Our Man On The Air In Hong Kong

Episode 2 of RTHK's Vintage Chart Toppers presented by Colin Aitchison.
Playlist:
Les Brown/Doris Day - Sentimental Journey.
Humphrey Lyttleton - Bad Penny Blues.
Jimmy Rodgers - Blue Yodel.
Al Bowlly - Love is the Sweetest Thing.
Ella Fitzgerald - A Tisket-A-Tasket.

Jam Experiment @ The Jazz Café. March 4

Rory Ingham (trombone), Alexander Bone (alto saxophone), Toby Comeau (keyboards), Joe Lee (bass) & Jonathan Mansfield (drums)

(Review by Russell/Photo courtesy of Mike Tilley).

Many years ago Jimmy Knepper visited Newcastle. Inexplicably few turned out to hear the great man. Last night at the Jazz Café few turned out to hear a talented home-grown quintet. The Jam Experiment arrived from London, taking time out from their studies to play the first in a run of three gigs ‘up north’. Pink Lane regulars were largely absent. A hoped-for student crowd failed to show.

CD Review: Tommaso Starace/Michele Di Toro - From a Distant Past

Tommaso Starace (alto/sop); Michele Di Toro (pno).

(Review by Lance).

Those of us who recall, with pleasure, Starace and Di Toro playing a JNE quartet gig at the Chilli a few years back will have fond memories of these two outstanding players, a memory enhanced by this duo recording. Make no mistake, these are a couple of musicians at the top of their game and able to incorporate history - not just jazz history, but world history - into an intricate pattern where genre meets genre with the end result being a product that could be labelled with like accuracy under Classical or Contemporary or whatever name you choose!

Get Carter @ Northern Stage

(Review by Lance).

We've all seen the film and a lot of us have read the novel by Ted Lewis - Jack's Return Home - so, not surprisingly, the stage version has been pulling in the crowds over its two-week run at Newcastle's Northern Stage theatre.

Torben Betts adaptation of the novel works brilliantly, albeit, at times, disturbingly. Wathen, who plays Jack Carter occupies centre stage [a very bleak stage with a background of a derelict brickyard] for most of the two hours talking to his dead brother, Frank, whilst seeking to avenge his sibling's murder. He carries it off well.

CD Review: Jeff Williams – Outlier

Jeff Williams (drums, percussion & Fender Rhodes), Josh Arcoleo (tenor saxophone), Phil Robson (guitar), Kit Downes (piano & Fender Rhodes) & Sam Lasserson (double & electric basses)

(Review by Russell)

Outlier is Jeff Williams’ third release as leader on the Whirlwind Recordings label. All of the compositions are by the bandleader.  Williams is the one fifth American in this Anglo -American quintet. The four sidemen are in demand individuals leading bands or working in others’ outfits and stacking up recording credits along the way. This 2015 recording on Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings label is released next week with a clutch of gigs beginning on Sunday (March 6) at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

Alice Grace Quartet @ The Cherry Tree

Alice Grace (vcl); Pete Gilligan (pno); Paul Grainger (bs); Russ Morgan (dms).

(Review by Lance).

Alice began with Days of Wine and Roses whilst I began with a bottle of Black Sheep and homemade black pudding, hen's egg and tomato.

In this year of Grace, 2016, the lady does seem to pop up with an amazing regularity in these pages, I'm pleased to say, and justifiably so. Tonight was a tribute to Sarah Vaughan although, in truth, it could have been a tribute to Ella, Anita, Peggy or any of the others who work the same side of the street - 'cept Alice Grace does incorporate some of Ms Vaughan's more endearing mannerisms.

jazz plus productions

Since leaving Durham University, Chris Jones and Charles Price, MD/Trombone and trumpet respectively with the university big band, have set up jazz plus productions and signed their first band, DISTRICTS, a sextet from Birmingham. A launch gig has been set up for Thursday, March 31. Unfortunately, it’s not in Durham or even Brum but in Shoreditch at the Bedroom Bar. Nevertheless, any of our readers who are down there on that date, could well forego their visit to Ronnie’s and take the tube to Old St. for what I’m sure will be a memorable event.

http://jazzplus.org/news/districts-signing-february-2016/.

Lance.

Jazz Café Jam - March 1.

(Review by Lance)

Like the custodians of the law, our jazz musicians seem to get younger - and better! Tonight saw the emerged and the emerging talents of Bradley, Matt, Joel, Jordan, Charlie Philp - making his Jazz Café debut - and Nick Kalanek all providing proof that the future is in good hands.

However, it's Gilligan, Grainger and Rob Walker who set the pace with A Beautiful Friendship and Emily as well as a couple I didn't recognise. Follow that, was the silent thought that pervaded.

America’s Jazz Times Honours Its Own

(Report by Russell)

The big names - and the next big name - dominate Jazz Times’ Readers’ Poll of 2015. The magazine’s January/February 2016 issue makes for interesting reading. One name stands out – Joey Alexander. Voted no.1 New Artist, check him out on YouTube. A pre-teen piano sensation, you won’t believe what you see and hear!

CD Review: Aldevis Tibaldi London Jazz Ensemble - twentysix three

John Eacott (tpt/flug); Aldevis Tibaldi (ten/sop); Paul Taylor (tmb); Liam Dunachie (pno); Richard Sadler (bs); Chris Gale (dms).

(Review by Lance)

Becoming more and more disillusioned by what is passed off as jazz these days a disc such as this gives me hope for the future. 

Imagine Mingus*, Monk** and Ellington***, composing and arranging today and you get an inkling of where this is at. Indeed, the three composers mentioned actually provide the only non-original compositions on the album, the rest coming from the pen of leader Tibaldi.