Album review: Charles Mingus - Mingus at Carnegie Hall

Charles Mingus (bass); Jon Faddis (trumpet); George Adams (tenor sax); Hamiet Bluiett (baritone sax); Don Pullen (piano); Dannie Richmond (drums) + Rahsaan Roland Kirk (tenor sax/stritch); John Handy (alto, tenor sax); Charles McPherson (alto sax).

All bets are off! - Reissue of the Year - this is it! Carnegie Hall seems to work a kind of magic on those who have practiced hard enough to pass through its portals and on to the hallowed stage. Toscanini, Goodman, Monk and Mingus made it and this 1974 double CD (or 3 x lp vinyl) is a worthy example and, indeed, in jazz terms eclipses just about anything that was ever played there before and, most likely, since!

Charlotte Keeffe Quartet @ The Globe – June 13

(Screenshots by Ken Drew)

Charlotte Keeffe (trumpet, flugelhorn); Moss Freed (guitar); Ben Handysides (drums); Ashley John Long (double bass)

What a joy! my first live gig since Covid began almost 18 months ago.  Back at the splendidly upgraded Globe for this co-promotion by the Jazz Co-op and Jazz North East giving us a night of top quality improvised jazz performed by the splendid Charlotte Keeffe Quartet. As many things are at this time of the year the night was a game of two sets. The first half was a single improvisation subsequently named Right Here, Right Now the title of Keeffe’s recently released debut album. For me completely improvised music only really works when listened to in situ so I have really missed live performances during these lockdown times. Being able to see the interaction of the individual players visually as well as audibly is part and parcel of the whole experience. The set certainly didn’t disappoint and I was as happy as a Brentford supporter at a play-off final enjoying the creativity of the four musicians on stage.

Album review: Emma Johnson's Gravy boat - Worry Not

Emma Johnson (tenor sax); Fergus Vickers (guitar); Richard Jones (piano); Angus Milne (bass); Steve Hanley (drums)

(Quote from blurb): Worry Not is the debut from Leeds based cinematic quintet, Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat.

Emma's writing is inspired by cinematic scores as well as a wide range of jazz from hard bop to modern tenor/guitar led quintets, and this combines to create compositions that evoke imagery and emotions for the listener. The album combines strong melodies with improvised sections that give each member of the group space to shine.

Reminiscing in (and out of) Tempo by Andy Hudson - Part Two

Having kicked off last week with the tale of  how, in my first  few months here in the North East, myself and   a fellow student, Ivan Dunne    who shared my passion for both rugby and jazz,   blew our entire SRC grant on supporting a concert by the Duke Ellington Orchestra at the City Hall. I still maintain that it was worth it to hear that horn section with Paul Gonsalves, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and the extraordinary Cat Anderson on screaming high note trumpet. We took them out for a pint afterwards - the rest is somewhat hazy…

Talking of hazy, in the mid-1970s I managed a bit of a coup in securing the first ever BBC Live outside broadcast – You’ll perhaps remember that this was achieved by playing Radio 3 Audio along with BBC2 TV.

Ken Drew - 100 today (not years!)

Earlier today, I added a collage, by Ken Drew, to Russell's review of the Joni Mitchell tribute on KSTV.

This was a very special collage as it was the one hundredth screenshot collage that Ken has provided since lockdown began. We're both grateful and privileged to have such a sharp-shooter as part of the BSH team.

However, apart from his innovative collages Ken has, over the years, also provided us with a host of stunning images for which we're always happy to be able to share.

Check out the livestreams here and some older photos taken at real live gigs here! Lance

LIVE JAZZ RETURNS TO NEWCASTLE

(Press release)

Event: NEWCASTLE JAZZ FESTIVAL 2021

Dates: Friday 13th August, Saturday 14th August, Sunday 15th August 2021

 

Celebrating the return of live jazz and live audiences this summer, with an exciting programme featuring local and national artists, the Newcastle Jazz Festival 2021 takes place over three days in August with music covering jazz, funk, hiphop, bebop and more. Performances will be at three locations: Flat Caps Coffee on Carliol Street, Newcastle Civic Centre and the Tyne Bank Brewery.

Ella Hohnen-Ford live streaming from home - June 13

Ella Hohnen-Ford (vocals); Helena Kay (tenor sax); Matt Robinson (piano); Will Sach (double bass)

North London on a sweltering Sunday evening. Ella Hohnen-Ford singing a set of love songs and more in the company of tenor saxophonist Helena Kay, pianist Matt Robinson and mainstay bassist Will Sach. Moonglow to begin. Is there a more composed performer than Ms Hohnen-Ford? Such assurance, singing, all the while interacting with her online audience, Ella playfully toying with a lyric a joy to hear. 

Album review: Alex Western-King - Sideslip

Alex Western King (tenor sax); James Copus (trumpet); Sam Leak (piano); Jonny Wickham (bass); Jay Davis (drums).

