Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (DownBeat May, 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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.

Fri 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, April 03, 2025

Album review: Ronan Guilfoyle's Bemusement Arcade - At Swing, Two Birds (Livia Records)

Ronan Guilfoyle (bass, compositions); Sam Norris (alto sax); Chris Guilfoyle (guitar); Darren Beckett (drums)

Another fine release from Ireland's Livia Records, this time featuring a superb quartet led by bassist, composer and international educator (Berklee, the Royal Academy and UNESCO in Copenhagen to name but a few) Ronan Guilfoyle. With his son Chris on guitar, London based Sam Norris on alto and Madeleine Peyroux's drummer of nine years, Darren Beckett, Ronon Guilfoyle's Bemusement Arcade is very much a band to be reckoned with.

Diversionary Tactics: A rhythm changes contrafact - more or less. Bass intro sets the scene for a guitar solo from Chris and some Konitz inspired alto from Sam.

Lenniesphere: I detected some Lennie Tristano in the previous number and there was more, as the title implies, in this take on the changes of All the Things You Are.

At Swing Two Birds: The title derives from Irish humourist Flann O'Brien's book, At Swim Two Birds. The subtlety of the title is in the fact that the theme is based on two Charlie Parker tunes. As on all of the tracks, Chris and Sam are the main soloists with Beckett driving them on and Ronan a tower of strength.  

Two Blues:  A slow, walking blues meets up with a boogaloo groove and things happen! Ronan's bass does the walking before alto and guitar split choruses over the metronomic funk of Beckett. It's what disco music should be but, sadly, isn't.

Dulcettia: A lyrical tune dedicated to Ronan's granddaughter. Norris has the coolest sound this side of Lee Konitz and he captures the moment. Chris leaps around in a very agile manner - is Dulcettia his daughter? Probably...

Langorous: A langorous bass intro brings Norris in. Sam seems to have drifted away from Konitz and on to more adventurous climes without indulging himself in any sheets of sound. Guilfoyle the younger also reaches out albeit with at least one foot on the ground.

Blue Angles*: A nice boppy blues that departs from the traditional format now and then. Sam and Chris are on fire driven along by the enforcer a.k.a. Darren Beckett. Ronan also gets his share of the action before it's time for fours to bring the show to a close.

The album comes complete with a 12 page glossy booklet. The official launching is at Bray Jazz Festival on May 3 but it can be pre-ordered HERE. 

*The CD, the blurb and the website all seem to be at odds as to whether this track is Blue Angles or Blue Angels - I'm 'bemused'! Lance

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive