Jazz Mags Looking for a Home

Hi Lance. Hope you are OK and Happy New Year!

I mentioned before that I was sorting out my old jazz mags from the 1960's and 70's.

Do you know if anyone would want them? I wouldn't want anything for them and the alternative is to throw them out. They are listed below, also included are a number of souvenir programs and jazz record listings, plus volume 1 to 6 of Dave Carey's Jazz Directory.  If you know of anyone I could meet them halfway (I live near Alnwick) to hand them over.

Jazz Journal  112 Copies

Jazz Journal International  11 Copies

Jazz Monthly   64 Copies

Downbeat   56 Copies

Jazz Beat   21 Copies

Jazz And Blues   5 Copies

Jazz  (Leonard Feather)  3 Copies. 

Gordon Solomon.

Bongo Boy And Butt Girl - An In Chanting Couple (Another gem from Scott Black)

Seems that the skinny white guy who wears a Rastafarian hat and plays the bongos, has decided to expand his horizons. He has taken up chanting to add to the various musical things he can’t do. I was sitting here in a quiet repose and the thwapping sound of someone smacking an innocent bongo started up. It’s not a problem really, for I possess industrial strength earplugs for such things as train wrecks, asteroids, new age music, rap and neighbours who play bongos. But after a few minutes, he started bellowing out what sounded like an impersonation of a wounded steer to me. Or perhaps a Great Dane with an infected tooth, but you get the idea. It wasn’t in any language that I’ve ever heard of before, it made no sense and had no sense of pitch to it, or talent for that matter.

Dave Shepherd (February 7, 1929 - December 15, 2016)

Just belatedly discovered that clarinetist Dave Shepherd passed away on December 15. One of the world's great Goodman disciples I was privileged to hear him perform many times over the years perhaps most memorably in 1982 at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival with Teddy Wilson in a Benny Goodman tribute concert. He played with the fluency of BG without losing his own identity. One of the highlights was the interplay between the two - it was as if they'd played together for years! Another session was with Doc Cheatham which may also have been at Edinburgh or it could have been in Breda. My memory's fading on that one!

There were also sessions with Freddy Randall as well as by his own quintet.

Dave Shepherd was 87 when he left us. 

Sadly missed.

Rest  In Peace.
Lance.
 Obituary.

Makes it all worth while!

(Daryl Sherman)

I'll be in England next week until Jan 22. Mostly for friend's birthday event but have a few gigs including Swansea and also this:

Digby Fairweather has been dedicating himself to launching this fairly new Jazz Centre in Southend. He visited NYC a few months ago and when I told him I'd be over in January...voila! He fixed up a concert on Friday evening and then next day as you'll see. I look forward to seeing the sea as well as lovely folks who live there.

All best to you, Lance, dearest and many thanks for your kind, caring support.

xd

Paul Skerritt Band

John Nesbitt, way down yonder in the Tees Delta sends me videos. I don't often have space to post them but, when I can, it's always worthwhile.  Check out this one by the Skerritt band full of the usual suspects.
https://youtu.be/ivyH0a3ED0E

A Look at 2016

(Lance/photo of  NYE Park Avenue NYC courtesy of Daryl Sherman)

The Gateshead International Jazz Festival, as always, stands supreme. This year, Simon Spillett's Tubby Hayes presentation was everything we could expect from two giants - past and present.

Alex Webb's  Café Society Swing was another that kept us well on the inside. Vimala Rowe an exciting new voice on the scene.

I didn't make the Ushaw College gigs, the Classic Jazz Party at Whitley Bay, or the Sunderland Big Band Festival but those of my agents on the ground who did make it, gave them the thumbs up - in fact - they only wished they'd had more thumbs!

Blame it on their youth

Award winning pianist Mark Pringle and unique young trumpeter Tom Syson explore the art of the duo from the golden early years of jazz, (beginning with an investigation of Chet Baker's music) to the contemporary avant garde. 
Blurb re forthcoming gig at Jazz Café.

Love it! 
I might bring my King Oliver/Jelly Roll; Louis/Earl Hines 78s along to have them  [the discs] pronounced as fakes. Oh, and didn't Hawkins do some duos? Then Emma might confirm that Joe and Eddie also did some. Hey, I remember Ruby Braff with Ellis Larkins and, to be honest, I can't think of a Chet Baker duo set.

I guess we all have different views on 'Golden Eras'.

Lance.

Preview: Southport Jazz Festival @ Royal Clifton Hotel - February 2 - 5, 2017.

(Preview by Steve T).

This is an annual event in Count [Tony] Eales calendar, which should be recommendation enough in itself. I've almost made it a few times and even had tickets for Jean Toussaint doing Trane a couple of years back, but something came up. No chance of missing this one; there's plenty for everyone and some specific stuff of real interest to me.

CD Review: Alex Levine Quartet - Towards the Center

Alex Levine (guitar); Marcus Elliot (tenor); Ben Rolston (bass); Stephen Boeegehold (drums).

(Review by Lance).

This one hit the street in October last year (yes 2016 is now in the past!) but, just as it was nearing the top of the pile, a blockbuster would drop onto the player pushing the Alex Levine Quartet back down the queue.

Towards the Center isn't a blockbuster - it's too subtle for that - and certainly doesn't deserve to be overlooked so, belatedly, here it is.

It's dedicated to the visionary musician, poet, and artist, Henry Grimes who provided Levine with immeasurable creative wisdom and guidance during many hours of private lessons both playing and in conversation. 

NCRO Tickets Now on Sale

Tickets are now on sale for the annual concert by the New Century Ragtime Orchestra at Gateshead's Caedmon Hall on  Friday 3 February 2017. Ragtime and stride piano maestro Keith Nichols, drummer Nick Ward and the lovely Caroline on vocals are the featured special guests for what is always an enjoyable, fun-filled evening of ragtime, hot dance music and early swing, all anarchically presided over by reedman Steve Andrews!

Because of the band's popularity and strong following, tickets (£15) are best reserved in advance (details below) and can be paid for on the night.  Advanced sales permitting, tickets will also be available on the door, which opens at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 7.30 pm.  Tickets can also be obtained through the venue's box office on 0191 433 6965 or by clicking this link.