Album review: Hal Galper Quintet - Live at the Berlin Philharmonic 1977

Hal Galper (piano); Randy Brecker (trumpet/flugel); Michael Brecker (tenor sax); Wayne Dockery (bass); Bob Moses (drums).

Six tracks - the shortest at 9:31, the longest at 24:36 - spread over two CDs recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonic in 1977 gave me the feeling of being there. This feeling helped on by the audience's enthusiasm.

If Michael Brecker had blown these choruses at a JATP concert 30 years earlier he'd have been accused of exhibitionism or playing to the crowd. However, by this time, such pyrothechnics had been absorbed into most saxophonists' lexicon and regarded as the norm although few, if any,  did it anywhere near as well as Brecker.

Ian Shaw sings Skylark, talks Debussy, Whistler & more - June 3

On today's In Tune (BBC Radio 3) Ian Shaw sang, played piano and chatted to presenter Katie Derham (pictured). Guitarist David Preston accompanied Shaw on the singer's own arrangement of Skylark. A recording of Shaw's My Brother (Mick Hutton, bass, David Ohm, drums) featured the composer at the piano, at the piano in the studio Shaw sang Jimmy Van Heusen's I Thought About  You, once again accompanied by Preston. 

Album review: Nigel Price Organ Trio - Wes Reimagined

Hearing Nigel Price live is a thrilling experience, listening to a recording of the award-winning guitarist is the next best thing. If you're familiar with Price's work, the title of his latest album, Wes Reimagined, will be self-explanatory. Wes Montgomery is something of a hero to our man and this new release on Ubuntu Music will find favour with fans of jazz guitar, particularly in the classic organ trio format.

Album review: Emil de Waal - Vente

Emil de Waal (drums); Elith 'Nulle' Nykjær (clarinet);  Dan Hemmer (B3); Gustaf Ljunggren (clarinet/guitar).

Four great Danes playing some great chamber-jazz. Clarinet isn't the usual horn to front a B3 combo but 84-year-old Nykjær makes it sound like a natural musical mating. In fact, on the opening Peg o' My Heart we have two clarinetists with multi-instrumentalist Ljunggren adding some additional liquorice.

Stuck Inside - Quarantine Lament

Ernesto Cervini out in Canada sent me this - something that pretty much typifies what the world is surely feeling.

Let Ernesto tell it: "About a year ago I wrote this little jazz tune about the lockdown.  I asked my dear friend, and Orange Grove social media guru Jenna Marie to write some lyrics to it, and we came up with Stuck Inside.

Information please ...

Looking for information on Manchester drummer Mike Scott who gigged with pianist Malcolm Saul in the 1970s.

Can anyone help? Lance

Lampglass Club in Ashington

John Taylor who, for many years, organised the late, lamented, Ashington Jazz Club has opined that if and when Covid restrictions are lifted then venues may be looking to diversify the genres. The Jazz Co-op and The Globe have, of course, been successfully operating just such a policy since the world as we know it came to an end.

With the graphic, John reminds us of how things were 50+ years ago at The Lampglass Cellar Club in Ashington and wonders if there's anyone out there who remembers Clem Avery's band on that night. Lance

Album review: Joe Williams - Four Classic Albums

Four albums recorded in a four year period in the late fifties capture Joe Williams at a career highpoint. Working with the Count Basie Orchestra, Williams' distinctive baritone voice lent itself to fronting a big band and singing the blues. The titles of the LPs (originally released on the Vanguard and Roulette labels) encapsulate Williams' working environment and popular appeal - A Night at Count Basie's (Basie's club in Harlem, NYC, backed by organist Marlowe Morris' small group featuring trumpeter Emmett Berry), A Man Ain't Supposed to Cry (Williams positioning himself as the vulnerable singer of ballads with orchestral string arrangements by Jimmy Mundy), Every Day I Have the Blues (the title track became Williams' signature tune with the Basie band) and Just the Blues (a recording featuring Basie playing piano and organ). 

THE GLOBE SHORTLISTED IN NATIONAL AWARDS - your last chance to vote.

(Press release)

Newcastle’s community-owned music venue The Globe has been shortlisted for a Co-op of the Year Award – a prestigious accolade that honours co-ops across the UK who have shown a commitment to the co-operative principles, stepping up and supporting their communities during the pandemic.

Dave Parker, co-chair of the co-op that owns The Globe, said, “We’re so excited to be one of just five co-ops shortlisted for the Small Community Co-op of the Year Award. The winners will be decided by a public vote – so we’re a

The Great Song Cycle, Down Under - a Documentary by Joanna Wallfisch

A compelling film by a singer, composer, writer, cyclist and, undoubtedly, adventurer who I had the pleasure of meeting at The Spice of Life some years back little realising the projects she would embark upon.

Well done Joanna.

Lance