Bebop Spoken There

Joe Alterman: ''All I wanted to do growing up was to sound like Erroll Garner playing "Poor Butterfly." I thought that was the coolest sound I'd ever heard.'' (DownBeat November, 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

19,061 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 925 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Oct. 30) 104.

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

October.

Sat 31: Saltburn Big Band + Durham Alumni Big Band @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Sat 31: East Coast Swing Band @ Cramlington Village Club, Park View, Cramlington NE23 6QJ. 7:30pm. £10.00. (from venue).

November

Sun 01: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 01: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Quintet w. special guest Donna Hewitt (tenor sax, clarinet)
Sun 01: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 01: Sarah Heneghan Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 02: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 02: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 03: Alan Law @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free. Alan Law (piano) w. guest tba
Tue 03: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Stu Collingwood, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.
Tue 03: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Wed 04: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 04: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 04: An Evening of Erykah Badu @ Holy GrAle, Durham. 7:30pm. £3.00.; £2.50. A Durham University Jazz Society event.
Wed 04: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 05: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 05: Hejira - Celebrating Joni Mitchell @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm.
Thu 05: Cut Capers @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors).
Thu 05: Northern Reaches @ Newcastle Arts Centre. 7:30pm. Free (donations). Pete Tanton, Joe Steels, Laurence Blackadder, John Hirst.
Thu 05: Fergus McCreadie @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Fri 06: Mike Durham’s International Classic Jazz Party @ Village Hotel, West Allotment. 12 noon. Day 1/3.
Fri 06: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 06: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 06: Jazz Night: Bridget Metcalfe @ Saltburn House Hotel. From 6:00pm. Tickets: £40.00 (inc. a two-course meal & glass of Prosecco). Tel: 01287 658977.

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

Gone Garner (from Hexham)

Closeup in Swing (Philips BBL 7519)
Erroll Garner (piano); Eddie Calhoun (bass); Kelly Martin (drums). July/August 1961.

On my recent visit to Hexham, as mentioned in previous posts, I returned home with enough vinyl to cover my living room floor although naturally If I was going to use it for that purpose I'd have bought some of Jim Reeves' records rather than these two albums by Erroll Garner.

Although that plodding four beat left hand of his can be irritating at times his right hand flights of fancy invariably make up for it. I recall being 'wowed' by Garner at Newcastle City Hall back in the 1960s then seeing Jacques Loussier the following night at the same venue and not even taking an eight count "know wot I mean 'arry?"

That night (the Garner concert) to me was up there with his classic Concert by the Sea recording.

In his own way, Garner's style was as individualistic as those of Monk or Tatum and it is heard at its best on Closeup in Swing. 

As well as the standards there are also a couple of Garner originals, the rather beautiful Shadows and the samba/rumba based El Papa Grande. 

The pianist's regular rhythm section, Calhoun and Martin don't get in the way and stay, generally in the background doing just enough.

Other tracks: You do Something to me; My Silent Love; All of Me; St. Louis Blues; Some of These Days; I'm in the Mood For Love; The Best Things in Life Are Free; Back in Your Own Backyard.

Paris Impressions -  Vol. 1. Philips (BBL7313)
Erroll Garner (piano); Eddie Calhoun (bass); Kelly Martin (drums). March 27, 1958.

This one had two strikes against it even before I placed the disc on the turntable - on two of the tracks he plays harpsichord and the session was produced by Mitch Miller which says it all!

Nevertheless, ignoring the two tracks where Garner lays seige to what I immediately thought of as the ill-tempered clavier - they really are excruciating - the other six tracks are sublime. Three Parisian related standards and three by Garner make up for the harpsichord horrors which are also Garner compositions - maybe they'd sound better on a piano.

Still, as the two albums were only a quid each I'm not complaining! Lance

Theme Song From Moulin Rouge; I Love Paris; French Doll; Don't Look For me; Louise; Farewell to Paris; Left Bank Swing; Côte d'Azur
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