BSH Temporarily on hold

Bacķ Soon 

Stockport Jazz

This Sunday Stockport Jazz welcomes the Shearing Sound Quintet featuring Andrzej Baranek (piano), Dave Luckhurst (vibes), Paul Hartley (guitar), Pete Wilmott (bass) and Paul Turner (drums). 

Sir George Shearing OBE was the first British jazz musician to move to the United States and achieve international recognition with a unique piano style and hits such as ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, ‘September in the Rain’ and ‘East of the Sun’. His quintet had an instantly recognisable sound which will be recreated on Sunday with Andrzej Baranek, one of the UK’s top jazz pianists, with vibes/guitar provided by Dave Luckhurst and Paul Hartley. Completing the lineup will be Pete Wilmott and Paul Turner, both current members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Sunday 22nd March 2026

8-10pm, doors open at 7.30pm

£5 entry on the door, all welcome

The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB  (next to the Elizabethan PH)

Preview: Tonight @ The Glasshouse - the Brand New Heavies. Acid jazz. Pioneers. A night that’s truly a ‘Dream Come True’.

This year the band celebrated 35 years since they formed, and what better way to celebrate than with a major set of live dates? With support at all shows from special guests Galliano, this tour is not to be missed.

The huge singles ‘Dream On Dreamer’ and ‘Midnight At The Oasis’ are familiar to anyone who has ever turned on a radio, and there were plenty more hits, ‘Back To Love’, ‘Spend Some Time’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘You Are The Universe’, ‘You’ve Got A Friend’, to name but a few. With the band not only enjoying massive success – selling over 2.5 million albums – The Brand New Heavies were also pioneers, essentially creating the fusion of jazz, funk and hip-hop that fuelled their chart and airplay domination, and became known as Acid Jazz.

Russ Morgan Quartet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - March 16

© Ken Drew

Russ Morgan (drums); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Mark Williams (guitar); Andy Champion  (double bass) + Zoë Gilby (vocals)

Blaydon Jazz Club welcomed the return of Russ Morgan. Now exiled north of the border, drummer Russ made a major impact during his time on Tyneside and it was good to see him once again.* As ever, Russ was joined for the occasion by Harry Keeble (tenor sax), Mark Williams (guitar) and Andy Champion (double bass). 

© Ken Drew

Herbie Hancock's One Finger Snap, Jim Hall's Slam, that's where we were, in the eye of a 'modern jazz' storm. Four musicians, locked in, lots of counting in the head, or so it seemed, as a unit and as soloists, these guys are the business. Julian Nicholas' A Thousand Ships was given another workout and boy, Harry Keeble sure did take it to the cleaners!

Thinking About Gary Grant on St. Patrick’s Day

For the last few years, every St. Patrick’s Day and as an homage to him, I post Gary Grant’s track, Ireland from his second album as leader, Don’t Hold Your Breath (Grant Us This Day, 2010). Gary, of course was one of the legendary Jerry Hey Horns which added so much additional excitement to the recordings of Al Jarreau, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and many others. A stellar trumpeter, composer, producer and session great, Grant was ubiquitous in LA and highly impactful in all of the various sessions in which he was involved. He was solid as a rock and beyond compare in his playing consistency.

Album review: Tigran Hamasyan – Manifeste (naïve)

Tigran Hamasyan (piano, bass synth, synths, vocals, whistling); Marc Karapetian (bass); Matt Garstka (drums); Daniel Melkonyan (trumpet); Arthur Hnatek (drums, electronics drum programming); Arman Mnatsakanyan (drums); Artyom Manukyan (cello); Evan Marien (bass); Nick Llerandi (guitar); Matt Garstka (drums); Nate Wood (drums); Asta Mamikonyan (vocals); Hamin Honari (daf); Yessai Karapetian (blul); Yerevan State Chamber Choir conducted by Kristina Voskanyan

Hamasyan first came to real prominence in 2015 (he had been recording for 9 years before then) with the release of his Mockroot album which combined western jazz with the music of his Armenian homeland. Over these influences was laid a shell of dazzling virtuosity and this current album shows no weakening in his powers. If anything the intervening years have continued to lead people to believe that he must be descended from Anne Boleyn as it is difficult to believe the sheer density of notes can be produced by someone with fewer than six fingers on each hand.

