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.

Monday, July 14, 2025

Album review: Olivia Cuttill Quintet - Tunes to be Swingin'

Olivia Cuttill (trumpet, compositions); Issey Chivers (vocals); Tom Harris (piano); Josh Vadiveloo (bass); Miles Pillinger (drums) + Alex Fisher (tenor sax); Geoff Cuttill (piano on tk 7); Graham Cuttill, Isabella Cuttill, Maya Mitra, Sam Virdis (vocals)

October last year the Olivia Cuttill Quintet played a lunchtime gig at Newcastle Uni that made a big impression on those present. Many rated it as their gig of the year and I myself placed it way up high in the ratings.

Four of the five members of the quintet that played at the University are also present on this album with Josh Vadiveloo replacing Fergus Quill on bass and Alex Fisher coming in on tenor.

Intro to Busy. An unaccompanied trumpet solo that segues into Busy and Chivers' vocal. Cever lyrics centered around a woman's multi-tasking abilities. Melodic trumpet solo.

Show Biz Casino, a rockin', rollin' jump-jivin' swinger with tenor and trumpet walkin' the bar New Orleans' style.

Moanin' - Chivers gives Lee Morgan's solo a vocalese twist. She has the vocal range to do it. Olivia's trumpet blast is of Jazz Messenger's standard and Vadiveloo has some nice touches on bass.

Intro to There's a House Down by the Station. This is a strange one. Lot's of chat going on with a piano tinkling away. presumably Olivia's late grandfather Geoff.

There's a House Down by the Station: a nostalgic vocal, some trumpet before the vocal group join in for a Saturday night sing-song around the old joanna in the parlour. Yes, truly a strange one.

Linger For a While With the Sun. A beautiful lyric with a vocal by Chivers that is absolutely spellbinding. Magic!

I've Won the Lottery. Trumpet brings in a swingin' vocal followed by some nifty keyboard dexterity, unbelievable vocalese and a workout on the skins by Pillinger.

The Boogie Woogie Bug. The vocal group diagnose the whole family who appear to have caught the aforementioned bug: "My mother's got the bug, my sister's got the bug, my brother's got the bug..." get the picture? It must be contagious because I think that I've got it too!

Cryin' Time: Olivia plays the blues with lots of pathos over a 3/4 rhythm. Piano picks it up. The piano gives it a pre-talkies cinematic feel that is enhanced upon with Olivia's return.

If you were at that gig in Newcastle you will want to check it out. If you weren't then check it out as soon as it comes up on the freebie channels.

Release date is August 29 but, the day before (August 28) the Olivia Cuttill Quintet are featured at the Chapel Allerton Festival, Leeds. Lance

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