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.

Tuesday, May 06, 2025

Album review: Rose Room - It's Been a Long, Long Time (self released)

Seonaid Aitken (violin, vocals, string arrangements); Tam Gallagher (rhythm guitar, vocals); Jimmy Moon (bass); Conor Smith (solo guitar, backing vocals); Kristan Harvey (violin); Patsy Reid (viola); Alice Allen (cello) + Artek Siwak (accordion tk 4); Owen Gunnell (vibes tks 7, 13); Bryan Gear (fiddle tk 2)

Rose Room blew every one away when they played the Globe back in February and they do it again on this delightful and varied album.

They hit the deck running with an arrangement of a traditional Yiddish folk tune, Joseph Joseph that had the speedometer doing a second lap of the dial.

It's Been a Long, Long Time. The title track has a lovely vocal by Seonaid that totally captured me - perfect diction with just a hint of her Scottish roots. Beautiful string writing.

Swing Gitan chugs along in true Hot Club fashion. Aitken and Smith displaying their virtuoso technique to great effect.

I Wish You Love. Complete with verse and a chorus in French plus some atmospheric accordion playing that I'm sure the composer, Charles Trenet, would have approved of.

On the Alamo. More gypsy jazz. Again the interplay between guitar and violin is outstanding.

I Found a New Baby. Uptempo vocal, guitar and violin swinging their sox off. 

Nuages brings Owen Gunnell and his vibes into the studio to augment the group. A good move as it puts some life into the old dirge (sacrilege I know but c'est la vie!)

Everybody Wants to be a Cat. Tam Gallagher takes the vocal. After a guitar solo the tempo ups and all the cats join in to quote from an old movie cartoon - Make Mine Music.

I've Got a Feelin' I'm Falling. Another fast vocal. This girl can handle words as fast as she does notes. Fabulous.

Troublant Bolero. A Django composition again featuring Aiten and Smith. Lovely melody, great solos.

The Nearness of You. I'm running out of superlatives for this great singer, violinist and, of course her band. The voice is so pure whilst still retaining that jazz feeling. Aces all.

Oh, Lady be Good. Perhaps no other standard personifies the Hot Club sound more than the Gershwin classic. 

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? Composer Frank Loesser complained that nobody sang his song until Christmas when in actual fact the song was intended to be sung long before then. Rose Room have timed it just right.

Highly recommended. Lance

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