Press release: SPARK: Jazz from the Netherlands @ Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival

SPARK: Jazz from the Netherlands shines a light on one of Europe’s most consistently influential jazz scenes. The Netherlands has long been recognised for producing musicians of exceptional creative independence and international reach. From established global figures to a new generation reshaping the language of improvised music, Dutch artists are known for a willingness to challenge the traditional.

Press release: manchester jazz festival is back with the UK’s largest piano trail for mjf2026!

manchester jazz festival and Forsyth Music Shop have joined forces once again for the mjf2026 piano trail competition to find Manchester’s hidden talents across a trail of 18 street pianos – the largest piano trail in the UK - at locations across Manchester city centre and beyond into Greater Manchester.  

From 29 March – 31 May, the mjf piano trail competition encourages everyone to get creative and just have fun. And for those who want to take part, there’s a chance to enter a competition to win a Yamaha digital piano and many more prizes!  

There will be two 'celebrity' pianos from the BBC joining the piano trail this year. They've been in BBC Radio studios for decades and have been played by lots of famous people and bands, most recently the Verve and Rufus Wainright and back in the day, Paul McCartney and David Bowie!  

Press release: McCreadie bassist Bowden flies solo on Unsung Songs

© Nicky Murray

Award-winning double bassist David Bowden releases a solo bass album, Unsung Songs, on Friday 10th April.

Best known as a crucial member of pianist Fergus McCreadie’s internationally acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated trio, Glasgow-based Bowden is a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and an in-demand bass player on the Scottish jazz and folk scenes.

Having successfully led the seven-piece world jazz ensemble Mezcla, Bowden found himself seeking a new creative challenge in the summer of 2023. He began developing repertoire for solo double bass - music that would place the instrument centre stage. Following a first solo gig at Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2024, the music on Unsung Songs was developed through a series of further solo performances at jazz festivals across Scotland and refined in studio sessions.

Ian Shaw – Stephensong: Sondheim in the Jazz Room. Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s - March 10

Ian Shaw (vocals); Barry Green (piano)

The evening begins with a dedication.

Shaw dedicates the performance to the late Haydn Gwynne, the much-loved stage actress whose ability to inhabit a lyric with dramatic clarity made her a natural interpreter of theatre music — and whose spirit feels entirely at home in a night devoted to the songs of Stephen Sondheim.

Then Shaw launches straight into the opening number.

“Everybody says don’t,
Everybody says can’t,
Everybody says wait around for miracles —
That’s the way the world is made.”

From the opening bars you know you are in for something special.

Album review: Louise Alexandra - Crazy World of Love

Louise Alexandra (vocals); Rob van Bavel (piano, arranger); Frans van Geest (bass); Vincent Koning (guitar); Marcel Serierse (drums); Jan Menu (tenor/baritone sax) + Benny Benack III (flugelhorn tk 7)

Louise Alexandra, a Dutch-American jazz singer and songwriter is also a cancer research scientist. She is held in high regard for work in cancer research and on the strength of this, her third album, equally so as a musical artist. All thirteen tracks were a joy to listen to.

Too Late Now: Tenor and piano solos, a wordless riff in unison with band. Voice has an appealing vulnerability about it.

All my Tomorrows: Piano over some busy Latinesque drumming. Meaningful interpretation of the lyric.

Castle in the Sky: An original by Alexandra. Strong words capturing the rise and fall of a love affair.

SH#RP Collective @ Jesmond Library – March 13

Karen Rann (soprano sax); Nigel Robson (trombone); Mark Squires (piano); Dave Parker (double bass); Michael Howard (drums)

It was the second Friday of March; time for the monthly lunchtime gig at Jesmond Library, organised by John Rowland.  And there was a very good turnout to hear an enjoyable hour of modern jazz, performed by the SH#RP Collective.

For this gig, the band – who often operate as a quartet – were joined by Nigel Robson on trombone.  Even with this extended line-up, the strong interplay between the musicians was clear from the start.  Among the highlights were the fresh and engaging tunes written by pianist Mark Squires, who explained that he had drawn on topics such as long walks and the pandemic for his compositions. There was also the opportunity to hear some songs that are rarely performed nowadays.  I particularly enjoyed the band’s rousing interpretation of El Niño, originally featured on Michael Brecker’s album Two Blocks from the Edge.  Saxophonist Karen Rann also acknowledged Matt Anderson, who had passed on his arrangement of Bill Frisell’s Strange Meeting. Hats off to the band for keeping these excellent tunes alive!

