Preview: Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars @ the Mill Tavern, Hebburn - March 20

R & B fans in the vicinity of Hebburn's Mill Tavern are in for a treat tonight - a return visit by the Ray Stubbs R & B All-Stars and even if you're not within truckin' distance the good old 27 Greyhound (actually Go North East) bus stops directly outside.

Ray Stubbs has been rockin' and rollin' and singin' authentic inner city/delta blues since Robert Johnson made a pact with the Devil - well maybe not quite that long but his blues harp playing suggests that he could have met up with Robert Johnson and the Devil at that legendary crossroads in Mississippi. Think Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King and a whole lot more - maybe Satan himself will show up - he often does in Hebburn.

The last time the band played the Mill Tavern I'm told it was wall to wall with rockers and rockettes so get there early for an 8:30pm start - entry is free as is the interval buffet! Lance

Mill Tavern, Mill Lane, Hebburn, NE31 2EU

Springtime at the Black Swan - March 18

Laurence Harrison (guitar); Paul Grainger (double bass); Tim Johnston (drums) + Kate O'Niell (vocals); Paul Ruddick (alto sax); Robert Johnson (alto sax); Martin Waugh (piano); Jen Foster  (vocals); Owen Jones (double bass); Shayo Oshodi (vocals); Shivan Ruddick (trumpet); Leah Kirk (vocals); Alec Gamble (guitar); ? (percussion); Liam Oliver (guitar); David Gray (trombone); Esther Coombes (alto sax, clarinet); Ian Drever (vocals); Paul Skerritt (vocals); Jamie Watkins (double bass); Katrina Miller (vocals); Ruth Lambert (vocals) 

Spring is just around the corner. The Black Swan jam session continues to attract the regulars (sitting at their usual tables) and many new faces - where do they all come from? A questionnaire/survey is called for! The house trio usually comprises piano, bass and drums. This evening it was guitar, bass and drums. 

Press release: Stockport Jazz @ the Moor Club welcomes US tenor saxophonist Jeff Guntren with the Paul Hartley Trio - March 23

Jeff Guntren (tenor sax); Paul Hartley (guitar); Ken Marley (bass); Dave Walsh (drums).

Jeff Guntren was born in Sioux City, Iowa, and began playing saxophone at age 10.  He studied jazz at William Paterson University just outside of New York City and went on to receive his degree in jazz performance from the University of Northern Iowa.  

After working professionally as a woodwind specialist on cruise ships for several years, he moved to Manchester in 2015 to live with his British wife, harpist Rebecca Mills.  Since arriving, he has been involved in various creative music projects including numerous festival appearances and recording sessions, most of which have been in the North West.  His passion has always been small group jazz where he has the most freedom to improvise

More discoveries: Carmen McRae and Paul J. Gillette

There's a cat charity shop on Clayton St. that I always call in when passing in an attempt to support our furry friends. Today, in exchange for £3 I left with an LP by Carmen McRae and a book by Paul J. Gillette.

I'll deal with the book first. Play Misty For Me is based around the screenplay by Jo Heims and Dean Riesner of the Clint Eastwood movie of the  same name. You may remember Roberta Flack's The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face playing in the background. I read it a long time ago - probably circa 1978 - so, with the passage of time, it will be like reading it anew.

Album review: Kenny Dorham - Blue Bossa in the Bronx Live From the Blue Morocco (Resonance)

Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Sonny Red (alto sax); Cedar Walton (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Denis Charles (drums)

Another piece of buried treasure unearthed by the intrepid Zev Feldman. 

Recorded live at the Blue Morocco Club up in the Bronx back in 1967 it serves to demonstrate just how great a trumpet player Kenny Dorham was and how, living in an age where his contemporaries included Fats Navarro, Dizzy, Miles, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, underrated he was. On the strength of his playing on this album it soon becomes evident that, on his day, he could hold his own with any of them. On that night in the Bronx he was most certainly 'on his day'.

