Angela's Alley

Just a reminder of the controversial Angela's jazz credentials with a number that would be an apt soundtrack for this site. Lance.

Bob Caswell/Paul Gamblin /Jeremy McMurray Trio - Blaydon Jazz Club

Bob Caswell (vcl), Paul Gamblin (gtr), Jeremy McMurray (pno), Mick Shoulder (bs), Bill Shield (dms).

Ruth Lambert and Paul Gamblin were the attraction at Blaydon tonight. Unfortunately Ruth couldn't make it so that fine old trouper, Bob Caswell stepped into the breach at the last minute.

Bob has an easy laid back Sinatra style that was heard to advantage on "Pennies From Heaven", "Moonlight in Vermont", "Witchcraft", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Days of Wine and Roses" etc. The latter number had some mild scatting that even Angela could live with but, in the main, Bob's jazz credentials lie in his phrasing and re-shaping of the melody; things he does very well.

Paul Gamblin fitted in with the trio - both comping and soloing. "Satin Doll", "How High The Moon", "I've Got You Under My Skin", just some of the instrumentals, were all given good workouts.

On piano, Jeremy McMurray had an inspiring night playing as close to the top of his game as he's ever likely to get.

Mick Shoulder too had his moments whilst Bill Shield kept it all together with metronomic precision.

Somewhere along the way I won a bottle of wine in the raffle!

Roly has organised some grand events for the rest of the year so please show your support on this, the club's 25th year.

Lance

Photo courtesy of Eddie Carson.

River City Jazzmen @ Ashington Jazz Club.

Ray Harley (tpt), Gordon Solomon (tmb), Jim McBriarty (clt/alt), Keith Stephen (gtr/bjo), Bill Brooks (bs), Fred Thompson (dms).

We had a smashing night at the Elephant. (A shelf behind the bar collapsed during a number in the second half.) The band kept going while our regular barman Rubin was in a right plight. We have a jazz convert in Rubin - he chats to the younger bands and sometimes buys them a drink. Everyone agreed that the line up last night was perfect. Starting out with more traditional numbers on banjo and clarinet the audience soon go into the swing of things. These were soon replaced by alto and guitar and the band played a balanced programme of classic and mainstream. Ray Harley was faultless in his performance reaching all those high notes. Jim McBriarty did one solo number and Caroline Irwin sang two numbers, one with the band and one with just the rhythm section. Important for all you bloggers out there. Do not miss a rare treat. Ray Harley is with the River Citie Jazzmen at Gateshead Fell (Friday), Mouth of the Tyne (Saturday afternoon) or Whitley Bay Festival (Saturday night).

John Taylor.

Take It To The Bridge - Chilli Arms.

Dave Weisser (tpt/vcl), Darren Grainger (ten), Barry Ashcroft (pno), Jim Crinson (bs), Eric Stutt (dms). + Solly Bashiri (dms), Harley Johnson (pno), Lance Liddle (ten).

A routine day at the office for Take it to The Bridge in the first set. "Love For Sale" having a good vocal from Dave as well as an inventive trumpet solo. Darren, as ever blew impressively with Jim, Eric and Barry a formidable rhythm section in support. The set closed with "Airegin".

The sitters-in sat-in after the break with a young lad, Harley Johnson, playing some brilliant piano. Solly Bashiri took over on drums and drove the frontline forcefully forward.

Oh yes, I almost forgot (liar!) Lance Liddle, a.k.a. Me, had a blow on the last three numbers. Lance, blowing with a band again for the first time in 25 years displayed a degree of nervousness yet his solo on "Blues For Duane" brought the crowd to its feet. Fortunately, Allan had had the foresight to lock the door so they couldn't escape although some tried to make their exit, through the window. In fairness it has to be said that they applauded loudly albeit slowly. If Jo Jones had been on drums he'd have thrown his cymbal across the floor (as in the Charlie Parker legend).

"Senor Blues" and "Stolen Moments" were better.

Nevertheless, it was a personal milestone!

Lance.

Thad Jones-Mel Lewis on YouTube

Thank you Sebastian Scotney of Londonjazz for drawing attention to this super YouTube vid of the Jones-Lewis band playing Jerome Richardson's "Groove Merchant". This is about as good as it gets big band-wise.

Lance.

