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

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.

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: 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.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Album review: Ricky Alexander - Ragology (Turtle Bay Records)

Ricky Alexander (clarinet); Jerron Paxton (banjo, vocals); Conal Fowkes (piano); Bob Adkins (bass); Kevin Dorn (drums)

It does what it says on the tin and if it's not on the tin then it's in Colin Hancock's album notes. Hancock, is well known to those denizens of the Village Hotel down North Tyneside way and he provides useful information on the musicians and the tunes.

Alexander is dexterous and fluent on clarinet - a worthy successor to the late Ken Peplowski on that instrument? Maybe. Whatever, he can certainly dance around the instrument delivering a master class on a set of early 20th century rags and jazz  classics including some from Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton. 

Paxton and Fowkes are without a doubt latter day professors of the idiom - straight out of a Storyville sporting house. Paxton also 'sings' on Sweetheart O'Mine.

Adkins and Dorn stomp along merrily and the whole sh'bang is jolly good fun and if Colin Hancock brings any discs to the Classic Jazz Party in November they'll sell like hot CDs. However, you don't have to wait that long. Turtle Bay Records released the album last Friday and it's available via the usual suspects. Lance  

Wild Cat Blues; Slidin'; Dizzy Fingers; The Buffalo Rag; Nola; You and a Canoe; Blackstick; Ragtime Oriole; Little Bits; Shreveport Stomp; Sweetheart O'Mine.    

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Last year (May 2025) Jerron Paxton played Cluny 2. He returns to Newcastle on May 14 this year. Catch him at Gosforth Civic Theatre. Russell

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