Gabriele Mit Drei @ The Jazz Café

Gabriele Heller (vcl); Paul Beck (pno); Dave Parker (bs); Steve Glendinning (gtr).

Lotte Lenya meets Carmen McRae meets Marlene Dietrich via Anita O'Day might sum up this gig. Certainly Frau Gabi has all of the attributes of the above and tonight she brought them in to play at the crowded Jazz Café. Lenya and Dietrich provided the Cabaret/Blue Angel/.Threepenny Opera feel, McRae the clipped delivery and O'Day the wonderful scatting. Ann reviewed Gabi's first gig in glowing tones and I can do little more than re-iterate her words.and maybe  add a few of my own.

Darktown Strutters Ball! Can you think of a more unlikely number for a hip modern singer to open up with? I can't and yet it worked fine! Imagination was another that was sung - wait for it - imaginatively whilst All Or Nothing At All had plenty in the way of vocal dynamics as Gabi took the song by the scruff of the neck and re-worked it beautifully - I think Frank would have approved.

As well as the standards, Gabi's original Don't Mess Around had a funky feel and a scary message - I sure ain't gonna mess around!

Throughout, the band gave her excellent support and there were some wiz solos from Steve on guitar and Paul on piano with Dave throwing in the odd bass solo for good measure.

I think we can safely say that this "Warbler" - sorry that's flippant - this "Singer" has arrived!
It was a good night and I think King Keith will be well pleased to see his superb venue so well patronised tonight (...maybe...) 

Photos.

Lance.

PS: I had to leave early to catch The Metro but I have to say that my favourite number of the ones I heard was the sound-check version of Kurt Weill's Johnny!

PPS: Catch Gabiriele Mit Drei at Hoochie Coochie on Dec. 29.

Seb Pipe's Life Experience @The Bridge Hotel - Sunday 27th November

Seb Pipe (alto sax); Arthur Lea (keyboards); Rich Gold (guitar); Kevin Glasgow (bass); George Hart (drums)

Isn't it a pity, isn't a shame - sadly anticipated by the 'slightly angry' Paul B in his recent

Jazz Alert - that a band likeSeb Pipe's LE should travel all this way from the southern capital to be greeted only by a handful of old faithfuls, some quite young, spread thinly through the Bridge upstairs; surely the soul of jazz stems from open-mindedness, yet it seems that if the band's name isn't familiar the telly stays on and the car sits outside, cold and forlorn. This sanctimoniousness is of course simply intended to divert attention from my inability to put notional cyber pen to paper until now - can't be that bothered if he's waited 6 days t' say summit! Well there it is, maybe it's just cos Christmas is comin'! 

Get on with it!! I lingered too long as usual in the anteroom so the first number, Star Eyes, a romantic vision of diamonds on deep blue velvet, drew me into my seat and, being impressed by the unique tight sound of SP'sLE, my pen gravitated towards the odd bits of paper on the table in front of me. 

Trassouet, positively ECM with hints of EST, from Seb's Pyrenean experiences began with a promising Yamaha 6-string bass intro, which turned into a bit of an extended foothills ramble. I really loved the warmth of the descending 3 chord theme - sometimes with a 'see how they run' reply, but you can have too much of a good thing - for me a bit more reflection and modulation on this trek could have widened the vista on these mountains. There was no sitting still to Tiscali, set in Sardinia, this contrapuntal number had me moving in my seat, Kevin giving us some excellent John Patitucci-esque, Brazilian waterfront developments. 

Cerca de ti - Closer to you - gave George a chance to open on his blindingly yellow sun kit - very impressive percussion with some wonderful piano work from Arthur Lea.

In set 2, with Full Steam, their impressive counterpoint moved into a 4th dimension with a seamless transition into Reggae and eventually back to bebop, showcasing the band's fingertip control with Arthur and Seb really bouncing the theme around and Rich making some initially hesitant but eventually confident moves on the fretboard as Seb gallantly kneeled down to give us a better view of their guitarist. The last number before the encore, Manintal Din Sig, was a celebration of Seb's Romanian experience - he's a well-travelled bloke obviously and the clever complex chromatics of this composition reflected his take on the lively and passionate music of Eastern Europe - arousing sounds.

