Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Fri 24: Noel Dennis Trio @ The Gala, Durham. 1:00pm. Dennis, Mark Willams, Andy Champion. SOLD OUT!
Fri 24: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 24: Trio Grand @ Land of Oak & Iron, Winlaton. 6:00-9:00pm. Free.
Fri 24: Ben Vince + The Exu @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £14.33., £11.16, £8.00. A ‘jazz adjacent’ gig!
Fri 24: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:30pm. £13.20 (inc. bf).

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Album review: Nancy Harrow w. Buck Clayton's Jazz Stars Wild Women Don't Have The Blues (Exceleration Music)

Nancy Harrow (vocals); Buck Clayton (trumpet, arrangements); Dickie Wells (trombone); Tommy Gwaltney (clarinet, alto sax); Buddy Tate (tenor sax); Danny Banks (baritone sax); Dick Wellstood (piano); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Oliver Jackson (drums)

I noticed in the current issue of Jazzwise that Alyn Shipton reviews a reissue of Nancy Harrow's 1960 recording with Buck Clayton's Jazz Stars - Wild Women Don't Have The Blues. Alyn awards the album four stars and justifiably so.

Originally recorded for the Candid label, this reissue is on vinyl and released by Exceleration Music who took over Candid and several other jazz related labels including Mack Avenue (DETAILS).

I didn't receive a review copy but that didn't matter as I've treasured the original recording ever since it was 'compacted'. Great singer, great band, great arrangements and great tunes.

Take me Back Baby. Count Basie and Jimmy Rushing wrote this for the old Basie band and with the soloists: Tate, Clayton and Wells all being Basie Alumni and Kenny Burrell playing rhythm guitar á la Freddie Green, Basie lives and the scene is set for 'Mama' Harrow to make her entrance. A very individual voice with a hint of Billie, Helen Humes, Maxine and Ivie Anderson - but only just a hint.
All Too Soon. By association, Ivy springs to mind but it's Harrow's baby. Gwaltney takes one on clarinet followed by Wells' distinctive sound full of slurs and slurps and his own brand of slideology. Clayton blows muted behind the vocal. 
Can't We Be Friends? Tate has a nice big fat solo followed by Wellstood and some tasty guitar from Burrell.  Clayton too is in there pitching along with Harrow's vocal - which is as much a musical story as it is a song. Only the greats can pull off something like that and our girl (who was still recording in 2024 at the age of 94) does just that.
On the Sunny Side of the Street. An uptempo romp. Buck tightly muted, Burrell releasing some dazzling single string flurries, swinging piano from Wellstead and, of course, a great vocal.
Wild Women Don't Have the Blues. The title track, composed and recorded by Ida Cox in 1924 is effectively revived by Harrow along with open horn from Buck, clarinet from Gwaltney and blues piano from Wellstood. 
I've Got the World on a String. More imaginative singing, trombone by Wells, Gwaltney on alto this time and another masterclass in arranging by Clayton.
I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I've Got. Duke's composition is given an Ellingtonian feel beginning with some Carneyesque baritone from Banks. The horns have the harmonic depth that the number demands and Harrow does justice to the lyric.
Blues For Yesterday. Composed by blues pianist Leroy Carr and subsequently recorded by Louis Armstrong, a powerful Clayton solo leads into more distinctive blues singing by Harrow. The underrated Gwaltney on clarinet, Wellstood on piano and Tate, arguably the most blues-orientated of the horns, captures the mood as indeed does Nancy Harrow - the reigning Empress of the Blues! Lance
at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive