham Jazz Festival this year, together with her highly respected band and special guest Ashley Slater.
Press Release: Celebrating Ten Years of Jazz London Radio
Jazz London Radio celebrates its tenth year, reaching fans
from London to the world! We will celebrate this throughout the month of April
and May with a series of special programmes by our Presenters.
Jazz London Radio began broadcasting in spring 2015 with the intention to
offer something a bit different to the more conventional jazz radio stations,
often found on the World Wide Web.
Jazz London Radio has achieved this through open ears and innovative shows.
Each programme adding unique colour to the palette of jazz music.
Preview: This Sunday (April 27) @ the Moor Club, Stockport
Neil was born in Stockport and is now based in North Wales. He has had a long and varied career as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and educator. As a performer he has carved a unique niche in the world of jazz and folk music and is in demand as a session musician. For more info see : Biography >> | neilyateswebsite
Preview: Paul Skerritt Big Band (Gateshead's Glasshouse - Friday 25th)
Tomorrow night (Friday April 25) Paul Skerritt's all-star seventeen piece big band returns to the Glasshouse, Gateshead. From an intimate jazz club engagement to the concert hall stage, vocalist Paul guarantees entertainment, big style! The Westovian Theatre in South Shields first presented Paul as a big band singer with the Danny Miller Big Band. Now fronting his own big band - the Paul Skerritt Big Band - all the indications are that tomorrow night's show in Hall 2 at the Glasshouse is going to be packed to the rafters. At the time of writing, only four seats are available on level 1, there is just one seat left on level 2 (flying solo?) and a handful up on level 3.
Bennett, Darin, Sinatra, Skerritt and more, book now for the Paul Skerritt Big Band. www.theglasshouseicm.org. Russell
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Preview: Dom Pipkin @ Cluny 2 - May 2
During lockdown one of the saving graces of those troubled times were Dom's inhouse livestreams - Saturday Piano Truth - that, hopefully kept bread on the table and rewarded viewers with some great jazz piano.
I first heard Dom at Hoochie in 2015 and again in 2018 at a venue in Darlington. The former with his backing band and the latter flying solo. Both were excellent and, trust me, the Cluny 2 session will be likewise. The only game in town. Lance
Retro EP review: Pete Brown/Marshall Royal - Alto Jump (Emarcy)
Marshall Royal (alto sax); Ben Webster (tenor sax); Bobby Tucker (piano); ? (bass); Jo Jones (drums). 1953
Remember the EP? Those 45 rpm discs with, usually but not always, two tracks per side. For a time they bridged the gap 'twixt single and long playing album and for a few years in the 1950s a lot of good jazz was issued in this format.
Alto Jump consists of four tracks by two groups - the Pete Brown Quintet and, considering that it too was a quintet, the bizarrely named Marshall Royal and his Orchestra.
Album review: Ofri Nehemya – Time Traveller (Adhyarova Records)
The joys of a small band with plenty of space to play shine through on this album; no one is getting in anybody else’s way and it’s almost like you can see how it all works in real time. It does feel like a drummer led album with plenty of snap and twists and turns and changes in time. This forward drive is reminiscent of the best of 1970s’ jazz-rock like Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. Of course, with a small, well-recorded group like this none of the musicians have anywhere to hide; thankfully, there are no weaknesses on display.
Press release/album review: Scarborough Jazz Festival - Live compilation CD 2024
The
team behind Scarborough Jazz Festival are proud to present a compilation
recording of their 2024 performances, ahead of this year’s festival forthcoming
in September.
Now in its 22nd
year, Scarborough Jazz Festival has built a solid, long-term reputation as an
important jazz event, featuring a diverse, high-quality line up of leading
musicians each year. Much of its success can be attributed to its founder Mike
Gordon and current festival director Mark Gordon, who have both worked
tirelessly to secure and coordinate performances from some of the world’s
finest musicians, thus taking its reputation from strength to strength.
Now with an official, high-quality recording of the 2024 edition, the festival is set to attract a new wave of positive attention from loyal fans and newcomers alike, to this year’s concerts.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
The Prohibition Bar to close on July 31.
The Prohibition Bar may not have had the idiosyncrasies of 'the caff' (or its late custodian) but it was certainly a more hygenic setting and you didn't leave scratching places you'd never scratched before. This time around it was only the music that was jumpin!