Mouth of the Tyne Festival

As well as the Durham Brass Festival and the Whitley Bay Jazz Festival there is also the Mouth of the Tyne Festival taking place. The latter features several bands from the Whitley Bay Festival. Programme: Saturday - Tynemouth. "The Jazz Stage" 12noon -13:45 Chicago Stompers (Italy). 14:00 - 15:45 River City Jazzmen (Newcastle). 16:00 - 17:45 Rae Brothers New Orleans Jazz band. Sunday - Tynemouth. "The Jazz Stage" 12noon -13:45 Hot Five Jazzmakers (Canada)Towers. 14:00 - 15:45 Yerba Buena Jazz Band (Switzerland). 16:00 - 17:45 Red Hot Reedwarmers (France). Front St. 15:30-16:15 Soznak. 16:15-17:00 Byren Wallen doing a walkabout w. El AutenticoTambaraza Zacatecano. At South Shields, Soznak and Wallen play at various times. Check out website for exact times, locations and more detailed information on the above bands. Lance.

Lennie Niehaus

I related earlier how, on my recent visit to "The Spice of Life," the doorman kept plying me with cassettes. Well one of them - Lennie Niehaus's "The Quintets" is an absolute gem.

Initially released in the early '50s on a series of 10" vinyl (and now accessible on Spotify) I recall, years ago, my sax teacher, Jackie Laing, loaning me one of them. Appropriatly enough, one of the first tracks was "I Remember You" and it is as good a version as you'll find anywhere.

Mention west coast alto players and, inevitably, Art Pepper, Bud Shank and Lee Konitz, spring to mind. However, Lennie was up there swinging with them. The effortless flow of ideas and the cool dry sound came over as unflawed and pure as water from a mountain stream.

It was no coincidence that Clint Eastwood used Lennie for many movie scores including "Bird" the Charlie Parker biopic.

Like his peers mentioned above, Lennie served time with the Kenton Band.

He is now 80, reportedly still playing and composing, and who knows but that there is not more to come from this talented musician?

Lance.

Frank Reeve - Poetry and Jazz: Morden Tower Friday 10 July

This sounds interesting: "As a young man Frank Reeve drove combine-harvesters in the Midwest wheat fields and worked as a longshoreman on the Hudson River docks. In the 1960s he worked in Moscow and translated for Robert Frost when he met Nikita Khrushchev. On his first visit to Tyneside, he will be reading from his new book The Blue Cat Walks the Earth, backed by jazz duo John Lake and Phil Paton. The Blue Cat is a cross between Top Cat, Puss in Boots, The Cat in a Hat and Schrödinger’s Cat. He’s a trickster, a prankster, an illusionist and an illusion. Of course, he’s telling the truth. And of course, you don't have to believe him. Nine lives out of ten, the truth is unbelievable." Start: 8.00pm Entry: £2.00 Remember to bring your own booze.

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Publicity blurb for Jazz/Poetry gig on Friday. I might mosey along.

Lance.

Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Corner House

Peter Wright (tpt/vcl), Barry Soulsby (clt/vcl), Laurence McBriarty (tmb), Brian Bennett (bjo/vcl), Brian Sibbald (bs), Fred Thompson (dms). Tonight's gig was in the bar, the Function Room being in use for, presumably, a function. Soundwise it was much better. The ensembles came across as a band rather than six individuals and it was a good sound.

A fairly predictable couple of sets with "Embraceable You" worthy of special mention. It was a vocal for Fred with an outstanding Braff-like solo from Peter Wright. "Embraceable You" accompanied by banjo brings to mind Bill Harper (or was it Roly?) commenting a while back about the incompatibility of "Laura" with the banjo. This was in the same league and yet it worked.

Other highlights included; a foot tapping "At The Jazz Band Ball" and "Willie The Weeper". Barry Soulsby singing "Exactly Like You" and "The Yes Yes In Your Eyes". "Makin' Whoopee" had good solos and, in truth, if you closed your eyes, you could have been anywhere from Storyville in 1919 to Cooks Ferry Inn circa 1950.

Lance.

Whitley Bay Jazz Festival Update

Hi there: just a reminder that the Festival runs this weekend from Friday to Sunday inclusive at the Village Hotel, Cobalt Park, NE27 0BY. Now 30 bands with 151 musicians from ten different countries (UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Holland) Full details on the website, www.whitleybayjazzfest.org Tickets are available on the door - prices start at just £17 for a half-day, and under-16's go free. Music runs from 12 noon to midnight, followed by late-night jam-sessions in hotel bar. Don't miss this classic jazz extravaganza. And by the way - less than 50 tickets left for the Thursday 9th "Young Louis" concert at The Sage, with an all-star eight-piece featuring Bent Persson, Matthias Seuffert and Martin Litton: book online at www.thesagegateshead.org

Mike Durham