Ed Kainyek Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Dec. 6

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Ed Kainyek (tenor sax);  Richard Jones (keys); Paul Hartley (guitar); Gavin Barras (bass); Tim Franks (drums).

There was a lot of speculation as to who would be playing tonight instead of Steve Oakes who was still having car related problems but Ed Kainyek took over the role of bandleader and did a fine job of selecting some interesting tunes to play.  

One  member of this group that I don’t think I’ve seen here before was Richard Jones who played a Korg keyboard. I recall seeing him at the Creative Space venue a few times but he impressed me tonight with his solo work and I’d like to have heard him on the house upright.

Paul Edis Sextet @ Soho Pizza Express - Dec. 5

Paul Edis (MD, piano); Freddie Gavita (trumpet); Vasilis Xenopoulos (tenor sax, flute); Rory Ingham (trombone); Adam King (double bass); Joel Barford (drums)

Relocating from the north east of England to London in the early part of 2020, the little matter of a pandemic stopped Paul Edis in his tracks. Not that our man was left twiddling his thumbs, on the contrary, weekly online lockdown gigs maintained a connection with his audience and he continued to compose new material. Fast forward to a Monday evening in December 2022 and the Soho Dean Street Pizza Express was all but full. And little wonder, we were there for the long-delayed debut performance of the Paul Edis Sextet.

Martin Litton's Uptown Hall Gang @ The Spice of Life - Dec. 5

Michael McQuaid (clarinet, trumpet); David Horniblow (clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax); Alistair Allan (trombone); Martin Litton (piano); Julian Bury (double bass, drums); Richard Pite (drums, double bass)

It was in the early hours when the Cable Theft Gang struck. Somewhere in the Retford area a section of East Coast main line cable went missing...Calling all cars! Calling all cars! Round up the usual suspects.Trains cancelled, trains delayed, best laid plans 'n' all that ...

The proposed non-stop service from Newcastle to King's Cross wasn't going anywhere, period. All aboard the next available train. Aboard the next available train it was standing room only, a much desired scenario at a jazz gig but not on a train. The best part of one hour late arriving in London, it was touch and go as to whether or not your correspondent would make it in time for the down beat at the Spice of Life. 

A Jazz Christmas Carol by the Alan Barnes Octet

Saturday 10th December @ The Black Swan at Newcastle Arts Centre

The Alan Barnes Octet brings the jazzy ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to The Black Swan at Newcastle Arts Centre on Saturday 10th December.

Having performed most recently in the North East with Strictly Smokin' Big Band, Paul Edis Trio and Gaz Hughes Sextet, we're pleased to see Alan return to Newcastle, this time in the fine company of his own octet: Bruce Adams (trumpet and flugelhorn), Mark Nightingale (trombone), Robert Fowler (saxophones and clarinet), Karen Sharp (saxophones and clarinet), David Newton (piano), Simon Thorpe (bass) and Clark Tracey (drums).

Meanwhile, way out east ...

Colin Aitchison, our man in Hong Kong, kindly sent me this update on the goings on in Ashley Rd...

"This month, on December 18, it will be the 50th Anniversary of Ned Kelly's Last Stand in Hong Kong. It is the oldest pub in it's original position at 11a Ashley Rd and is the longest running live music jazz bar in Hong Kong with a resident band and many guests who have graced the stage over the years. the only interruption being Covid 19 (no live music but open for business). Ned's opened on, December, 18, 1972.

Derrick Harris Quartet @ the Railway, Stockport - Dec. 4

(© Jeff Pritchard)

Derrick Harris (guitar); Andrzej Baranek (keys); Jose Canha (bass); Paul Smith (drums).

The first five tunes this evening were originals composed by Derrick and I liked the way the band played them, with all participants getting into that hard bop groove from the word go. Although he has played this venue many times, it’s always a treat to see  Andrzej Baranek here as his solos are highly creative and he never puts a foot wrong. The last tune of the first set was Frank Foster’s  Shiny Stockings. a tune that seems to be getting quite popular with jazz groups these days.

Sunday Night @ the Globe: Liane Carroll - Dec. 4

(© Pam)

Liane Carroll (piano, vocals).

The competition was tough. Over at Bobik's, Jazz North East presented Let Spin and Ceitidh Mac whilst out there in Qatar (or your local pub or living room) England were playing Senegal in the World Cup.

England won 3-0 but on a decibels to crowd size ratio I doubt if the goals by Henderson, Kane and Saka generated the volume of applause that the Jazz Coop audience gave Liane Carroll at the Globe.

Singer, pianist, sit-down comedian (I think comedienne is passé these days) Ms Carroll (I think Miss is passé these days) can comfortably tick all three boxes.

Preview: Central Bar gets Kind of Blue

A week tonight (Mon 12 Dec) the Central Bar Quintet will be playing Kind of Blue! One of the most famous albums of all time, it begs the question: How often has the landmark recording been performed either side of the Atlantic? The Central Bar Quintet's forthcoming recreation of Miles Davis and co is likely to be a first here on Tyneside. The rhythm section - Alan Law, Mick Shoulder and John Bradford - will be joined for the occasion by Sue Ferris (Cannonball and Trane) and Pete Tanton as Miles. 7:30pm start, a fiver at the door (free to those participating in the jam session which follows the Kind of Blue album set). Russell         

Album Review: Sarah Elizabeth Charles – Blank Canvas

Sarah Elizabeth Charles (voice); Jesser Elder (piano, keyboards); Jordan Peters (guitar); Burniss Earl Travis II (bass); John Davis (drums) plus special guests Chief Xian a Tunde Adjuah (Adjuah bow); Jesse Fischer (keyboards, piano)

This is a very impressive album which I believe falls into the category of 'world jazz'. If I chose an album of the year, this would be a strong contender. I was thoroughly put off at first as the publicity sheet said that this singer and composer had based her songs partly around problems that she'd experienced during the previous 5 years, including the pandemic, political turmoil, a miscarriage, the death of her brother and also the birth of her son. But this album is no misery memoir but a joyful optimistic set of songs of hope.

Tonight @ the Globe - something real special

(Press release)

A world-class performer, Liane Carroll’s powerful blues-tinged voice combined with strong piano playing and exciting infectious material, not to mention a wicked sense of humour, make this a truly remarkable gig. Liane has been a pillar of the British jazz and soul scene for over thirty-five years and has dedicated her career to creating a deep and abiding connection with audiences all over the world. We are delighted to welcome her for an intimate solo performance at The Globe.