Preview: Russ Morgan Quartet - Blaydon Jazz Club (Mon. 16)

Tomorrow night Russ Morgan returns to Blaydon Jazz Club. A decade and more ago, Russ arrived on Tyneside, first sitting in at a Jazz Cafe (Pink Lane, Newcastle) jam session. Making an instant impact, it didn't take long for Russ to become one of the region's go-to drummers. 

A couple of years ago Russ relocated to Fife, Scotland. However, from time to time, we do get to see and hear the man in action 'south of the border'. The Black Bull on Bridge Street is your next opportunity to catch up with Russ as he brings in his top flight quartet. Join Russ, Harry Keeble (tenor sax), Mark Williams (guitar) and Andy Champion (double bass) for an evening of contemporary jazz. It's an eight o'clock start and it's a bargain tenner at the door. Russell     

Photo montage © Malcolm Sinclair

R.I.P. Keith Ingham (1942-March 1 2026)

The sad news has filtered through of the passing of pianist Keith Ingham on March 12.

Born in Streatham on February 5, 1942, by the late 1960s/early 1970s he had become an integral part of the traditional/mainstream British jazz scene working and recording with the likes of Bruce Turner, George Melly, John Chilton and Digby Fairweather among others.

Rachel Sutton @ Pizza Express - March 10

Rachel Sutton (voice); Roland Perrin (piano); Michael Curtis Ruiz (bass); Paul Robinson (drums)

Rachel Sutton launched Realms with the kind of show that felt less like a conventional album plug and more like an invitation into her interior world. Warm, witty, theatrical and disarmingly personal, the evening unfolded as a living extension of the record itself: a set of songs joined not by rigid genre but by memory, longing, humour, resilience and imagination. Sutton did not simply perform the material; she inhabited it.

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm).

.https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen

Playlist 15/03/26 (repeated Tuesday 17/03/26)

Mother’s Day: Clarence Williams & His Orchestra, Duke Ellington, Gregory Porter, Etta James, Earl Hines.

Requests: Count Basie Orchestra, Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman.

Memories: Quincy Jones, Harry James, Nat King Cole, Ruby Braff.

Request: Herbie Hancock.

St. Patrick: Louis Stewart, Louis Stewart/Noel Kelehan.

Request: Matt Catingub Big Band.

What’s on in the NE: Keith Jarrett (film), Mark Toomey, Freetime Old Dixie Jassband.

Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington area or via your smart speaker.

Preview: Marion Montgomery talks to Parkinson (Saturday evening)

© Lance

Tonight on BBC Four, in a 1999 edition of Parkinson, the late, great Marion Montgomery chats to Michael Parkinson. Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Montgomery spent much of her life living and working in Britain, sharing a stage with John Dankworth, Laurie Holloway (Marion would meet and later marry Laurie), Richard Rodney Bennett and many others. Tune to Four at 10:40pm. Russell   

(Marion appeared several times in the north east. The graphic shows her in concert at Caedmon Hall, Gateshead in October 1981. She also performed at the (then) University Theatre with Barney  Kessel and Herb Ellis. I believe Andy Hudson was her manager at one time. A great singer. Lance.)

Album review: Brian Lynch - Torch Bearers (Hollistic Music Works)

Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn); Charles McPherson (alto sax); Samara Joy (tks 2 & 6); Orrin Evans (piano tks 1,2,4 & 7); Rob Schneiderman (piano tks 3,5, 7 & 8); Luis Perdomo (piano tk 6); Boris Kozlov (bass); Kyle Swan (drums all except 6); Ulysses Owens (drums tk 6)

A humdinger! Trumpet ace Brian Lynch and alto  sax legend Charles McPherson blow their socks off both instrumentally and as composers - they chalk up three compositions each including one a-piece in collaboration with Samara Joy although it has to be said that their finest solos actually come on Barry Harris' Luminescence. 

Preview: Noa Levy w. Paul Edis Trio & Alan Barnes @ The Glasshouse - April 25

Photo courtesy of The Glasshouse

Fresh. Magnificent. Bill Evans re-imagined.

The above byline says it all and the press release below confirms it, It really is going to be a rather special night. The Edis Trio and Alan Barnes are all much loved players in London and beyond, not least in the north east but Noa Levy will be a new voice to many and I'm pretty sure her unique interpretations of the music of Bill Evans will make for a memorable evening. Lance

Press release: NYJO News

The start of 2026 has seen our learning team run incredible workshops all over the country including sessions at Band on the Wall in Manchester, our Welsh Valleys and Leicestershire schools project, and a series of workshops with B:Music’s Beginner and Intermediate Jazz Ensembles for 11–19 year-olds. Led by NYJO Emerging Professional musicians, these courses often culminate in recorded sessions and ensemble performances like the upcoming support sets for our Cobalt Studios gig with Theon Cross this Friday 20 March.