I was pleased that I went to see these 5 talented and good-humoured young men from London - a solid performance with outstanding dynamics control, sometimes maybe even a bit too pianissimo subtle for the genre, which crescendoed with their energetically deserved encore - Woobe - Seb's composition, also featuring him on some scat-ripping rap with typically contrapuntal prestidigitation - nice!V!

Check out some live performances on http://www.myspace.com/sebpipe showing the band playing happily to packed audiences!
Photos.

George M.

Get your kicks on Elkie 66! - Elkie Brooks @ The Sage, Gateshead.

Elkie Brooks (vcl); Stevie Jones (ten); Melvin Duffy (gtr); Brian Badham (bs); Andrew Murray (keys); Lee Noble (keys/perc/vcl); Michael Richardson (dms).

This was AWESOME!. It had been 30 years since I'd last heard Elkie live. What would she be like? Had the voice held out? Was she now a frail old lady of 66? Would anyone turn up?

They turned up - boy did they turn up! Hall One was packed up to the rafters - this seems to be the norm for this tour - Sold Out notices everywhere.

Deservedly so. The voice, like Lilac Wine, has matured, ripened with age.

Age? What's that? This chick looked younger now than she did all those years ago (at least from Row P she did!)

And the agility! Elkie strutted and moved like a teenager before giving out with that rusty nail edged voice.

The old faves were here, Lilac Wine, Pearl's a Singer, Sunshine After The Rain, Fool if you Think it's Over etc plus belters like Gasoline Alley, Nights in White Satin and tender moments such as Perry Como's first hit Till The End of Time. Elkie explained that it was number one the year she was born - 1945. I think Perry would have liked Elkie's version - maybe even been a little jealous! If Billie Holiday had been around today she may have sounded like Elkie!
There were also selections from her latest CD - Powerless.. (Xmas hint here...)

Our girl looked stunning. A diva style gown for the first set, and, let's face it, she's a diva's diva, contrasted with  the slinky black number (see CD cover) she wore for the second set. She looked good in both.

The band provided great backing with Stevie Jones blowing some outstanding jazz/rock tenor.

This was some gig - I fell in love with Elkie back in 1980 doggone it but here I am in love again with the same sweet you!

Lance.

"i" got it wrong and so did the Daily Mail.

My preferred daily paper is the "i" -  the concise version of The Independent. However, my faith in the press was shattered when alongside of a previously unpublished photo of Marilyn Monroe getting out of a helicopter with Ray Anthony was a reference to "Legendary crooner Ray Anthony."
Now we all know that Ray Anthony was a band leader and a trumpet player and even if the newspaper didn't know the fact he was holding his trumpet might have given them a clue!
The Daily Mail purported the same error - read the article and see the picture here.
Lance.
PS: In another photo on the Mail's website Marilyn and Anthony, still holding his trumpet, observe a drummer who looks to me like Mel Tormé - what do you think?

John Taylor @ St. Chad's College, Durham. Nov.10

Review by Peter Bevan published in the Northern Echo (or is it the Darlington and Stockton Times?).
Lance.

Tonight @ The Sage - Don't miss Elkie!

Elkie Brooks is that rare creature - a vocalist who can cross the genre with ease. Jazz, blues, pop, rock - you name it she has the voice to adapt to her surrounds and still sound uniquely herself. I have fond memories of hearing her live a number of times at Newcastle City Hall as well as at Sunderland Empire back in the '70s and '80s.I still have the vinyl from those halcyon days and a pure jazz CD 'Round Midnight from the '90s. Recent reports say Elkie is back on the scene with a bang which makes Tonight Friday (Dec. 2) a must for me and anyone who likes their vocalists to have a slightly jagged edge to their delivery and the years haven't changed that.

The concert will include songs from her new album Powerless.

Grab a sample here.
Lance.
Elkie Brooks in Concert - Friday December 2 @ The Sage, Gateshead. 7:30pm. £25/£20/£7.50.

Charles Gordon All Stars @ Hoochie Coochie.

Charles Gordon (keys); John Wheeler (ten/alt); Ben Grant (dms).

A funky couple of sets from an organ inspired group with leader Gordon setting down some big fat Hammond-like sounds that almost made the room a soul food convention - pass the chitlins baby.

On saxes John Wheeler is surely the best kept secret around - we need to hear more of him. Tonight he blew up a storm sounding at times like Wayne Shorter. In fact the whole gig had a Weather Report/Crusaders feel too it with a touch of the Herbies (Hancock not Hudson) thrown into the mix.