Monday, April 21, 2025
Sunday Night @ the Globe: C.A.L.I.E - April 20
 |
| © Ken Drew |
Seven incredibly talented Glasgow based musicians laid siege to the Globe last night with their near-unique brand of jazz/fusion.
Mainly original material, mainly by leader and front-person Birgis, plus a couple of covers made for an interesting evening although not all of the audience stayed the course.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Tonight @ the Globe (Press release) - C.A.L.I.E.
SEVEN fantastic musicians at the Globe on Sunday night, including Ewan Hastie, BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2022.
Get yourselves along folks!!
Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm)
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen
Playlist 20/04/25 (repeated Tuesday 22/04/25)
Happy Easter to all:
Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Benny Goodman, Carla Motis & the Sant Andreu
Jazz Band, Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan & Johnny
Hodges, Jacques Loussier Trio, Sammy Rimington, Oscar Peterson Trio, Modern
Jazz Quartet, Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton.
What’s on in the NE: Vasilis Xenopoulos -
Paul Edis Quartet, Andrea Vicari, JustKing Jones.
Easter: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme.
Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington Area.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
FeedSpot rates BSH No. 2 in the UK Jazz Blog ratings
The more observant of our site visitors cannot fail to have noticed the honours bestowed upon BSH by FeedSpot, the world's leading authority/statistician on these matters.
Check their overall listings @
https://bloggers.feedspot.com/
Currently we're rated at numbers 2 (UK) and 17 (international) which of course makes us very proud. However, like hemlines and saxophone solos, these can go up and down very quickly.
So, to keep BSH up there and in contention, please give us your continued support in the form of articles on jazz related items and relevant comments. Lance
Friday, April 18, 2025
Album review: Spike Wilner Trio Contrafactus - The Children & The Warlock (Cellar Music Group)
An emotional and heartfelt tribute to Wilner's mentor: pianist, composer and educator, the late Harry Whitaker who composed The Child and the Warlock. Garzone was brought in especially for the session and his paint-stripping solo on his own Hey, Open Up! gets things off to a good start. Wilner describes the trio as 'the children' and the tenor saxist as 'the warlock' - a title that's uber-appropriate when he's in full flight. Is there a more exciting tenor player on the contemporary scene? I'm exploring every avenue but I fear it will be a fruitless search the man's a monster!
A monster, but not one without a soul. Benediction oozes with Tranelike spirituality.
Newcastle's African American music legacy showcased at City Library
The BBC has posted details of an exhibition currently running at the City Library showcasing Newcastle's African American music legacy.
Details can be found HERE.
The exhibition runs until April 28 and should be of interest to students of jazz, rock, pop, soul and African American music in general.
Thanks to Dave Sayer for bringing this interesting exhibition to my attention. Lance
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Album review: Yotam Silberstein - Standards Vol. 2 (Jojo Records)
Like the first Standards session (reviewed HERE) Vol. 2 consists of another selection of lesser known standards played impeccably by a superb trio. All three of whom are grandmasters of that magical art we call jazz.
Blue Gardenia: From the 1953 movie of the same name. I recall seeing it at my local fleapit and being impressed by Nat 'King' Cole's version, sung at the piano in a restaurant. The voice as noir as the plot. Silberstein too does it justice and nobody gets killed.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Album Review: Anour Brahem – After The Last Sky (ECM)
How to start this review? Perhaps by referring to Elgar’s Cello Concerto which was his requiem for the fallen of the First World War? Brahem’s new album performs a similar function for the Palestinian fallen of the ongoing Israeli/Gaza conflict. The most recent figures, from February 2024, suggest that around 44,000 of Gaza’s people have been killed, but that figure is over a year old and there has been hardly a let off in the fighting since then. There will need to be a lot of exhumations before Trump can guarantee a golf course where the greens will run true. There’s no let off for Hamas in the sleeve notes, either, with references to the October 7 attacks that provoked this current conflict. I know that there are decades, if not centuries of history that we can go through, but there isn’t the space here to do that.
Album Review: Russ Spiegel - Nitty Gritty (Ruzztone Music)
Russ Spiegel
(electric/acoustic guitars); Jim Gasior (organ, piano); Lucas Apostoleris
(drums); Tim Armacost (tenor sax on tks 5, 6, 9, 10); Kurt Hengstebeck (electric
bass on tks 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11)
Sourcing the definitive etymology of the phrase “nitty-gritty,” you will find multiple possible answers ranging from the historical (“debris left in the bowels of slave ships”) to the risqué (“sexual delight”). There’s no definitive answer. However, what runs through almost all of these definitions is that they resonate soulful, i.e., Black elements. There’s no doubt, however, that with this, his seventh album, jazz guitarist, educator, composer, Russ Spiegel and crew deliver a wide range of classic jazz and neat originals, all of which exemplify the title.