Thanks to Maurice Summerfield for reminding me of this exciting event. Follow the above link for more info.

Ray Stubbs R&B All-Stars @ the Mill Tavern, Hebburn - March 12

© Russell

Ray Stubbs (vocals, blues harp); Steve Hall (guitar); Pat Rafferty (keys, accordion); Max Whitehouse (bass guitar); Rob Walker (drums)

Outside it was cold, wet and windy - the perfect blues scenario. However, inside the Mill Tavern it was warm, with bowls of Bombay Mix on the tables and, later, a free buffet of pizza and chips. On the screens that adorned the walls there was European football with the sound turned down whilst on stage were the Ray Stubbs R&B All-Stars with the sound turned up.

Perfect unless you were a Nottingham Forest fan.

Late night Chicago Radio w. Denny Farrell (March 12 - March 18)

Ray Brown: Love Walked in.

Norah Jones: I've Got to See You Again.

Paul Desmond/Jim Hall: You'd be so Nice to Come Home to.

Michael O'Neal:The Way You Look Tonight.

Benny Goodman/Lionel Hampton: Moonglow.

Joe Pass: Li'l Darlin'.

Beegie Adair: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

Tony Bennett: Fly me to the Moon.

Stan Getz: Sweet Lorraine.

Dinah Washington: Ain't Misbehavin'.

Sonny Rollins: 'Round Midnight.

Etta James: At Last.

LISTEN 24/7

Press release: Tonight @ the Mill Tavern

THURSDAY 12th MARCH at 8.30pm. THE RAY STUBBS R&B ALLSTARS will play their no-nonsense brand of BLUES, R&B and ZYDECO at the MILL TAVERN, MILL LANE, HEBBURN. GET THERE SHARPISH FOR A GOOD PEW...Free PIZZA & CHIPS during interval. We are UNLEASHING our new guitarist (not pictured) for your delight.

Album review: The Oscar Peterson Trio at Baker's Keyboard Lounge (Verve)

Oscar Peterson (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums)

The discovery of new material from old masters is always exciting - it's like hearing them again for the first time. A contradictory sentence I know but hopefully you'll get where I'm coming from.

Oscar Peterson was indeed a master musician of the highest order. Many would say the greatest jazz pianist ever and, in what would have been his hundredth year, I wholeheartedly concur. Tatum may have matched his technique but he didn't have the swing that Oscar generated.

Over the years the personnel varied: The long running version with Herb Ellis on guitar, this one with drum ace Ed Thigpen replacing Ellis, then Bobby Durham took over from Thigpen and finally with Martin Drew on drums and NHOP on bass.

Press release: Durham Hits All The Right Notes With The Launch Of A New Jazz Festival

Durham is set to swing as a major new jazz festival is announced for the city. 

The inaugural Durham Jazz Festival will take place from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25, transforming venues across the city with a vibrant programme featuring top-flight artists from the world of jazz. 

From intimate club-style performances to headline concerts, the three-day festival will celebrate the music and performance of national and northern jazz artists, bringing together established names and the next generation of talent. 

The event has been founded by Alan Patrickson, John Lyons and Richard Turner, who believe Durham’s unique setting – with its historic venues and thriving cultural scene – makes it the perfect home for a landmark event. 

Stockport Jazz

This Sunday Stockport Jazz welcomes Swing 26! featuring Julian Gregory (violin), Matthew Compton accordion), Paul Hartley (guitar) and Grant Russell (bass). Julian and Matthew are past and current members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and play a unique combination of Hot Club jazz and swing, interspersed with the music of Parisian cafés, Eastern Europe and South America.

Sunday 15th March 2026

8-10pm, doors open at 7.30pm

£5 entry on the door, all welcome

The Moor Club, 35 Heaton Moor Road, Stockport SK4 4PB  (next to the Elizabethan PH)

Press release: NEWCASTLE JAZZ FESTIVAL 2026

LINEUP

Friday 26 June

CLARK TRACEY

Clark Tracey Quartet: Suites of Stan!

