Listening to the archival Jazz Score on BBC Sounds got me to thinking (always a dangerous exercise) who would be the panelists if it were broadcast live today?
As Digby Fairweather is, to the best of my knowledge, the only survivor from the original participants he would be chosen by rite of passage. Alan Barnes, Pete Long, Nigel Price and Simon Spillett would also be good to provide stories and memories with Andy Hudson curating the affair. Any other obvious choices? Lance
This amazing summer isn’t over yet, and there are plenty of Copasetic events coming as we head into September: see below for details.
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.
Playlist 28/06/26 (repeated Tuesday 30/06/26)
Seasonal: Red Allen's All Stars, Billie Holiday.
Requests from Dr. Jazz: Louis Armstrong, Stefon Harris, Dave Brubeck, Mammal Hands, Lou Reed.
Tony Eales Best of Britain: Alan Barnes.
Request: Emmet Cohen.
New Release: Prime.
Requests: Jaco Pastorius, Quincy Jones, Lena Horne.
What’s on in the NE: De'Sean Jones & Blaque Dynamite, Spats Langham.
Request: Robert Cray.
Aycliffe Radio is available on DAB in County Durham & the Darlington area or via your smart speaker.
Time flies. Was it really four, perhaps five years ago, when we first heard Sam Toulson and the Ho brothers, that's Edgar Ho & Oscar Ho? The Black Swan jam session in the basement of Newcastle Arts Centre is home to a twice monthly jam session and that's where, one night, these guys walked in.
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| © John Lyons |
Noa Levy (vocals); Paul Edis (MD,
piano); Alan Barnes (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet); Andy Champion (double
bass); Steve Hanley (drums)
A familiar name and a new name. The returning Paul Edis was on home turf, Noa Levy, from San Francisco by way of London, was making her regional debut. Portrait in Evans is their collaborative project saluting the late, great pianist Bill Evans. Gateshead's Glasshouse (formerly Sage Gateshead) welcomed the principals and their amazing band.
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| © Gregory Dunn |
Noah Levy (voice); Paul Edis (piano); Adam King (bass); Joel Barford (drums); Alan Barnes (reeds)
There’s a moment, when you sit with this record, where the question shifts.
It’s not a question of whether or not you can put lyrics to Bill Evans, this has been done over the years with varying degrees of success. It’s about how brave you are, to attempt to paint a lyrical picture upon music whose meaning has always been subjective.
Because Evans’ music has always lived in that rare space where meaning isn’t stated, it’s suggested. You don’t arrive at it. You circle it. You sit inside it. And over time, it reveals something back to you — something personal, something that feels like yours alone.
That’s what makes it feel untouchable.
The first thing you have to know about this album is that
you have to play it loud. At a normal volume it burbles along quite nicely but
without making a real impact. It could almost be dinner jazz; something chilled
to have with your canapes. Nothing to scare the horses.
Crank it up, however, and everything separates out into a multi-headed, swinging, groove machine. It’s a driving, urban soundtrack that wears its influences loudly and proudly. The roots of this music lie in the first mod generation who appreciated, not just rock and roll, but looked to soul and the soulful end of jazz and blues from the likes of Georgie Fame and Brian Auger’s Trinity. These vibes are updated through (obviously) , Squeeze, Oasis and The Who as well as forming a few other groups along the way. This album seems to be the one that has generated most interest of his recent work with an interview on JazzFM and a tour that brings the Trio to The Cluny in Newcastle on Friday April 10.
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| Photo courtesy of The Glasshouse |
The above byline says
it all and the press release below confirms it, It really is going to be a
rather special night. The Edis Trio and Alan Barnes are all much loved players
in London and beyond, not least in the north east but Noa Levy will be a new
voice to many and I'm pretty sure her unique interpretations of the music of
Bill Evans will make for a memorable evening. Lance
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| © Russell |
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| © Sylvia |
https://www.ayclifferadio.co.
Playlist 22/02/26 (repeated Tuesday 24/02/26)
Tracks of Ken's will include recordings that he did with Charlie Byrd, Loren Schoenberg Big Band, Alan Barnes Octet and his own groups.
On www.purejazzradio.com (from NYC) on Tuesdays at 04.00am, Fridays at 06.00am and Saturdays at 07.00am- NYC time. (5 hours later in the UK)
None of the above shows are available on a catchup option. Frank Griffith
Tees Bay Swing Band meets at Hartlepool's Blacksmith's Arms on Saturday (Feb 7th, 1:30pm). It's an open rehearsal and you're invited to pop along, sit with a drink and listen to the band as it's put through its paces and it's free admission! Up the road in Newcastle on Sunday evening (Feb. 8th) one of the great bands makes a swift return to Jazz Co-op HQ. In October last year Gerry Richardson's Big Idea sold out the Railway Street venue and the nine-piece band is on course to do the same thing this weekend. The Globe is a thriving, independent music venue, to show your support, book in advance at: www.theglobenewcastle.bar. Do it now or miss out!
I have so many memories of seeing and hearing him over the years both live and on disc.
A Corner House gig with the Bill Harper Trio in, I think, the late '80s/early '90s got me hooked, Around about then he also took part in one of the all-time greatest north east jazz concerts at the (then) Saville Exchange, North Shields...
Marty Grosz (guitar, vocals) and Ken Peplowski (tenor sax, clarinet) were not only musically compatible but could also lay claim to be the best comedy duo to come from America since Abbott and Costello.
It’s that time of year again when we look back and cast half an eye into the next year. I have heard some excellent music this year, too much in fact to review everything I’ve listened to. There have been some great gigs in unusual places, some at odd times of the day and it seems to me that this music we love keeps on expanding outwards, both at the fringes of jazz itself, but also by bringing music from other genres into the fold. (Whilst typing this I am listening to Seb Rochford’s Finding Ways, as fine a selection of grunge jazz as you’re ever likely to hear. One of the most pleasant surprises has been finding jazz in places, such as Rothbury in Northumberland and Burford in the Cotswolds, which are away from the larger towns and cities. In both of those cases a group of enthusiasts are doing it for themselves because no one else will and I can only wish them every success.
