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

18656 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 18 years ago. 520 of them this year alone and, so far this month (June 25) 72

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 01: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Wed 01: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 01: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free.

Thu 02: Vieux Carré Hot 4 @ The Millstone, Mill Rise, South Gosforth, Newcastle. 1:00pm. Free.
Thu 02: Paul Skerritt @ Angels' Share, St George's Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle NE2 2SX. 8:00pm. Free. Booking advised (0191 200 1975). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Thu 02: De’Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite feat. Urban Art Orchestra @ Cluny 2, Newcastle. 7:30pm (doors). De’Sean Jones (MD, tenor sax); Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell, drums); Jamie Murray (drums) with UAO horns & strings.
Thu 02: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman’s Club, Middlesbrough. 8:30pm.
Thu 02: Howlin’ Mat @ Newcastle Arts centre. 7:30pm. Free. Acoustic

Fri 03: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms. 1:00pm. Free.
Fri 03: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ The Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 03: Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Saltburn Community Hall. 7:30pm.
Fri 03: Martin Taylor @ Arc, Stockton. 8:00pm. Taylor (solo guitar).

Sat 04: Spats Langham’s Hot Fingers @ St Augustine’s Parish Centre, Darlington. 12:30pm. £10.00. Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club.
Sat 04: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:00-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sat 04: Play Jazz! workshop @ The Globe, Newcastle. 1:30pm. £27.50. Tutor: Steve Glendinning. Take the ‘A’ Train to Summertime: From Melody to Masterclass. Enrol at: learning@jazz.coop.
Sat 04: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Red Lion, Earsdon. 8:00pm. £3.00.

Sun 05: Smokin’ Spitfires @ The Cluny, Newcastle. 12:45pm. £10.00.
Sun 05: Ian Bosworth Quintet @ Chapel, Middlesbrough. 1:00pm. Free. Feat. guest Kevin Eland (trumpet).
Sun 05: Michael Woods @ Cycle Hub, Quayside, Ouseburn. 1:30-2:30pm & 3:15-4:00pm. Free. Acoustic blues guitar. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Lydia Rae Quintet @ Central Bar, Gateshead. 2:00pm. £10.00. Rae (vocals); Sam Lightwing (alto sax, tenor sax); Ben Lawrence (piano); Andy Champion (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Sun 05: Sax Choir @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free.
Sun 05: Paul Skerritt @ Hibou Blanc, Newcastle. 2:00pm. Free. Table reservations (0191 261 8000). Skerritt w. backing tapes.
Sun 05: Storytellers Street Band @ Ouseburn Woodland, Ouseburn. 5:00-6:00pm. Free. An Ouseburn Festival event.
Sun 05: Gerry Richardson’s Big Idea @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.
Sun 05: Jambone @ Glasshouse, Gateshead. 8:15-9:45pm. Free but ticketed.

Mon 06: Friends of Jazz @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm. Free.
Mon 06: Saltburn Big Band @ Saltburn House Hotel. 7:00-9:00pm. Free. Rehearsal session (open to the public).

Tue 07: Alan Law Trio @ The Ticket Office, Whitley Bay. 2:30pm. Free.
Tue 07: Jam session @ The Black Swan, Newcastle. 7:30pm. Free. House trio: Ben Lawrence (piano); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums).
Tue 07: Customs House Big Band @ The Masonic Hall, Ferryhill. 7:30pm. Free.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Album review: Duchess: A Marvelous Party (ANZIC Records)

Duchess: Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, Melissa Stylianou (vocal trio) + Michael Cabe (piano); Jesse Lewis (guitar); Matt Aronoff (bass); Jared Schonig (drums); Erica von Kleist (alto/soprano sax); Jason Rigby (tenor sax); Owen Broder (baritone sax); Summer Camargo (trumpet); Nick Finzer (trombone); Oded Lev-Ari (piano tk 8)

Think of the Boswell Sisters, the Andrews Sisters, the Keynotes and, more recently, the Puppini Sisters. Girl vocal groups whose harmonies defined the times be it the Wall Street Crash, World War ll or its aftermath.

Duchess have absorbed all of those elements as well as adding a few distinctive harmonic touches of their own on this, their fourth release.

It's a concept album. Once upon a time you had to have a gimmick. These days you have to have a concept. In this case the concept is a party and given credibility by stringing together a dozen loosely related lyrics that form the basis of A Marvelous Party. 

So, let the party begin.

This Could be the Start of Something Big: A swinging start. Great vocal arrangement over classic biggish band chart.
Lucky Day: Baritone, trumpet and trombone boot it along before the girls hit lucky.
Are You Having Any Fun?: Trombone has a lot of fun whilst the girls make their play.
Ain't That a Kick in the Head: They're in love and so am I with this group.
Enjoy Yourself: A philosophy I heartily go along with. 
Hey Look me Over: A Cy Coleman song, nice relaxed tenor solo, some nifty guitar licks and the girls making an offer I couldn't resist.
It's All Right With me: Alto enhances the vocal (and vice-versa).
I Went to a Marvelous Party: A marvelous lyric by Noël Coward and the girls are in recitation rather than singing mode - it's a hoot!
Champagne: "I'm never gonna drink again" How many of us haven't said that after a party? Baritone solos soberly. Cork pops at the end - deservedly so.
Put on a Happy Face: The party's fizzling out although the horns keep it going and the girls do what it says on the label.
Is That All There is?: Peggy Lee made this Leiber and Stoller song her own which is no reflection on Amy, Hilary and Melissa - I think  Peggy would have approved.
Danke Schoen: A bitter sweet ending to a must have album that vocal group groupies, irrespective of gender, will be adding to their bank holiday lists unable to wait until Xmas.

To sum up - A Marvelous Party. Lance
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