Multi award winning drummer Clark Tracey pays tribute to some of the many quartet suites penned by his legendary father, Stan Tracey CBE.

Saturday 27 June

OUTRI

OUTRI is a solo bass endeavour by established North-East bass player and ‘musical magpie’ (NARC mag) Ian ‘dodge’ Paterson. This project takes inspiration from a love of jazz, folk, electronica, found-sound and cinematic landscapes combining organic shifting loops underpinned with beautiful harmonies and glitchy electronica.

Album review: Catherine Russell - Live at Lincoln Center (Dot Time Records)

Catherine Russell (vocals); Matt Munisteri (guitar); Ben Paterson (piano); Russell Hall (bass); Domo Branch (drums); Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet); John Allred (trombone); Evan Arntzen (tenor sax, clarinet) + Michela Marino Lerman (tap dance tks 2,4,9,11)

Russell's first live recording and where better to make that debut than Lincoln Center? NYC's cultural home. For this concert Russell crafted a programme honouring the Hot Club of New York, a community of enthusiasts who meet weekly to listen to jazz and blues on 78rpm shellac records. I think that's rather wonderful and, unsurprisingly so does  Catherine as no doubt her father's records (Luis Russell and his Orchestra) will often be amongst those played.

Press release: Taylor and Son.

Last night after my concert in Edinburgh, my son James and I were catching up backstage. Some of you may know that, alongside his work as my manager he is also a speaker, podcast host, and author of a new book called SuperCreativity.

One of the things I’ve always loved about jazz is that it shows creativity in its purest form. You have structure and technique… but in the moment you are also listening, experimenting and creating something new together.

James writes about this same kind of creative process in the book. In fact, there are a few stories that you might enjoy, including moments involving Stéphane Grappelli, Oscar Peterson, and the wider world of jazz and improvisation. Those stories explore how musicians think about creativity, collaboration, and the spark that happens when people play together.

The BBC Royal Charter Review your last chance to complete the public consultation

The government is consulting the public to aid decision-making on the terms for the BBC Charter’s renewal and any changes needed to help the BBC to continue to serve the public. If you value democracy with pluralistic news services plus a pluralist media landscape, it is crucial that you respond to the consultation

If you value the BBC as a vital part of democracy then please ensure you complete the survey and make sure your views are known. 

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 10 March 2026

I have complete the survey as an email/word document response and my full response can be found here:

https://chrishodgkins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Submission-to-the-open-consultation-on-the-BBC-Royal-Charter-Review-from-Chris-Hodgkins-.pdf

Please feel free to use any part of my submission and cut and paste at will or with reckless abandon.

Lucy Yeghiazaryan w. the Peter Beets Trio & Gideon Tazelaar @ BIMHUIS, Amsterdam - Mar. 7

Lucy Yeghiazaryan (vocals); Peter Beets (piano); Steve Zwanink (double bass); Martijn Vink (drums); Gideon Tazelaar (tenor sax)

New York-based singer Lucy Yeghiazaryan first came to the attention of BSH (and others) thanks to one of the very few plus points of lockdown - the livestream. Live from Emmet's Place (NYC) became essential late night (UK) viewing. From one week to the next, pianist Emmet Cohen would invite one A-lister after another to join him on an online gig. And that's where Lucy Yeghiazaryan comes in...       

From Schiphol Airport, train to Amsterdam Centraal Station, then a short tram journey to the BIMHUIS. Amsterdam! The Bimhuis! Lucy Yeghiazaryan! From Emmet Cohen's NYC apartment to Amsterdam's BIMHUIS, Ms Yeghiazaryan was in town! 

Album review: Paul Moran – Running on Fire

In jazz, many musicians spend years shaping the sound of other artists’ music before stepping forward to reveal their own voice. Paul Moran belongs firmly to that tradition. Yet this is not the first time Moran has stepped out from behind the bandstand and into the spotlight. His Hammond-led album Smokin’ B3 reached No. 8 in the HMV British Jazz Chart, and its follow-up Smokin’ B3 Volume Two further established him as a formidable organ player in the classic soul-jazz tradition.

For many listeners Moran is best known as the long-time musical director and keyboard player for Van Morrison, a role he has held since 2006. Yet behind that association lies a far broader musical life: composer, arranger, trumpet player and Hammond organist, with a career that stretches across television music, soul recordings and jazz projects.

Running on Fire brings those experiences together in a record that sits comfortably between jazz, soul and groove-based funk.

