International Jazz Day @ The Globe.

I'm hoping we'll have some words from the International Jazz Day/Jazz Coop's Fifth Anniversary celebration at The Globe last Tuesday but, in the meantime, here are some photos from Debra Milne of what looks to have aced the day attendance-wise!

Lance

‘JAZZ ARTISTS OF THE YEAR’ TO HEADLINE FESTIVAL IN DURHAM

 PRESS RELEASE

DJAZZ : The Durham City Jazz Festival

Various venues

Durham City

June 7th - 9th

Tickets: £20 available from buytickets.at/djazz

A festival is bringing together an eclectic mix of regional, national and international musicians to Durham, including multi award winning artists at the cutting edge of jazz, and placing them in the city’s most iconic buildings.

Now in its 3rd year, DJAZZ: The Durham City Jazz Festival brings you an eclectic mix of contemporary and traditional jazz set against the backdrop of some of Durham's most intriguing venues. Highlights include 2 x MOBO award winner Moses Boyd who will be headlining at Redhills: Durham Miners Hall and 2018’s ‘Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year' Arun Ghosh, who will be opening the festival.

The Paul Donnelly Quartet @ Dormans Jazz Festival,Middlesbrough-April 25th

Paul Donnelly (guitar); Rick Laughlin (Keys,synth); Keith Peberdy (bass); Paul Smith (drums)

(Review by Ron H)

When four well known local musicians of this standard came together at Dormans the audience were full of expectations and they certainly were not disappointed.

Starting the first set with a fine swinging version of On Broadway, from the George Benson album showed that we were in for an evening of exciting jazz. Nature Boy, followed with inventive solos from Rick on keys, Paul Donnelly's fine octave work on guitar and a nice bass solo from Keith coupled with the imitable Paul Smith on drums showed how well they all played together.

Written for James Taylor, Pat Metheny's James, was followed by the ever popular Latin piece Black Orpheus, beautifully played with great guitar and keyboard work.A nice rhythmic  Donny Hathaway number Where Is The Love, preceded the ending of the first set
 with an up tempo George Benson's Bayou which, being based  on I've Got Rhythm, gave plenty of scope for inventive solos from all.

Jam session @ The Dun Cow - May 1

Stu Collingwood (piano, vocals); Paul Grainger (double bass); Paul Wight (drums, vocals) + Kay Usher (violin); James Metcalf (flugelhorn).

(Review by Russell).

Another quiet night. Jazz Cafe Tuesday, Dun Cow Wednesday - students cramming ahead of exams, Metro falling apart thanks to 'austerity' policies and Barca v Liverpool on the telly* possible/probable factors in the low turn-outs of both musicians and audience. 

The house trio - Stu, piano, Paul G, bass and Paul W, drums - played for their own satisfaction as much as the hardy few. First Wednesday in the month appears to be convenient for Kay Usher and she duly turned up again to play a couple of numbers, never one to overstay her welcome. All of Me then Corcovado and she was done, for the time being. 

Vieux Carre Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club - May 1

Ray Harley (trumpet); Jim McBriarty (clarinet, vocals); Lawrence McBriarty (trombone); Brian Bennett (banjo, vocals); Bill Colledge (double bass); Fred Thompson (drums, vocals) + Miles Watson (trumpet, vocals)

(Review by Russell/Photos to follow)

May Day, be vigilant! Morris dancers, handkerchiefs at the ready, could be round the next corner! Arriving a little late in Cullercoats (a change of train, an amended timetable) with spots of rain in the air, the Vieux Carre Jazzmen were already at it with All of Me entertaining a good number in the bar of the sea-front Crescent Club. 

Singing drummer Fred Thompson sang a couple; Georgia then Slow Boat to China, handing over to Jim McBriarty who was all Smiles. Bandleader Brian Bennett brought the first set to a close singing Oh, You Beautiful Doll - did he have anyone in mind?

Alan Barnes + 11/The John Horler Trio @ Ronnie Scott's - May 1

Alan Barnes (alto sax/baritone sax/clarinet), Colin Skinner (alto sax/clarinet), Andy Panayi (tenor sax/flute), Mick Foster (baritone sax/bass clarinet etc.), Patrick White, James Copus (trumpets); Gordon Campbell, Callum Au (trombones); Robin Aspland (piano); Sam Burgess (bass); Ed Richardson (drums).

