Press release: manchesterjazzfestival update

Manchester’s longest-running music festival is back this Summer for 10 days of jam-packed festival fun and musical vibes across the city starting this Friday, May16, to Sunday, May 25)!

EVENTS

Press release: Big Sounds and Big Names for Buxton International Festival’s Jazz Programme

Buxton International Festival (10-27 July) announces big sounds and big names for 2025, with more than 160 events including a dedicated jazz programme, world-class operas, classical music concerts and book events.

Public Booking is open. The popular opening ‘Jazz Weekender’ ticket (10-13 July) features 12 gigs for just £175 or tickets can be bought separately. Tel: 01298 72190/buxtonfestival.co.uk 

Festival Website/Programme is here.

Gregory Porter + Jo Harrop @ o2 Newcastle City Hall - May 12

© Russell

Gregory Porter (vocals); Tivon Pennicott (tenor sax); Chris Storr (trumpet); Trevor Mires (trombone); Chip Crawford (piano, Fender Rhodes); Ondřej Pivec (Hammond B3); Jamal Nichols (double bass, bass guitar); Emanuel Harrold (drums); ? (backing vocals); ? (backing vocals)

Four nights at the Royal Albert Hall served as warm up gigs for Gregory Porter's sold out appearance at Newcastle City Hall. As the lights dimmed excitement levels were off the scale. Members of Porter's band strolled out onto the stage, then the man himself. The hall erupted. For the best part of two hours the American superstar would hold court. 

Opening with Holding On, Porter was in fine voice, his band one of the best in the business. Dressed in a sharp, double-breasted suit, Porter told us about his afternoon stroll around toon (town) admiring the architecture and the Tyne's many bridges - one every ten paces, said the man. Porter spoke fondly of Hoochie Coochie, the crowd roared, someone local had tipped him off that the venue had changed its name! Brownie points in the bag.

Album review: Ellie Martin - Morning Glories (self-produced)

Ellie Martin (voice, vocal backgrounds); Peter Eldridge (piano, vocal backgrounds); Kurt Krahnke (bass); Olman Piedra (drums, percussion); Andrew Bishop (tenor/soprano saxophones) (1,4,5,11,12); Ben Wolkins (trumpet) (5); Kevin Ganz (guitar); Rob Avsharian (drums) (10,13).

It is a certainty that vocalist, composer, educator Ellie Martin knew that titling her recent release, Morning Glories would offer more profound and resonant meanings beyond the horticultural. Martin’s poetic lyric content and musically robust originals here – a hefty thirteen of them all performed splendidly – give it away.

Love and Light spins things off in a brisk bossa nova take wherein Martin confidently delivers her poignant, optimistic lyrics. A long, lyrical tenor sax solo from Andrew Bishop follows. Vocal overdubs and Martin’s scatting take things out. It is a superb opener.

4B @ Whitley Bay's Ticket Office - May 11

Bernie Ranson (tenor sax); Barbara Wilcox (keyboards, vocals); Jude Murphy (double bass, vocals); Alan Wann (drums)

A perfect late spring (early summer?) afternoon down at the coast. The Ticket Office was doing a roaring trade, inside and out. A dog-friendly establishment, man and man's best friend basked in the glorious sunshine. The former ticket office, now a popular micro pub, stands on the concourse at Whitley Bay Metro Station. At three o'clock on Sundays, Bernie Ranson's 4B entertains drinkers and those waiting for a metro. 

Sunday night @ the Globe: Sekoya - May 11

Luke Cunningham (keys); Simon Toner (double bass); Gavin Lamont (drums).

In the absence of BSH's regular reviewing team and as Sekoya's music is so lyrical, dynamic and exciting, I felt it would be unfair to both the band and the small audience who made the effort to allow this enjoyable gig to pass unnoticed.  

The pieces, all composed by the band members, were drawn from their debut album Shuna  (CD and vinyl) which they recorded in Memphis.

Luke referred to "playing the beautiful music we have prepared for you" at the beginning of the gig - a promise that was certainly fulfilled. 

Album review: Sandra-Mae Lux - Seasons in Jazz (Sandra-Mae Music/ECN)

Sandra-Mae Lux (vocals, tenor sax) + Rob Barron (piano); Tristan Paxton (guitar); Calum Gourley (bass); Sebastiaan de Krom (drum) - tks 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11.

Christian Vaughan (piano); Dave Jones (bass); Tristan Maillot (drums) - tks 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, 13. 

Canadian born, London resident since 2017, Sandra-Mae Lux is a new name to me but, as the saying goes, better late than never! Well that never is now - or it will be on May 30 with the release of this beautiful album of ballads by Lux and her lyricist partner Alan Marriott. 

Young Man With a Horn - Remembering the book and the film

Coming across a DVD of the 1949 movie starring Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall and Doris Day, Young Man With a Horn (the title was changed for UK audiences to Young Man of Music), gave me cause to reflect on both the film and Dorothy Baker's 1938 novel of the same name on which the film was based.

In her forward to the book Baker states: "The inspiration for the writing of this book has been the music, but not the life, of a great musician, Leon (Bix) Beiderbecke, who died in the year 1931. The characters and events of the story are entirely fictitious and do not refer to real musicians, living or dead, or to actual happenings". So this made it clear this was jazz related novel not a biopic of Bix.

Paul Edis & Friends @ Musicwonders, Chester-le-Street - May 10

Paul Edis (piano, flute); Graham Hardy (trumpet, piano); Susan Sinclair (vocals); Adam Sinclair (snare drum)

Musicwonders is a new resource centre located just off Front Street in Chester-le-Street. Formerly home to Citizens Advice Bureau, the modest, discreet building is many things to many people. To quote from the venture's publicity material: Musicwonders is a not-for-profit community organisation offering inclusive music, arts and wellbeing sessions for people of all ages and abilities.

This evening's inaugural concert featuring four of the region's finest musicians attracted a select, capacity audience. Musicwonders' Adam Sinclair and Susan Sinclair invited two friends to join them to help raise funds for the project, Messrs Paul Edis and Graham Hardy. 

Jazz Time Aycliffe Radio - Sundays 6.30-8.00pm (repeated Tuesdays 8.00-9.30pm).

https://www.ayclifferadio.co.uk/listen

Playlist 11/05/25 (repeated Tuesday 13/05/25)

 

VE Day: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, the Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots.

Requests from the Hot Fingers gig at Darlington New Orleans Jazz Club: Hot Fingers, Clarence Williams, Fletcher Henderson, Sauter - Finegan Orchestra, Jack Teagarden, Ottilie Patterson, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald.

Other Requests: Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, the Savoy Havana Band, Duke Pearson Big Band.

New Release: Louis Stewart.

Memories: King Oliver & His Orchestra, Mary Lou Williams.

What’s happening in the NE: Jo Harrop, Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord.

Scarborough Festival: Fergus McCreadie Trio.

 Aycliffe Radio is now available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington Area.