Rebecca Poole gig @ the Globe cancelled!

Just heard the news that next Sunday's eagerly anticipated gig at the Globe, Newcastle's iconic music venue on the corner of Railway & Plummer, by Rebecca Poole (a.k.a. Purdy) has been cancelled.

It is hoped that it will be rescheduled.

What we're MISSING!  Lance                                          

Trio JDM @ the Moor Club, Stockport - March 8

© Jeff Pritchard

Dave Walsh (drums);  Martin Longhawn  (keyboards); Jamie Taylor (guitar)

I think I may have picked a seat too near the front of the room to fully appreciate this drummer led powerhouse trio. Dave Walsh has played here many times but on this occasion he used Martin Longhawn to create a realistic Hammond organ effect which I liked.  Jamie Taylor has a flamboyant style on guitar and he showed he could handle fast tempos but he impressed me most in the second set when he played Prelude to a Kiss. 

Sunday night @ the Globe: Trish Clowes' My Iris - March 8

© Ken Drew

Trish Clowes (tenor sax); Chris Montague (guitar); Ross Stanley (Crumar Nova keys); Joel Barford (drums)

The Globe was sardine sandwiched and even after the passing trade, en route to Peter Kay at the nearby arena, had quenched their thirst and left, the room was still at near capacity for the performance by Trish Clowes' My Iris.

Four top class musicians held the audience's rapt attention. The theme for the evening was My Iris' soon to be released album Try Me. On the basis of this live performance it promises to be a must have addition to the library of those seekers of wisdom and truth.

As it stands, for me it is to date the Gig of the Year on the contemporary side of modern.

Album review: Brian Molley Quartet - Tùs/Origin (Cruthach)

Brian Molley (saxophones); Tom Gibbs (piano); David Bowden (double bass); Stephen Henderson (drums)

I don’t think I’ve personally come across Brian Molley before, even though he has been recording since 2013 and has been well-documented on this site. Gibbs would appear to be his longest standing confederate but the ones whose work I am more familiar with are Bowden and Henderson who form the rhythm section from Fergus McCreadie’s trio. Despite the fact that Molley and various iterations of his band have toured extensively across many continents, once back in the UK he seems reluctant to venture out of Scotland. One cannot dispute his musical ambition, however, and this album follows previous work with musicians from Morocco, Brazil and Rajasthan amongst others. This album is an ambitious through-composed work that aims to draw out the links between traditional Scottish music and the origins of jazz.

Album review: April Varner - Ella (Cellar Music Group)

April Varner (vocals); Emmet Cohen (piano, arranger); William Hill III (piano); Yasushi Nakamura (bass); Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums, producer); Brian Lynch (trumpet, arranger); Nathaniel Williford, Michael Cruse (trumpets); Jeffrey Miller, Jacob Melsha (trombones); Cleave Guyton, Mark Gross (saxes)

The last time April Varner graced these hallowed pages was when I reviewed her album Winter Songs. It was an enjoyable album but because of its seasonal, Christmassy material had, I would guess, a limited shelf life. Not so Ella. In 2023 April Varner won the International Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition so it comes as no surprise to find April up to the task of paying tribute to the late First Lady.

This she does with her own interpretation of songs related to Ella. She does this quite magnificently with no more than a hint towards the originals. The silky tone of the Varner voice turns the lyrics into classic jazz poetry that she wraps around the listeners enslaving them for life.

Jazzford Jam @ Bathford - Feb. 27

AA 2023 Road Atlas, Page 18, square C9. That’s where you’ll find Bathford, a small village on the outskirts of Bath, down in ‘almost the West Country.’ Last Friday in the month is Jazzford Jam Night at what was the Royal British Legion Club but, as with a few other things in Bathford, it’s now community run. In Bathford Community comes with a capital ‘C’ writ through as if it were in a stick of rock.

So, tonight it’s an open jam session, all invited to play, all invited to sit and listen. The white board has all the power. If you’re name isn’t on it, you don’t get to play. Wynton Marsalis could turn up here and, if he didn’t put his name on the board he’d have to prop up the bar. All night. Apart from the tunes the house band play at the start of each set everyone else has to put a name next to what they want to sit in on. Apparently there was a shortage last month so people have come along just in case.

Album review: John Pizzarelli - Dear Mr. Bennett (Green Hill Music)

John Pizzarelli (vocal, guitar); Isaiah J. Thompson (piano); Mike Karn (bass)

A loving tribute to the late Tony Bennett, one of the great vocalists whose centennial is celebrated next year.