Retro review: Alex Welsh - In Concert (Black Lion double album)
Another gem from my recent trip to Hexham. A double album by the Alex Welsh Band of 1971 recorded live in Dresden's Hygiene Museum. Forget about Lyttelton, Barber and the rest the Welsh band could outswing them all as this album proves.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Press release: Testimony bears witness to solo saxophonist's ability
 |
| © Douglas Robertson |
Saxophonist Phil Bancroft releases Testimony, an improvised suite for solo saxophone, as the sixth release on his Myriad Streams platform on Friday April 25.
Recorded during lockdown in 2021 in a barn on the smallholding he and his wife, Jude, had recently moved into, Testimony was musically completely unplanned and spontaneous.
“I was exploring the amazing acoustics of the barn and trying to learn how to make videos for social media,” says Bancroft. “So, I set up some cameras and a nice microphone and thought, ‘Let’s see what happens...’”
Preview: Knats' guide to the Newcastle jazz scene - tonight, Radio 2
The Jazz Show with Jamie Cullum is your weekly Tuesday evening radio listening. This evening (Tuesday 15 April) local heroes Knats talk jazz, that's Newcastle jazz, with Jamie Cullum. To quote the programme trailer: Self-proclaimed 'Geordie jazz' trio Knats [that's Stan, King and Ferg] celebrate music from the Newcastle scene and talk about their own new album. Tune to BBC Radio 2 at 9:00pm. Howay the Lads! Russell
Album review: Jeffrey Gimble - Brand New Key (Café Pacific Records)
Bye Bye Blackbird has, since its fledgling days in 1926, been played, sung and presented in many different guises. Some worked, a murder of them didn't. Sometimes the collective noun was an apt description. Gimble opts for a funky groove, occasionally upping the tempo, with the help of his fellow 'groovers' - it works.
Tryin' Times, by Donny Hathaway and Lee Hutson and recorded by Roberta Flack in 1969 suits Gimble's deep, husky, voice. He sings as though he's been there and got the t-shirt. Again, there's a touch of funk from Koonse.
The Zoë Gilby Quintet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - April 14
Zoē Gilby (vocals); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums)
Zoë Gilby made a welcome return to Blaydon Jazz Club. Bandleader Zoë invariably arrives at the Black Bull with her ace quartet, however, this evening we would be entertained by the Zoë Gilby Quintet. The Black Bull's 'postage stamp' stage is cramped at the best of times (duo/trio/quartet) and with the addition of tenor saxophonist Harry Keeble, Zoë would stand slightly left of centre.
Monday, April 14, 2025
Jim Muirhead Quartet @ the Moor Club, Heaton Moor, Stockport - April 13
 |
| © Jeff Pritchard |
Jim Muirhead (alto/tenor sax); Andrew Woodhead (keyboards); Ben Muirhead (bass); Nathan England-Jones (drums).
The 5:44pm train was again on time so I arrived at the Moor Club far too early. However, to my surprise the band had already arrived and were running through some tunes prior to the 8:00pm start. There was, however, a change in the original line-up as Dan Whieldon had been replaced by an excellent Birmingham based keyboard player Andrew Woodhead. I was pleased to see that there was a good turnout for this gig and, as well as the regular jazz fans, I noticed a few local musicians in the audience.
Album review: Brent Laidler - Hidden Gems (Bel Records)
(I was half-way through posting my review of this album when the background notes began to seem familiar, as if from some previous incarnation. Then the nickel dropped - it had already been reviewed by Nick Mondello, who oversees BSH's NYC operation. So, as such, I curtailed my review to a few random reflections on the album. To read Nick's more detailed (and superior) review CLICK HERE - Lance).
-------------
When is a contrafact not a contrafact? I don't know, best ask Brent Laidler who, it seems, mined fake books going back as far as the 1920s to find music that he could reshape into hip compositions for this, his latest album. Brent felt that many of the tunes had well-crafted changes that were amenable to re-working in a more modern idiom - sounds like contrafacting to me!
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