Bebop Spoken There

Melissa Aldana: ''Having to play a ballads album, which is something very revealing for a saxophone player, would help me to question some new aspects of how to go deeper into sound." (DownBeat May, 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

18621 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 485 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 14) 37

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

June

Wed 17: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 17: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 17: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 18: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: Castillo Nuevo Orquesta @ Pilgrim, Newcastle. £6.50. 7:30pm (doors).
Thu 18: Lindsay Hannon: Tom Waits for No Man @ Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 18: 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 19: Joe Steels Group @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. SOLD OUT!
Fri 19: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 19: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 19: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Hotel Gotham, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Fri 19: Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm. £14.33., £11.16., £8.00.
Fri 19: Martin Litton @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 (inc. bf); £6.50 (inc. bf); £15.00 on the door. Solo piano. CANCELLED!
Fri 19: Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra @ Hippodrome, Darlington. 7:30pm. Joe Webb support set.
Fri 19: Hot Club du Nord @ Warkworth Memorial Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 19: Jive Aces: The Roots of Rock & Roll @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £20.00 + bf.

Sat 20: Tyne Valley Big Band @ Tynedale Beer Festival, Corbridge. 5:00-6:00pm.
Sat 20: Castillo Nuevo Trio @ Revoluçion de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30pm. Free.
Sat 20: Red Kites Jazz @ Staithes Café, Dunston. 7:00-9:00pm. Free.
Sat 20: New Century Ragtime Orchestra @ Trinity Church, Gosforth, Newcastle. 7:30pm. £20.00. NCRO w. guests Dean Stockdale & Nick Ward.

Sun 21: From Lagos to Longbenton: Unity in the Community @ Sunderland Minster. From 1:30pm. Free. A multi-bill Unity in the Community event, inc. From Lagos to Longbenton.
Sun 21: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 21: Michael Young Trio @ The Engine Room, Sunderland. 2:30pm. Free. Trio w. Graham Hardy.
Sun 21: 4B @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 3:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Tweed River Jazz Band @ Barrels Ale House, Berwick. 7:00pm. Free.
Sun 21: Magpies of Swing @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 22: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.

Tue 23: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:00pm. Free.
Tue 23: Jude Murphy & Dan Stanley @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

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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