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

18799 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 663 of them this year alone and, so far this month (Aug. 12) 32.

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

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

Wed 19: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 19: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 20: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 20: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00.
Thu 20: Edson Angus Quartet @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Thu 20: 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 21: Andrzej Baranek Trio @ The Lit & Phil. 1:00pm. £8.00. Andrzej Baranek (piano); Josh Cavanagh-Brierley (double bass); Dave Walsh (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 21: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 21: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 21: David Gray Flextet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 21: Errol Linton & His Band + Michael Littlefield & Scott Taylor @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. Excellent blues double bill.

Sat 22: Durham Alumni Big Band + Durham Alumni All Stars + Swing Manouche @ Darlington Market Place. From 1:00pm. Free. The All Stars (1:00pm); The Alumni (2:00-4:00pm); Swing Manouche (4:15pm).

Sun 23: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. 2:00-4:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free..
Sun 23: Blue Note Quintet @ Queen’s Hall, Hexham. 3:00pm. £12.00., £10.00..
Sun 23: Timmy Allan Quartet @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 24: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Album review: Ellas Kapell - Ember (Naxos Prophone)

Lovisa Jennervall (vocals); Manne Skafvenstedt (piano, synthesizers); August Eriksson (double bass, electric bass, violin); Edvin Glänte (drums, percussion) + Johan Christoffersson (alto sax tk 2); Tobias Wiklund (cornet tk 6); Gustav Alte (pedal steel)

Eight classic standards composed by GASbook A-Listers such as Bill Evans, Rogers & Hart, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Oscar Hammerstein ll, Cahn & Styne, Ray Noble, Johnny Green and made famous by Sinatra, Ella, Billie and many other great singers, brought a well-known phrase to mind: If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Jennervall has a captivating voice, a wide range, brief vocalese excursions and lots of jazz feeling in her phrasing. So far so good. However, beneath it all there's a lot of electronic jiggery-pokery going on which, I guess, is what the notes mean when the perps describe their shenanigans as reinventing or re-imagining standards. 

Repeated playing made it marginally more accessible but it shouldn't be that way. Despite the occasional moments of brilliance such as the alto solo on track two and the cornet solo on The Very Thought of You I couldn't help but think that the vocal would have been better without the backing or the backing better without the vocal. Putting them together is like serving Dijon mustard with vanilla ice cream. Others, of course may disagree and they should check it out - the music, not the dessert. Lance

Release date: March 27.

Very Early; I Didn't Know What Time it Was; All the Things You Are; I Cover the Waterfront; How Deep is the Ocean; The Very Thought of You; Don't Explain; I Fall in Love Too Easily

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