Bebop Spoken There

David Bailey (photographer): ''When I was 16 I wanted to look like Chet Baker. He was my idol - him and James Dean.'' (Talking Pictures documentary : Four beats to the bar and no cheating April, 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

18445 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 309 of them this year alone and, so far this month (April 20 ) 43,

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

April

Sat 25: Giles Strong Quartet @ Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth. 7:30pm. CANCELLED!
Sat 25: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham. 7:30pm (7:00pm doors). £13.20 (inc. bf).
Sat 25: ‘Portrait in Evans’: Noa Levy & Alan Barnes w. Paul Edis Trio @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. £24.00. Sage Two. ‘Portrait in Evans’. Levy, Barnes, Edis, Andy Champion & Steve Hanley.

Sun 26: Musicians Unlimited: Big Band Blast @ West Hartlepool RFC. 1:00-3:00pm . Free.
Sun 26: Daniel John Martin w. Swing Manouche @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00.
Sun 26: More Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ruth Lambert Trio @ Juke Shed, North Shields. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 26: Ni Maxine + Nauta @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £17.51., £14.33., £11.16.
Sun 26: Joe Steels @ The Pele, Corbridge. 7:00pm. Free (donations direct to the musicians). Joe Steels & Friends.
Sun 26: C.A.L.I.E @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £16.00., £14.00., £7.00.

Mon 27: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 27: House of Blues @ the Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £7.00., £5.00. advance. A student-led jazz session. ‘House of Blues’ is, perhaps, a misnomer.
Mon 27: Littlewood Trio @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £10.00 + bf, £7.00. + bf.

Tue 28: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!

Wed 29: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 29: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 29: Long/Remon/Zilker @ The Ship Isis, Sunderland. 7:00pm. £10.00. + £1.00. bf. Tom Remon plays Irish folk!
Wed 29: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.
Wed 29: Hackney Colliery Band @ Alnwick Playhouse. 7:30pm. £25.00.

Thu 30: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: International Jazz Day & JANE AGM.
Thu 30: Duke Junction @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Nadim Teimoori (tenor sax); Jeff Hewer (guitar); Martin Longhawn (organ); Steve Hanley (drums). An International Jazz Day event & the 12th anniversary of Newcastle Jazz Co-op acquiring the Globe!

Fri 01: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 01: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 01: Bede Wind Band + East Coast Swing Band @ Cullercoats Methodist Church. 7:30pm. £10.00. Tickets from: www.ticketsource.com, members of Bede Wind Band & at the door. Memorial concert for Anne-Marie Purvis, who was a member of both ensembles. All proceeds to Tiny Lives Trust.
Fri 01: Louis Louis Louis @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm. £15.00.

Sunday, March 15, 2026

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.

East of the Sun: A re-imagining of a much-loved song before touching down to more familiar territory. Nice guitar by Koning. The vocal is different but nobody cries 'wolf' and Alexandra's diversion from Brooks Bowman's original does no harm at all. If anything it enhances it.
The Summer Knows: Michel Legrand's classic song lends itself to Alexandra's vocal chords. It's made for her and gives our girl the  space for some vocalese.
Heart's Desire: Not to be confused with the song by Don Blackman, Louise Alexandra explores the eternal quest for love. Menu's tenor helps in the search. I'm a musical bigamist - I love them both!
Angel of Mine: Benny Benack III joins the party duetting with Louise and blowing an intricate flugel chorus as well as taking it out with a fitting cadenza. The song was inspired by Emmet Cohen's Little Angel.
Crazy World of Love: A boppy Annie Ross type song that romps along with changing tempos indicating that the world of love is indeed crazy.
Some Other Time/We'll be Together Again: Bill Evans' immortal classic morphs seamlessly into Carl Fischer's song. Menu blows baritone on this one. Alexandra is at her supreme best on this one. It's dark, it begs the question will they be together again? I suspect they won't - this or any other time.
We Had it All: A reflective tale of love lost. Louise captures the mood to perfection.
You go to my Head: One of the good old good ones played faster than the norm. Koning's guitar solo takes it up a notch.  Louise intoxicates my soul with her voice!
Hershey Bar/Little Did I Dream:  An early Stan Getz number that lends itself well to Alexandra's vocalese and additional lyrics. More baritone from Menu who captures a Getzian mode in his solo.
Someone: A lilting waltz brings a delightful album to a close. A special mention here to Rob van Bavel who, apart from his comping and soloing did all of the arrangements.

Release date: March 27 - recommended. Lance
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