Bebop Spoken There

Art Blakey (to Terence Blanchard): ''You ain't Miles find your own shit to do!'' (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

18504 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 368 of them this year alone and, so far this month (May 7 ) 22

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

May

Thu 14: Jazz Appreciation North East @ Brunswick Methodist Church, Newcastle NE1 7BJ. 2:00pm. £5.00. Subject: Philip Larkin’s Jazz Experiment.
Thu 14: Jerron Paxton @ Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). Superb country blues.
Thu 14: Solcade @ the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. 7:00pm. EP launch. Rivkala & co..
Thu 14: Jacob Egglestone @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. Egglestone (guitar); Jamie Watkins (bass); Jack Littlewood (drums) & guests.
Thu 14: 58 Jazz Collective @ The Blacksmith’s Arms, Hartlepool. 8:00pm. Free.
Thu 14: 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 15: Conor Emery Quartet @ The Lit & Phil, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Line-up Emery (trombone); Alix Shepherd (piano); John Pope (double bass); Abbie Finn (drums). SOLD OUT!
Fri 15: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 15: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 15: Gerry Richardson Quartet @ Sunderland Minster. 7:30pm. £13.01 adv., £15.00 on the door. Old Black Cat Jazz Club.
Fri 15: Puppini Sisters @ The Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:00pm. CANCELLED!

Sat 16: Sing Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Alexia Gardner. God Bless the Child - Lady Day!. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 16: Kaberry Big Band @ the Seahorse Pub, Hillheads Rd., Whitley Bay NE23 8HR. From 7:30pm. £15.00
Sat 16: Lady Nade @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. ‘Lady Nade sings Nina Simone’.

Sun 17: Glenn Miller & Big Band Spectacular @ Forum Theatre, Billingham. 7:30pm.
Sun 17: QOW Trio @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm. £14.00., £12.00., £7.00. Spike Wells, Riley Stone-Lonergan & Eddie Myer.

Mon 18: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 18: Mark Williams Trio @ The Black Bull, Blaydon. 8:00pm. £10.00.

Tue 19: GoGo Penguin + Daudi Matsiko @ Wylam Brewery, Newcastle. 7:00pm (doors). £22.00 + £4.40 bf.
Tue 19: Danny Lowndes’ Hot Club @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £15.00 + £5.00 bf.
Tue 19: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Michael Young (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); Mark Robertson (drums).

Wed 20: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 20: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 20: Jordan Jackson @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). £19.80 (inc. bf); £15.40 (inc. bf).
Wed 20: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Album review: Harry Skoler - Echoes (Red Brick Hill)

Harry Skoler (clarinet); Bill Frisell (guitar); Dezron Douglas (bass); Johnathan Blake (drums)

Of all the instruments in the jazz pantheon, apart from when wielded by Pee Wee Russell or Sidney Bechet, in my opinion the clarinet has the purist sound of all. Harry Skoler goes some way - some not all - to validate my opinion. Skoler tailors his sound according to the subject matter thus his portrait of Marian (McPartland) is different to that of Rahsaan Roland Kirk in Everything's Cool, Everything's Cool!.

As the more perceptive of you may have gathered most of Skoler's compositions echo his memories of musicians who have influenced him over the years: Teddy Wilson; Rahsaan Roland Kirk; Benny Goodman; Marian McPartland; Bill Evans; Jimmy Giuffre; Lionel Hampton; Miles Davis and James Williams - who?

Williams played piano with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers at the same time as Wynton Marsalis. Skoler met Williams in a Boston burger bar when he was at Berklee. Eighteen year old at the time Skoler admits he'd never heard of Art Blakey. Williams put him straight.

Whilst I must confess that in a blindfold test I'd be unable to make a connection between the composition and the inspiration, not even an educated guess, Echoes is still a step forward in contemporary jazz clarinet playing.

In Frisell he has a sympathetic running mate who, apart from his contributions to the main compositions, has a delightful mini feature on Reminiscence, one of three short, non-dedicated tracks by Walter Smith III.

Blake's drumming is, at times, overpowering but still very effective. Douglas provides the pulse that keeps the rhythm gently flowing.

Skoler's muse isn't that of Shaw or Goodman even though it was hearing Benny live that planted the seed for his future. It was Jimmy Giuffre who nurtured that seed and watched it grow.

An album that will make many rethink their thoughts on clarinets. Lance

Evocation*; Study in Orange; JW. Michelangelo & the 40 Cent Burger; Everything's Cool, Everything's Cool!; Marian; Reminiscence*; Thank You; Waiting Patiently; Counterpart; Sea of Feeling; POW!; Overtone; Never Played in Syracuse; Allusion*
*Composed by Walter Smith III
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