Bebop Spoken There

Gary Bartz: ''Music is nature's gift to man. It's the only religion. We're living in a terrible era, but what a beautiful thing music is. Look how it brings us together like religion is supposed to; and with no language barriers.'' (Jazzwise September, 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

18918 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 782 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Sept. 18.) 61.

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

September.

Sat 19: Tees Bay Swing Band @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal. All welcome.
Sat 19: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00-5:00pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner: Nina Simone. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 19: Ray Stubbs’ R&B All Stars @ Billy Bootleggers, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free.

Sun 20: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 20: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 20: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.

Mon 21: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 21: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. Coltrane centenary.

Tue 22: ???

Wed 23: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 23: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 23: Lewis Watson Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 7:30pm. A John Coltrane Centenary Concert (b. 23. 09. 1926). SOLD OUT!
Wed 23: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 24: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 24: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 24: Arun Ghosh @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 8:00pm (7:30pm doors). £21.05. (£22.00. on the door). A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Thu 24: Shalala @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £7.00.

Fri 25: Mark Williams Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. £9.00.
Fri 25: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 25: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 25: Get the Blessing + Dilettante @ The Cluny (Cluny 2), Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £18.00. + bf. A Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music event.
Fri 25: Jazz Sabbath @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Monday, April 28, 2025

Album review: Champian Fulton & Klas Lindquist - At Home (Turtle Bay Records)

Champian Fulton (piano, vocals); Klas Lindquist (clarinet, alto sax)

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.

After the intimacy of The Very Thought of You with Fulton's silky vocal and Lindquist's dextrous clarinet choruses comes an instrumental - an original by both participants titled Don't Do That to Me. Fulton plays piano as if she was born on the corner of 12th St. & Vine (if there ever had been such a junction in Kansas City!) and Lindquist wails on alto sounding more like a Blue Devil than a Scandinavian saxophonist.

You Can Depend on Me has more swinging alto underpinned by some juicy chords from Fulton who hits a Garner mode during her solo and rephrases the lyric beautifully.

Tea For Two complete with my favourite verse and a sensuality that bypassed Doris Day in her version back in 1948. Great alto solo, mighty fine piano, and a vocal to die for.

Serenade in Blue features Lindquist on clarinet. Always good to hear the 'gobbo' away from the trad format and closer, albeit not slavishly, to the Shaw/Goodman modus operandi.

Someday You'll be Sorry has vocal, piano and alto delivering the goods before Blossom Dearie's I Was Looking For You raises an already high bar even higher. Lindquist's alto again sustains the mood captured by Fulton. 

Bésame Mucho shines the spotlight on Lindquist's alto and despite the melancholy minor key it sparkles.

For My Monday Date he reverts to clarinet with Fulton pushing him to the limit ending up with an exchange of fours. How much more meaningful fours become when there's no drummer involved.

P.S. I Love You is one of those songs that send chills up and down my spine and Fulton's vocal enhances the feeling. That Johnny Mercer certainly knew how to write songs and Gordon Jenkins' melody gives both Fulton and Lindquist a seam to mine and hit paydirt. An absolute 40 carat gem! Available May 2. Lance

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