Alan Law Trio @ the Ticket Office, Whitley Bay Station - June 30

© Russell

Alan Law (keys); Paul Grainger (bass); Rob Walker (drums)

It was warm, not as warm as it has been, thank goodness, but just warm enough to ensure cooling cokes and craft beers were purchased in abundance.

Extra seats were made available as the performance space filled up and the music began. Alan Law is probably my favourite  pianist working the north east jazz scene. His ability to develop a solo from ppp to fff is a delight to behold.

However, this afternoon we saw a different side to his playing. A more introspective approach. A searching, probing, exploration of the infinite harmonic material at his finger tips. A different chord, an alternative voicing. Try it this way, try it that way, keep it, discard it, try it in a different key on a different tune at a different venue where your thought process isn't interrupted by a voice giving out cryptic messages such as 'a replacement bus service will run between ...'

The Tim Kliphuis Trio @ St Mary’s Church, Wooler - June 28

Tim Kliphuis (violin); Nigel Clark (guitar); Roy Percy (bass)

A trip into deepest Northumberland to see one of masters of gypsy jazz violin, and his highly accomplished band. In recent years Tim has fused gypsy jazz with other genres to produce some highly original music, featuring plenty of improvisation. This tour was to promote his rearranging of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, based on his two frustrations. Firstly that the original contains some great melodies that are only played briefly, and secondly that it tends to be played by orchestras that don't give it that essential swing. 

This band can certainly swing, although not always in a traditional gypsy jazz style. All three are accomplished soloists, with Tim sometimes supplying the rhythm by strumming his violin, and Nigel getting a different sound from a nylon strung guitar. Roy got his fair share of solos, featuring plenty of great slap bass. 

An Evening of Jazz @ St. James, Morpeth – June 28

Mid-Northumberland Chorus, Robin Forbes (Musical Director); Emily Masser (vocals); Edgar Ho and Emma Straughan (piano); Oscar Ho (double bass); David McKeague drums); Kirsty MacDowell (cello)

There are about 60 people in the Mid-Northumberland Chorus so I won’t list them all but will say “Hi” to Sally, Kathleen and Viv, to keep in their good books. (Don’t ask). So here we are on a balmy Sunday evening in a church in Morpeth whilst all the serious groovers are getting their Bibs Ledded down at the Globe. (More elsewhere on BSH, I’m sure).

We are promised ‘An Evening of Jazz’. I’ve seen and heard the Chorus before a few times and they tend to go for songs from the shows (My Fair Lady a firm favourite, Les Miserables so dreadful, not even the Chorus’ enthusiasm can save it), and Christmas favourites so this is a departure for them.

Book review: S.M. Muller - Butterfly Jazz

A fast paced noir novel in which a French jazz pianist, Tom Miller, meets and falls in love with a mysterious Italian jazz singer in the late night Parisian club where he is resident pianist.

Tom becomes besotted with her and devastated when she suddenly vanishes. This leads him and Frank Morot, a retired, hard-boiled, private detective to follow up clues that take them to Sicily where their quarry is being held in captivity by a Mafia family.

Despite the title and the opening chapters this isn't a jazz novel although if it were ever shot as a movie the scope for a jazz soundtrack would be tremendous. 

Nick Mondello meets Rick Keller

Our man in America, Nick Mondello, interviews saxophonist, composer, arranger and author Rick Keller out there in Nevada. As with all of Nick's "catch-ups" it's fascinating.

Listen/watch HERE. Lance

An Evening of Jazz @ St James' Church, Morpeth - June 28

Emily Masser (vocals); Edgar Ho (piano); Oscar Ho (double bass); Dave McKeague (drums) + Robin Forbes (MD); Ollie  Hall & Will Straughan (vocal duet); Kirsty McDowell (cello); Mid Northumberland Chorus

A summer's evening in Morpeth. A coffee, then a stroll over to St James' Church. The occasion? An Evening of Jazz. The Mid Northumberland Chorus and guests would perform to a full house, all pews occupied long before the scheduled start. At half past seven the chorus filed onto the stage. 

Bob Chilcott's A Little Jazz Mass opened the concert programme. The Chorus, Piano and Jazz Band. The 'Piano and Jazz Band' just happened to comprise Edgar Ho (piano), Oscar Ho (double bass) and Dave McKeague ('David' in the programme, it was a Sunday, after all)! The trio, plus guest, would form the centrepiece of both the first and second halves of the evening's concert programme.

Dean Stockdale Quartet @ Davenham Theatre - June 25

Dean Stockdale (piano); James Owston (double bass); Jamie Taylor (guitar);  Gaz Hughes (drums)

A warm welcome as usual was given by staff at Davenham Theatre on a very warm evening with free bottles of water offered on arrival free and ice creams at the interval at modest cost. One of my favourite venues for jazz in Cheshire, it's an intimate theatre, perfect for an evening of jazz and meeting friends old and new.

The band were all very well known by me having seen them on multiple occasions with various groups some very recently. The last time I saw Jamie was in Trio JDM at Buxton Festival with Dave Walsh and Martin Longhawn. He travelled from Sheffield. Dean from Darlington is one of the UK’s very best jazz pianists and I see him together with James from Birmingham and Gaz from Macclesfield multiple times each year as well as with other musicians.

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: Laura Jurd - June 27

Laura Jurd (trumpet, electronics); Elliot Galvin (piano); Ethan Johns (guitar); Oren Marshall (tuba); Jeremy Stacey (drums)

Laura Jurd, the much-lauded trumpeter/composer, arrived on Broad Chare to play a 'Miles Davis' set. The closing act at this year's Newcastle Jazz Festival drew a near capacity crowd. Trailed  variously as 'Re-imagining repertoire from across Miles' career' and '[drawing on] Davis's catalogue across his career', it remained to be seen what Jurd had in store.

In a valiant, but largely ineffective, attempt to create a through-draught, Live Theatre's doors were open to the elements until just before the down beat. As Laura Jurd took to the stage, industrial-size fans whirred, hand-held fans wafted, it was hotter than Hades. 

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: Rory Ingham Quartet - June 27

© Patti

Rory Ingham (trombone); Dean Stockdale (keys); Michael Whent (bass guitar); John Bradford (drums)

One or two members of the audience were muttering darkly at the thought of an hour spent listening to a trombone fronted quartet. However, it only took the opening few bars of the Charlie Parker alto intro to All the Things You Are to turn the doubters into believers. Bass guitarist Whent is rarely see or heard outside of the subterranean depths of the Strictly Smokin' Big Band. Maybe someone psyched Rory up and he truly put Michael to the sword giving him a solo above and beyond the call of duty.

Newcastle Jazz Festival - Day Two: the Alexia Gardner Quintet -June 27

© Patti

Alexia Gardner (vocals); Alan Law (piano); Harry Keeble (tenor sax); Jude Murphy (bass, backing vocals); Abbie Finn (drums).

Alexia never fails to delight. Unique interpretations of tried and tested standards delivered in her own individual style.

I'd heard her singing them all before yet they seem to come out differently each time - the hallmark of a true jazz singer.