Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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

June

Tue 30: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 30: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

July

Wed 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

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

at

No comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )

Blog Archive