Bebop Spoken There

Ron Carter quoting Sonny Rollins: ''What we call jazz - that's keeping the world in equilibrium. I don't care what kind of music you like out here today. It all comes from jazz.'' (DownBeat August, 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

18767 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 631 of them this year alone and, so far this month (July 31) 95.

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

August

Wed 12: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Abbie Finn Trio @ Sheepfolds, Sunderland. 5:00-10:00pm. Free. A National Macken Day event. AF3 on stage at 6:30pm. Tickets (free) from: www.eventbrite.co.uk. SOLD OUT!
Wed 12: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 26
Wed 12: Jam session @ The tannery, Hexham. 7:00pm. Free.
Wed 12: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 12: Look Left @ Elder Beer, Heaton, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £12.00. JNE.

Thu 13: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 13: Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 13: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Stranton, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! Back on Aug. 27.
Thu 13: 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 14: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 14: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 14: John Settle Quartet @ Bishop Auckland Methodist Church. 1:00pm. £9.00. John Settle (vibes); Rick Laughlin (piano); Mick Shoulder (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums).
Fri 14: Bold Big Band @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £8.00 + bf.

Sat 15: Tees Bay Swing Band @ Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 1:30pm. Free. Open rehearsal.
Sat 15: Jake Leg Jug Band @ The White Room, Stanley. 7:45pm. £16.26.

Sun 16: Vintage Explosion @ Cliffe Park, Roker, Sunderland SR6 8DB. 5:00-10:30pm. £44.00 (inc. bf).

Mon 17: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 18: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Joe Steels, Paul Grainger, Abbie Finn.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Album review: Hot Club of Jupiter - Copacallisto (recorded at Temple Studios)

Kit Massey (violin, piano, Rhodes, B3, vocals); Jon Shenoy (clarinet, bass clarinet, vocals); Sam Dunn (guitar, vocals); Nick Walsh (bass); Matt French (drums, perc.) + Mike Guy (accordion on tks 3, 4, 5)

The release date for this one was back in April so its arrival in August is somewhat belated. However, to be fair Jupiter isn't exactly next door, a wrong turn at Saturn and you could land on Uranus.

Nevertheless, it eventually made it and it was worth the wait.

I reviewed the  previous HCoJ album in 2021 (HERE) and although there are a couple of personnel changes the overall effect is the same - Hot Club/Manouche with a difference. One difference being the material which are all originals. Initially I'd assumed that Destination Moon would be the 1950 song of the same name that was recorded by both Nat 'King' Cole and Dinah Washington and composed by Marvin Fisher and Roy Alfred. However, this one is of a more recent vintage with a lyric that makes reference to the AGM and Ponzi Schemes! Definitely a song of the times.

Everyone solos effectively as well as chipping in with backing vocals. Walsh has a lovely arco solo on Li'l Bow Creek and the tracks with Guy on accordion add a musette feel to the proceedings.

Die hard aficionados of the genre(s) may have reservations but for me it's good fun and it swings like a rusty gate after a shot of WD40. Lance 

Craven St. Pit Blues; Copacallisto; Balthazar and Nerris; The Count of Monte Carlo; Valse Macabre No. 2; Ballad For Laika; Gammy Kneed; Destination Moon; Hot Heat; La Cháteau de Montreville; Li'l Bow Creek

1 comment :

Patti said...

Interesting tune titles - a ballad to Laika, the poor little dog sent into space on Sputnik 2 a long time ago - who remembers Laika now? Not many, apart from this band!

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