John Pizzarelli is the ideal choice. His voice is far enough away from Bennett's to avoid comparision whilst maintaining the same jazz feeling, maybe more so. Bennett was undeniably, one of the great GASbook interpreters however, his bel canto inspired jazz chops didn't quite cut it for me whereas Pizzarelli is the out and out jazzman both as a singer and a swinger  on  both voice and guitar. At the end of the day I wouldn't be without either.

Book review: Tad Richards - Listening to Prestige - Chronicling Its Classic Jazz Recordings 1949 - 1972

There can be few, if any, modern jazz fans who are unfamiliar with the Prestige record label. Until its owner, Bob Weinstock, sold the label to Fantasy Records in 1972, along with Blue Note who are still active, Prestige was the main outlet for bebop, hardbop and beyond recordings.

The artists who benefitted from Rudy Van Gelder's ground breaking recording technique were, almost without exception, the major players of the era and they are charted in this remarkable book. Bird, Miles, Trane, Monk, Moody, Rollins, Wardell, Annie Ross, Ornette, Dolphy, Witherspoon, McDuff and many more - the list is almost endless with only the west coasters missing. This was very much a New York/New Jersey operation.

Vintage Explosion @ Whitley Bay Playhouse - Mar. 6

William Hitchell (vocals, guitar); Conor Smith (guitar); Dan Brown (piano); Jimmy Steele (tenor sax); Barry Steele (baritone sax); Richard Anderson (double bass); Douglas Macfarlane (drums)

A first time appearance in Whitley Bay for Vintage Explosion. Sold out in advance, seemingly the Glaswegian outfit can do no wrong. Backed by a super-tight, rock 'n' roll band, William Hitchell sings like nobody's business.

From the get-go Hitchell and co knew they were on to a winner. Some in the auditorium had heard the band before, for others it was a first time experience. And what an experience!

RADIOPHONICX

Avant-garde - ongoing experiments

14th of March 2-4pm at Cobalt Studios, 10-16 Boyd Street, Newcastle NE2 1AP

Spanning an arch from experimental radio work in the 1970 by John Cage to the 2024 Political Music show, a poignant und humours  exploration of contemporary culture by Belgium/Rumanian musician Cristian Fierbinteanu. 

We will listen to two extracts of audio pieces by John Cage:

Empty Words,1974 is a marathon text drawn from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau. This is one of Cage’s most sustained and elaborate moves toward the “demilitarization” of language. 

Roaratorio, based on Finnegans Wake by James Joyce, is an audio art piece composed by Cage in 1979 commissioned by Klaus Schöning from the German State Broadcast WDR. It won the Karl Sczuker-Prize in 1979.

Late Night Chicago Radio w. Denny Farrell (Feb. 5 - Feb. 11)

? : ? .

Lester Young: Almost Like Being in Love.

Peggy Lee: Fever.

Albert Ammons: Boogie Blues.

Lou Rawls: Ain't Nobody's Business.

Sarah Vaughan: After Hours and Always.

Louis Bellson: Driftwood.

Roy Eldridge: Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (?).

Norah Jones: I've Got to See You Again.

Mark Bryant: ? .

Chet Baker: Let's Get Lost.

Andy Brown: I'll Never be the Same? .

Zoot Sims: So Long.

LISTEN 24/7.

Album review:House of the Black Gardenia - Mazurka in Jazz

Neil Hopper (bass, sousaphone); Elise Rana Hopper (vocals, washboard); Kit Haigh (drums, perc, vocals); Michael Littlefield (guitar, banjo, vocals); Keith Robinson (alto/tenor sax, clarinet); David 'Showtime' Gray (trombone); Pete Tanton (trumpet, screams); Katja Roberts (violin); Elliott Rush (piano, vocals).

Five years is a long time between albums. Yes it has been five years since Tyneside's viper jazz group released The New Lowdown. With Mazurka in Jazz, apart from a couple of changes of personnel it's the same band - or is it? The material, mainly original, covers a wider scope than the previous album - sometimes related to real life.

Elise Hopper puts emotion into a song softly, gently and with feeling whether it's joy or sadness she nails it. Queen Witch is a complex arrangement with trombone adding substance to Elise's mystical vocal, Superhero relates to one of Elise's awesome kids. Banjo and violin give the chart an extra input.