Gabriele Heller on UTOPIA MORE and more

 UTOPIA MORE and more

My new audio play UTOPIA MORE and more was shortlisted for the International Radio Drama Festival in Canterbury, which will take place from the 24th to the 28th of March 2025.

The play features the brilliant voices of James Ryland and Jane Arnfield besides a cast of many more amazing actors. The improvised musical score was made by my wonderful colleges John Garner, John Pope and Tobias Illingworth (Sarra).

I am looking forward to attend the festival for the whole week listening to audio plays from all over the world.  https://radiodramafestival.org.uk/

Jamie Toms Quartet @ Blaydon Jazz Club - March 17

Jamie Toms (tenor sax, soprano sax); Graham Don (piano); Ian Paterson (double bass); John Bradford (drums)

The Jamie Toms Quartet arrived in good time to set up and then take five. The Black Bull audience duly arrived and at eight o'clock on the dot we were ready to go. Eleven numbers across two sets, all of them composed by bandleader Jamie Toms, it would be an opportunity to listen to the principal soloists - Toms (tenor and soprano saxophones) and Graham Don (piano) - stretching out, supported by Ian Paterson (bass) and John Bradford (drums), from time to time our excellent rhythm section duo would also bask in the soloist's spotlight.

All of the compositions played this evening were written by Jamie Toms and, by way of introduction, our bandleader offered an insight as to how each number came about. It became apparent much of the set list was composed by a stay-at-home Toms - battening down the hatches in the face of stormy weather or, like everyone else, stuck at home thanks to lockdown restrictions.

Album review: Gordon Wellard Ensembles - Tribute to Keezer (self-released)

Gordon Wellard (drums); James Scannell (tenor sax) with (collectively): Tom Cawley (piano); Andrew Cleyndert (bass); Henry Collins (trumpet); Roger Beaujolais (vibes); Mike Edmonds (bass); Steve Fishwick (trumpet); Jamie O'Donnell (alto sax); Nick Tomalin (piano); Adrian Fry (trombone); Mike Gorman (piano)

A tribute to American jazz pianist/composer/arranger Geoffrey Keezer by British drummer Wellard and a choice selection of hard-bop orientated musicians playing pieces composed and arranged by Keezer as well as numbers by Wayne Shorter, Idrees Sulieman, Clifford Jordan and Cedar Walton along with a couple of standards by Sacha Distel and Cole Porter. The latter two arranged by Steve Fishwick.

Mike Hope Quartet @ the Moor Club, Heaton Moor, Stockport - March 16

© Jeff Pritchard

Mike Hope (tenor sax, flute); George King (keyboards); Grant Russell (bass); Eryl Roberts (drums).

Mike Hope has been a major player in the north-west and beyond for many years and although I've seen him many times its not very often that I've seen him play flute. However, he did use it once during the course of the evening on George Shearing's classic tune  Lullaby of Birdland. This is a tune that I don't normally care for but Mike 's version was impressive with a really full sound.

Mike is a big fan of Stan Getz and he ended the first set with a tune that Getz liked to play, Moonlight in Vermont. Getz and guitarist Johnny Smith had, in jazz terms, a big hit with this number.  Later came another big hit for Getz with Desafinado which Mike Hope played in the second half. Those who never saw Getz live should try and catch Mike on his next gig,

Sunday night @ the Globe: Alison Rayner Quintet (ARQ) - March 16

© Sheila Herrick

Alison Rayner (bass. bass guitar); Deirdre Cartwright (guitar); Steve Lodder (piano); Diane McLoughlin (tenor/soprano sax); Buster Birch (drums)

The scenes in Newcastle were incredible it was like V.E. Day (ask your grandad). The streets were crowded, car horns were tooting stentorian fanfares and if you weren't wearing black and white you were either an alien from Mars or from Sunderland. Newcastle United had triumphed at Wembley! After almost 70 years of pain they'd finally delivered the goods.

Down at the Globe it was also happening, the crowdfunder target had been reached and the Alison Rayner Quintet were on stage - all this in one day! Surely I was dreaming...

However, Buster Birch's opening drum break cut through like a Dan Burn header and I knew I wasn't dreaming.