(Review by Lance).

Ronnie's was sold out and why shouldn't it be? This was a rather special event. A celebration, not only of  60 years of the club (or should that be The Club?) it was also the number of years that Alan Barnes (or should that be The Alan Barnes?) had been on the planet and, specific to that year (1959), it was the year that so many classic jazz albums were released including Art Pepper + 11.

Alan Barnes + 11 didn't set out to emulate the original but, instead, chose material from many of the other gems from the class of '59 e.g.: Boogie Stop Shuffle; Take 5; Felicidade; A Single Petal of a Rose; Blowin' the Blues Away; Little Rootie Tootie; Naima; Hi-Fly; Dreamsville; Catch as Catch Can and a final belter the name of which escaped me. 

Martin Guy Band w. Sara Dowling @ Spice of Life, Soho - May 1.

Sara Dowling (vocals); Paul Higgs (trumpet); Al Nicholls (tenor); Tim Huskisson (piano); Pete Morgan (bass); Martin Guy (drums).

(Review by Lance)

The last time I was in the basement bar of the Spice of Life they had an upright piano. In the intervening years, they have acquired a grand. When I enquired as to how they got it down there I was told - "In bits!".

Well, by the time of my visit this afternoon, the bits had been very well put together.

Five great musicians and a singer, of whom more shortly, made me wonder why any one - if not all six - hadn't been among the nominations at last night's Jazz FM Awards?

The clientèle was noticeably older than at last night's shindig and hats were at a minimum but the enthusiasm was no less, and why shouldn't it be? This was the real deal.

Darlington Jazz Festival: Extra! Extra! Saturday Extra!

Ace drummer Abbie Finn, fresh from working with Simon Spillett (Ushaw College, Friday 3 May), pops up on no fewer than three occasions on day two (Saturday 4) of this year's Darlington Jazz Festival. At 3:30pm at the Quakerhouse pub in Mechanics' Yard Abbie will be gigging with pianist Dean Stockdale alongside Northern Monkey Graham Hardy (trumpet) and Swing Manouche man Mick Shoulder. At five o'clock Finn appears just around the corner in the Voodoo Café with Stockdale and Shoulder then at about half past ten, after Sebastiaan de Krom's all-star concert, our busy-busy-busy drummer will be in the Pennyweight pub for a tear-up of a jam session!   

Russell

Jam session @ The Black Swan - April 30

Mark Williams (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); John Bradford (drums) + James Metcalf (trumpet); John Rowland (tenor sax); Graham Easthope (tenor sax); Francis Tulip (guitar) 

(Review by Russell/Photos to follow)

A couple of old hands, a couple of student hotshots, otherwise it was a quiet night. This week's Black Swan jam session began quietly and, for the most part, continued that way. Piano-less house trios invariably result in restrained affairs and on International Jazz Day the booters, honkers and rip-it-up merchants stayed home. 

Tyne and Wear's Metro system experienced yet more disruptions to service which perhaps accounted for the relatively low numbers in town as Messrs Williams, Grainger and Bradford opened with I Should Care. Guitarist Mark Williams exudes class and his early appreciation of 'new boy' John Bradford gladdened the heart. Lynchpin bassist Paul Grainger adopted his usual station in the middle of the action, periodically calling sitters-in to the stand.  

Jazz FM Awards @ Shoreditch Town Hall - April 30

(Review by Lance)

After being patted down, frisked and laser scanned by a guy who could have stepped straight out of the Direct Line commercial, I passed through the hallowed portals of the Town Hall in Shoreditch. 

Nibbles were being nibbled and the gratis bar was doing good business. The choice was Warsteiner beer, Ragtimer Cocktails, wine. G & T or orange juice. Not many opted for the latter option. It was quite a sartorial affair, particularly when it came to headgear. Fedoras, stetsons, sombreros, flat caps and, of course, pork pies as made famous by Lester Young.

The announcement that the bar would be closed during the ceremony resulted in a stampede with, amazingly, no one trampled underfoot.

There wasn't much live music although what there was was excellent. Cherise Adams-Burnett and Eric Bibb performed a soulful duet and it was a shoo in that they would win their respective categories.