Ben Grant was rock solid and made sure it never dragged.

Summertime (vocal by Charles), Masquerade, Midnight Voyage, Chitlins, New Destination (vocal), Watermelon Man, Moon Dance, Sunny were just a few of the numbers that had the room rocking.

Another good evening at Hoochie and an appreciative young crowd. Talking of age where were the older jazz people? A good venue in the town centre with good music and good beer - London Pride my particular choice although the range is wide - should drag them away from the telly but in fact, with a couple of noticeable exceptions, excluding myself, it was mainly a young audience which can't be bad but a wider mix would have been nice. Next Thursday it's the delightful Lindsay Hannon Plus so put it in your diary!

Photos.

Lance.

CD Review - Ronnie Ross Quintet.

Ronnie Ross (bar); Bert Courtley (tpt/mello); Eddie Harvey (pno/tmb); Pete Blannin (bs); Andy White (dms).

Another delightful re-issue from the Ember jazz originals vault and a timely reminder of how, back then, we sold our UK musicians short. We'd go to a gig by the band - love it - but the next day we'd spend our cash on an American LP.

How wrong we were! This disc holds its head high against most of what was happening state-side on the west coast.

Ronnie Ross was the melodic link between Harry Klein and John Surman in the British baritone hierarchy and the nearest thing we had to Gerry Mulligan.

Bert Courtley, a fine trumpet player, had the feel of Chet Baker and the drive of Kenny Dorham. Together they made for a swinging front line making them one of the best bands on the local scene at that time (early '60s.) Rhythm section proves that those detractors of British rhythm sections were wrong - they say the same thing about Scottish goalkeepers...

Highly recommended and not just for nostalgic reasons - I'm playing it regularly to make up for the years when I foolishly didn't buy the original vinyl!

Released Dec. 5.

Lance.

Maine Street Jazzmen @ Rosie Malone's.

Olive Rudd (vcl); Herbie Hudson (tmb); Jim McBriarty (alt/clt); George Richardson (pno); Alan Rudd (bs); Mike Humble (dms).

Close your eyes and you're at Eddie Condon's club in New York back in the 1940's. Maybe it's Lou McGarity on trombone and could that be Peanuts Hucko on liquorice? Definitely Joe Bushkin on piano with Pops Foster and George Wettling on bass and drums. Hey and dig Maxine Sullivan doing the vocal on Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine. Only person missing is Wild Bill - guess he's across the street at Jimmy Ryan's.

"Two pintsa Stella, marra" and I'm brought back to 2011 and South Shields. Still the music and the dream lives on with another fine session at Rosie's.

Too many great numbers to list but Honeysuckle Rose stood out and Doctor Jazz could surely cure anyone's blues particularly when served up by Staff Nurse Rudd.

A superb afternoon only marred by my decision to take the number 88 bus as opposed to my normal 27. This route visited every council estate known to man, we admired (not) their garish Christmas lights and illuminated Santas whilst hoping the reindeer didn't distract the driver.

Thinking I was saving ten minutes the journey added an extra half hour - I didn't get my kicks on Route 88.

Lance.

CD Review - PARTIKEL: Cohesion.

Duncan Eagles (ten/sop); Max Luthert (bs); Eric Ford (dms/perc.).

I gave a rave review to Partikel's previous CD and I can do no less with this, their latest offering. Having just finished a national tour which began with a Schmazz @ The Cluny gig in Newcastle and terminated 15 venues later at the RAFA Club, Chatham, many will be acquainted with the trio's music.

For those that aren't Cohesian is a good place to start.

Partikel are an integrated trio that complement each other with contrasting lines and rhythms. Eagles can hold his own with any of his contemporaries blowing inventive, at times mind blowing solos, as well as displaying deep reflective moments - particularly on soprano - searching, exploring digging deeply into harmonic structure.

That harmonic structure is underlaid by Luthert a foundation who also adds his own thematic probing.

Drummer Ford drives, cruises, kicks adds exotic touches without disrupting the direction of the other two.

This is music that is as modern as tomorrow but with yesterday's influences mingled with the jazz of today.

Highly recommended.

Lance.

PARTIKEL - Cohesion. Whirlwind WR4618. General release Jan 23, 2012. Advance copies available from http://www.whirlwindrecordings.com/cohesion/