This is an album of two personalities. One is a bop balladeer from the ‘50s and the other is much more modern and challenging giving a suggestion of where Western-King might go on his next album.

The first two tracks exemplify this dichotomy; Make Way is relaxed with laid back piano and sax solos whilst Disorder Reordered does what it says on the tin. The latter has a disjointed, angular opening from bass and drums with Leak providing ‘Monk-ish’ interjections from somewhere behind them. The sax doesn’t come in until near the end as Western-King squalls over heavy riffing. This is lively stuff.

Joe Webb plays Art Tatum - June 12

(Screenshot by Russell)

Joe Webb (piano); Dave Archer (guitar); Will Sach (double bass)

It was in November last year when pianist Joe Webb's trio featuring guitarist Dave Archer and bassist Will Sach played a storming Art Tatum session at Kansas Smitty's. Fast forward to a glorious summer's afternoon in Joe's kitchen and there they were - Joe, Dave and Will - reprising their memorable London set. For the most part the set list mirrored the Kansas Smitty's performance. From I Got Rhythm to Flying Home, this was gob-smacking stuff.       

Saturday Night @ the 606: Xhosa Cole & Alex Hitchcock play Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis & Johnny Griffin's Live at Mintons - June 12

Xhosa Cole, Alex Hitchcock (tenor saxes); Deschanel Gordon (piano); Joe Downard (bass); Shane Forbes (drums).

This afternoon the soccer players of Wales and Switzerland waltzed to a 1 - 1 draw. There was no waltzing at the '606' tonight - on or off the stand. 

This was a good old-fashioned tenor joust that had the protagonists going for it toe to toe. No quarter asked, no quarter given. The same rules that applied when Johnny Griffin and Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis (more or less) adhered to when they recorded the album tonight's session was based on.

KSTV: Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light - June 12

(Screenshot by Ken Drew)

Hattie Whitehead (vocals. guitar); Alec Harper (tenor sax); Will Barry (piano, keyboards); Flo Moore (bass); Jas Kayser (drums); João Caetano (percussion) 

A Kansas Smitty's session with a distinct folk element. Joni Mitchell the subject, Hattie Whitehead charged with the responsibility of doing justice to the Canadian's songbook, this Saturday evening would prove to be on the mellow side. The late seventies' release of Shadows and Light arose thanks to on the road recordings made during Mitchell's tour of her Mingus album featuring several jazz heavyweights including Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius. 

Sunday Night @ The Globe (June 13, 8:00pm)

(Press release)

Charlotte Keeffe’s unique approach and passion for jazz, experimental and freely improvised music sees her performing regularly as a soloist and as part of a variety of different ensembles, including her own Quartet. The Charlotte Keeffe Quartet performed a sell-out performance at Lancaster Jazz Festival in 2019 and their live recording from Jazz in the Round has been played regularly on radio stations across the UK and internationally.

Her Quartet features Ashley John Long on double bass, Ben Handysides on drums, Moss Freed on guitar and herself on trumpet and flugelhorn; they explore merging together Charlotte’s more composed music with free improvising. The Charlotte Keeffe Quartet can be heard on Discus Music’s Right Here, Right Now (spring 2021) release, alongside a selection of her improvised works for solo, duo and large ensembles.

Aycliffe Radio Jazz Time - Playlist June 13

This week celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Erroll Garner, and so there is a thread of his tracks (some requested) throughout the programme.

Other tracks on this week's playlist are: 

MJQ + Branford Marsalis; Joe Pass; Dean Stockdale; Cannonball Adderley; Emma Fisk's Hot Club du Nord, (soon to be live throughout the North East).

New Releases: Christian Garrick Quartet; Marita; Slide Attack. 

Adrian Cox Quartet with Samantha Wright; Matt Carmichael, Fergus McCreadie; Chick Corea; Sarah Vaughan Clifford Brown; The Vieux Carré Jazzmen. Mike Dixon.

A Tribute to Gerry Hughes @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough - June 12

 

Kevin Eland (trumpet, flugelhorn); Richie Emmerson (tenor sax); Ian Bosworth (guitar); Dave Archibald (keyboards); Paul Dickerson (bass); Mark Hawkins (drums) 

When Gerry Hughes died some months ago his many musician friends determined to celebrate his life by organising a day filled with music and happy memories. The Tees Hot Club bassist would have been amazed by the huge crowd assembled today on the sports field at Dorman's Club in Middlesbrough. 

My Kind of Radio - Chicago is ...

Just been listening to Denny Farrell's Late Night Chicago Radio show. This guy really is the coolest jazz jock of them all. His voice, as he chats between numbers, is so laid back it's almost like hearing Sinatra singing  a ballad.

Frank wasn't on the show tonight but Vic Damone was singing about the Southside of Chicago. There was also a snippet from an interview Denny did many years ago with Vic who confirmed that he did audition for Perry Como in an elevator when he, Vic, was the elevator operator. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!