Debra Milne Ensemble @ Hexham Jazz Club, Exchange Café, Queens Hall, Feb, 28, 2013.

Debra delivered two great sets with her ensemble of Dave Parker (double bass), Rob Bates (drums), and the amazing Steve Glendinning (guitar). The programme was full of variety and delighted the appreciative and attentive audience. 

There were the be-bop tonal tongue-twisters that Debra sings beautifully and apparently effortlessly (Jordu was cracking). There were uplifting numbers that steamed along - full of joy – like No More Blues. There were the groove based delights of Temptation and Equinox, and then there were the real gems: the Steve Glendinning and Debra Milne originals. Show me the Man is a tender masterpiece of guitar and voice; Don’t Come 'Round Here Anymore and Stay can go straight into the Milne/Glendinning Real Book whenever that comes out. They ended with a warm and engaging musical tribute to the Jazz Café, celebrating the late Keith Crombie and the Toon’s brotherhood of jazz.

Hazel Hanley.

Rachel's Dream @ Dolphin Centre, Darlington Saturday March 2.

John Hallam (clarinet), Tom Kincaid (piano), Nigel Cretney (drums) & Rachel Hayward (vibes)

(Review by Ray Robson).

Thanks to the eccentric weather that is Britain's winter nowadays, we drove those few miles to Darlington not only in fervent hope for the afternoons jazz session but also in bright sunshine ....not quite the 2012 March heatwave that sent us scurrying to the attic for deckchairs, but hey, its only the 2nd of the month ...the best of March's summer is probably yet to come !

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ North Shore. March 2, 2013

(Report by Russell).

Saturday at the Great North Big Band Jazz Festival is the day the big boys and girls come out to play. This year’s open section attracted no fewer than ten bands. Ten years ago Newcastle University Jazz Orchestra won the inaugural event and this time round had the (dubious?) distinction of leading off at that well known jazz hour…12 noon. Vocalists were well represented in the band - indeed a feature of this year’s competition was a plethora of very good vocalists throughout the day - and after the opening Flight of the Foo Birds the singers took centre stage. Ella El-Salahi sang, with a real jazz feeling, Cry Me a River followed by Shona Crosson who was plagued by a mic malfunction and to their credit the adjudicators allowed a second take of Why Don’t You Do Right? (well done Shona!). A third Newcastle vocalist - Sreenag Krishamoorthy - cut a suave figure with his performance of Beyond the Sea.

CD Review: Dave Lalama Big Band - The Hofstra Project

Dave Pietro (alt/sop/fl); Jonathon Holford (alt); Ralph Lalama, John Marshall (ten); Jeff Lange (bar). Leon Petruzzi, Mike Rubenstein, Mike Carubia, Glenn Drewes or Nathan Warner (tpt/flug); John Mosca, Brent Chiorella, Joey Devassy, (tmb) Justin Camito (bs tmb.); Dave Lalama (pno); Pete Coco (bs); Tony Tedesco (dms).
(Review by Lance.)

Track Listing: Full House; Where Are You; No Evidence; Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love; Inner Urge; Pent-Up House; Moody's Mood For Love; St. Thelonious; Tricotism; The Song Isn't You; The Peacocks; Blues For...; Evansville.

Great North Big Band Jazz Festival @ North Shore. March 1, 2013

(Review by Russell).

The curtain-raiser to the tenth annual Great North Big Band Jazz Festival featured a new name as guest performer and competition adjudicator – multi reeds virtuoso Pete Long. A star-studded quintet led by Paul Jones (alto) and Long (clarinet) breezed through a selection of tried and tested numbers. 

Opening with Cherokee at quite a lick introduced the rhythm section; Colin Haikney (keyboards), Neil Harland (electric bass) and drummer Adrian Tilbrook. Stone Fox Chase (the theme tune of the Old Grey Whistle Test) worked well in showing off Long’s command of his instrument. Altoist Jones, an alumni of the County Durham Youth Big Band, blew vigorously and the tunes flew by including Creole Love Call, a Chick Corea number and a Rollins’ calypso. 

Jazzwise

The Mark Allen Group, an independent publishing group which publishes more than 50 magazines in business, healthcare, education and leisure, has acquired Jazzwise, the UK's leading jazz magazine.

CD Review: Karen Mok: Somewhere I Belong

Karen Mok (vocals and guzheng); names of other musicians not given, instruments are: keys, guitar, sax, trombone, violin, bass, drums. (Review by Ann Alex)

This    This could well turn out to be my CD of the year.  Karen Mok, from Hong Kong, is said to be ‘one of the most successful Asian recording artists of all time’ and this is her début English-language album. The lady has already had 15 successful albums and has starred in over 40 films. 

CD Review: Simon Spillett Quartet - Square One.

Simon Spillett (ten); John Critchinson (pno); Alec Dankworth (bs); Clark Tracy (dms).

(Review by Lance.)

If you were at last night's concert at Newcastle's Corner House you surely purchased this disc as a reminder of a memorable evening. If you didn't, then I suggest a visit to your GP to have the wax removed from your ears! 

New Independent Vocal Jazz Academy

The first British and International Vocal (Jazz) Academy workshop course will take place from Sunday 7 April 2013 with rolling enrolment thereafter.

Where:           West London

When:Fortnightly on Sundays

Who for:         Around 12 individuals who are serious about developing their knowledge and skills with a view to creating successful jazz performance – all styles.

Why:               BIVJA is keen to encourage mature students as well as young people at the start of their careers.

There are very few bespoke courses for vocalists who wish to empower themselves with a greater understanding of the rhythm section, band leading and performance confidence.

Is it for me?    Call for an informal chat on 020 8992 1571 (leave message and we’ll call you back).

Further course details: www.veronachard.com/bivja

Keith Jarrett - Royal Festival Hall, London - Monday 25th February 2013 (warning - this review may contain references to flash photography)

Keith Jarrett (piano)

(Review by JC.)

Some time in the early 1980s, I travelled right across London on a dark, wet night to the Royal Festival Hall on the off chance that I might pick up a ticket for that night's Keith Jarrett concert - no chance! When people have tickets for one of his solo performances they go, I thought to myself as I struggled back through London in the rain. So, while traversing the internet one night recently and happening to see he was to appear at the RFH and that tickets were to go on sale at 10am the following morning, I broke the habits of a life time and was sitting at my computer at 9.50am with the RFH web page open and the phone at the ready. I was delighted to get through on the web page at about 2 minutes past 10 but then less so when I saw that about half the seats were already gone - how does that happen? However, based on my early experience, I bought a ticket, leaving the logistics of getting to London and back to Newcastle the following morning for a meeting at 10am to a later date.